Top TEN off-the-radar fall events
Well, off my radar anyway. Plus all the usual suspects.
Hello endurance athletes,
I do love July! Because I work from home, I have the Tour de France rolling all month long while I work. Well, almost all month. Typically, it’s over after 3 weeks. Not this year, though. This year we have the Tour de France Femmes for the first time in 30-plus years, there’s a women’s race. It started Sunday in Paris and ends this coming Sunday on top of La Planche des Belles Filles, a category 1 climb, quite the way to end. Wednesday’s stage 4, was a wild one. 5 categorized climbs interspersed with gravel segments or “Chemin Blanc” as they are called in France, “The White Path.”
The stage profile is a hot mess.
It’s well worth watching, if only because Marianne Vos is simply electric on her bike and the enthusiasm of all the participants to be riding in the first of the revived TdFF is infectious. Here’s how to watch.
Let’s get to the news…
Top TEN list
Another in our series of races that you may not know about. The criteria for these races are that they have some special hook and / or they are mostly away from the major metro areas. The races are scheduled between Sept. 1 and Thanksgiving. You may have heard of some of them, comment below if you have raced them or plan to.
Marathon2Marathon - This net downhill point-to-point marathon is also a Boston Qualifier. This race starts 26.2 (and other distances) north of Marathon. You are bussed out there and then run the highway (watch out for rattlesnakes, the site says) all the way back to town. The race is Oct 22 with a pasta dinner at the famous Gage Hotel Friday night before the Saturday race.
Friends of Government Canyon Recharge Run - A good cause for sure, but also an incredible place to run. Rocky climbs, flowy sections and Acrocanthosaurus and Sauroposeidon dinosaur tracks. What else could you want? There are 8K and 15K distances at the Government Canyon State Natural Area just outside of San Antonio near Helotes. The race is November 5.
SARR Rocky Horror Trail Run - I had to have a Halloween themed race in this section, this one won out based on range of distances, 50K to 5K, all on a rocky, elevated 5K loop in San Antonio’s Eisenhower Park. The race is Oct 29 with virtual options.
South Padre Island Triathlon - A flat, fast course with a salt water swim in South Padre? Yeah, sounds great. They have both sprint and Olympic distance events, plus relays. The event is hosted by Parrot Eyes, a restaurant, bar, marina with rental watersport vehicles. The race is Sept. 25.
2022 H-E-B Cameron Park Zoo Stampede - A run through and around the zoo? Why not? This annual race is back and celebrating the year of the tiger. The race is Saturday, November 12 at the zoo in Waco.
South Padre Island Muzicians Run - You know the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series, but how about the Mariachi 10K/5K? This racecourse is lined with Mariachis and at the end you get a beer or margarita in a commemorative cup, a 5” finisher’s medal and, tacos. The race is November 5th on SPI.
Tour de Las Misiones - Another great cause, this bike ride, walk and run along the Mission Trail on the southern reaches of San Antonio’s River Walk. The under-appreciated Spanish Missions are what a lot of people expect to find when they visit the Alamo. Despite their proximity to downtown, they are in a more bucolic setting and all continue as active churches. The Missions were recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2015. This is an event, not a race, so you set your own time and pace and follow a charted path.
Rose City Tri - This race in Whitehouse gets a pretty strong regional draw. USAT South Midwest members have voted this race their favorite small (2008) and medium (2009 & 2012) triathlon. And somehow I hadn’t heard of it. This sprint race is still affordable, $85, and takes place at The Boulders on Lake Tyler.
2022 Possum Kingdom Rattlesnake Challenge Sprint Adventure Race - While billed as a “sprint” this race sounds pretty stout. From the description: “Race disciplines will include orienteering and map skills for all legs of the race (GPS usage not allowed), mountain biking on trails, trekking and open lake kayaking.” It’s an 8-hour race with no solo racers, all teams are 2-4 people. Takes place October 15 at Bug Beach on Possum Kingdom Lake.
Sleeping Lion Ridge Trail Runs - Another affordable race, this time a trail run out in El Paso that has distances from 4.5 miles all the way up to a 50K. The 50K will set you back a whole $35, and you get t-shirts and a cap. It’s a looped course, 4.2 miles, with elevation. With aid only at the start-finish line, you will want to carry water. Still, quite the deal on a fairly gnarly sounding trail race.
And ten more bonus races that I couldn’t cut.
Buffalo Wallow Races - Buffalo Springs Lake, Nov. 12
Rib Rub Run Roll 5K, 10K, and 1 Mile Fun Run - Rockwall, Oct 2
Trails & Tacos 15k/5k - Erwin Park, McKinney, Nov. 19
12th Annual Bill Dodge Memorial Bay Run 15K, 5K, 2 Mile Dog Walk - Corpus Christi, Sept 3
Come & Take It 5K Run/Walk - Gonzales, Oct. 1
Westfest Kolache 5K - West, Sept. 4
Black Bridge Backroad Boogie - Dime Box, Oct. 1
Dana Peak Trail Run - Dana Peak Park, Harker Heights, Oct. 8
Salmagundi Trail Race - Milton Reimers Ranch Park, Dripping Springs, Oct. 8
San Antonio Zoo Run - San Antonio, Sept. 9-10
Meme of the Week
Media We Are Consuming
Kaitlin Armstrong Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of Anna 'Mo' Wilson (Bicycling)
Texas 4000 en route - Student cyclists riding from Texas to Alaska (Alaska Highway News)
Houston runner feared the worst after multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Now, she's running a marathon. (Houston Chronicle)
Cyclists get rolling for Tour de Gap, and more coming up in Abilene (Abilene Reporter News)
Biden Has Reinstated FICOR, a Group Tasked With Growing the Outdoor Industry in the U.S. (Outside)
Survey Finds Runners Value Sports Sponsors (SGB Media)
Featured Events
Cypress Tris & Trails Fest | Tris, trail runs, MTB, youth and doggie splash and dash | Cypress | July 23-24, 30
Blazin’ Saddle 75 | 75M, 100K, 40M, 20M ride | Granbury | August 6
WRATH 24/48 Texas Endurance Runs | 24 / 48 Hour timed run | Forth Worth | August 12-14
Habanero Hundred | 100M, 100K, 50K, 30K, 20K, 10K and relay | 7IL Ranch | August 20-21
Hotter’N Hell 100 | 100M ride, crits, gravel, MTB, more | Wichita Falls | August 26-29
Rock Dallas Triathlon | Olympic Tri | Flower Mound | September 10
El Camino 205 | Gravel grinder, multiple distances, from 35 to 108 both days | Palestine | Sept. 24-25
Texas City Tri | Sprint tri, Du, Aqua-Bike | Texas City | October 1
Snapping Tortuga | 5K, 2.5K and 1,250M OWS | Lake Conroe | October 1
The Trailway Trail Race | 26.2, 13.1, 10K, 5K, kids run | Lake Somerville State Park | Oct 7-8
Ironman Waco | Full Ironman triathlon | Waco | October 15
Ironman 70.3 Waco | 70.3 Ironman triathlon | Waco | October 16
Oilman | 70.3 triathlon | Conroe | November
Odyssey SwimRun Austin | Long and short course swimrun | Pace Bend Park | November