IRONBULL Ultra Trail - A TALE OF TWO YEARS
By Travis Schell
Author, Travis Schell, illuminated by his headlamp, leads a group of runners. Photo credit: Coates Photography
WAUSAU (Ultra Running Magazine) - This year, I returned to Wausau, Wisconsin, for a second dose of type two fun on the challenging IRONBULL Ultra Trail course. However, I had NO idea what I was in for this year with the added element of inclement weather! When we were lined up for the race start at 7am, the sun was just coming up and the conditions were ideal with temps in the upper 50’s compared to last year’s 30’s. I was feeling great and my mind was set for a personal record.
Kids spring off the start line with the race director waving the checkered flag. Kids tally laps around the race track in the accompanying 20 minute kids run. Photo credit: Coates Photography
The sky’s ominous orange glow as the sun rose, warned of rain off in the distance. A quick check of the radar before the race showed a large, incoming storm system. Fast-forward less than an hour into the race, and the thunderstorms began and never relented! The woods were so dark that I used my headlamp for the entire course, while the flashes of lightning briefly illuminated the dark woods, and the claps of thunder eerily echoed throughout Rib Mountain State Park.
Women’s 50K runner-up, Emma Thompson, climbs the Granite Peak ski slopes, rising 700 feet over the surrounding landscape. Photo credit: Coates Photography
The continued downpours eventually turned much of the course into a slippery, muddy mess, and the multiple boulder climbs and descents on Rib Mountain were all the more treacherous! My confidence and speed at the race start were as good as it gets, but by the halfway point, I knew my PR was impractical, and I focused solely on staying safe and preventing a fall. I really can’t say if it was more challenging going UP the mountain along the rocky ski slopes or sliding DOWN them without rolling down the hill! This is a course with a lot of elevation gain, rocky technical terrain, and some climbs that require you to use all fours to ascend the 30-40 percent gradients. What I CAN say is that it was so much FUN (rain or shine), and the IRONBULL Ultra Trail is one of my favorite races, so I’ll definitely be back next year!
Robert Winsand, guided by his headlamp through the heavy rains, covers the course in 7:15:58. Photo credit: Coates Photography
The scenic course accented with fall foliage will test anyone ready to take off from the speedway and “Find Their Tough”, the event’s motto. Whether or not Mother Nature adds to the challenge, you’ll be in for an adventure ascending (and descending) the ski slopes of Granite Peak multiple times, with a little bushwacking thrown in.
Author, Travis Schell, receives a hit of energy from High Point aid station volunteer Luke Vermote, positioned at you-guessed-it, the course’s highest point. Photo credit: Coates Photography
Course Overview
The 50k course consists of two loops (25k consists of a single loop with 3,500 feet of elevation gain), each starting and ending on a local motor race track. Racers have exclusive access to several miles of private property trails to connect to Rib Mountain State Park during peak fall colors. The park trails include a mix of runnable double track, technical singletrack, and even bouldering sections on the ski slopes, which boast the highest vertical drop ski runs in the Midwest. A 15k course is a single loop excluding the climbs up and down the ski slopes, resulting in 1,400 feet of elevation gain and loss. The kids run is free to all children, where kids have 20 minutes to tally as many laps as they can.
Results are available here.
Banner photo: Racers negotiate the rocky terrain at Rib Mountain State Park through fog. Photo credit: Coates Photography
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