Praying for rain

Runners suit up for the Spillway Classic Trail Run and need tons of rainfall to ensure that they all have a ‘muddy-fun’ good time

Although July’s wet and muggy weather may be putting a damper on you and your family’s outdoor activities, there are some people who are closely monitoring the local weather forecasts praying for those afternoon showers and thunderstorms.

You ask why? Well, athletes and marathon runners alike are wishing for these rainy systems to get the chance to splash through muddy water holes at this year’s 20th Annual Spillway Classic Trail Run.

“I ran the trail run last year, I had a blast charging through mud holes,” said Lilly Casper.

“The rain and sludge adds a little something special to the race that not many other marathons can offer participants.”

The 3-mile marathon will be held on Sunday, July 22 in Norco at the spillway boat launch pavilion starting at 8 a.m. and is the largest in the south.

This senic and challenging route is also the second largest trail run in the United States and is sponsored by the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency – the only federally designated organization for Louisiana that focuses on educating the medical community and the general public about organ and tissue donation issues and working with families through the donation process.

Event organizers also note that the LOPA helps individuals in recovering donated organs and tissues and placing donated organs and tissues in facilities for transplants.

The first 1/4 mile of the race is atop the Bonnet Carre Spillway levee, then the course turns down into the Spillway and through the Gauntlet.

The Gauntlet usually provides the most mud, water and fun section of the course.

And those who have participated in the run in past years warn that if the Gaunlet claims your shoes, please keep digging to retrieve them – shoes must be worn at all times during the race.

The course then turns parallel to the canal and continues back towards the finish line near the pavilion.

Hard and sandy surfaces, watery troughs, muddy sections, slippery sections, hair-pin turns and a wooden bridge all make up the geopgraphy of the trail route.

Custom awards will be presented to the top five overall male and female finishers – 1st masters, 1st grandmasters, 1st seniors. Awards will also be given to the muddiest male and female finisher and to the muddiest team – three person minimum.

Commemorative awards will be presented to all race finishers.

Entry fees for the 2007 race are as follows: $20 – for pre-registered New Orleans Metro Area Mountain Bike Club members, $22 – for all non-NOTC members who pre-register, $25 – for all entrants registered before the day of the race and a $20 no T-shirt entry will be available on the day of the race.

Free tank top shirts, a $25 value, are available to all pre-registered runners and food and beverages will be served to all race participants.

The 2006 winners were: Male Overall – Brendan Minihan, Jr., 16:12; Female Overall – Megan Broussard, 19:50; Masters – Andrew Kenworthy, 17:42 and Anne Magic, 21:48; Grandmasters – Kenny Mire, 21:00 and Yvonne Thomas, 26:45; Seniors – Juan Perez, 21:18 and Sandy Giannobile, 34:28.

For more information on the race, call 504-467-8626 and to volunteer, call 504-468-1488 or visit www.runNOTC.org.