Marathon #57 / Lifetime Total #88
Texas Switchback
Flat Creek Crossing Ranch, Johnson City, TX
May 8, 2021
We ended up skipping the Knock on Wood Ultra in South Carolina at the end of April, for we used up that take to take a 1 1/2 week family trip back to South Africa.
The Texas Switchback Trail Race is a low-key race held by a local Austin running group called Trail Roots. The race is held at the Flat Creek Crossing Ranch, which is just next to Pedernales Falls State Park near Johnson City, TX.
The marathon started at 6am with a cutoff time of 2pm. Bear in mind this was already in May, so the weather conditions were already HOT and HOT with humidity.
Packet pickup was very low key on race morning, and there were about only a few dozen runners max who ran the marathon.
The race started 2 minutes after 6am as all the runners lined up and the sun was about to rise. Headlamps were required for the first half a mile.
The trails here are fairly technical in some sections and pretty rocky in some areas (resembled that of Pedernales Falls). There are segments of flat areas which are more runnable.
As the race’s name suggests, there are plenty of switchbacks and included several out and backs. Some of these trails look like they have been designed for mountain bikes with some short and steep rollers.
Scattered along the ranch are several country style, saloon-like houses, barns, and sheds. This might be a cool place to host a private event ha…
The first aid station was about 4.4 miles after the start/finish, which was a little bit farther than the stated distance of around 3 1/2 miles.
In between the first and the second aid stations were several more barns and country houses with moderately technical trails.
On this course you pass through the second aid station twice, the second time around on the other side. There’s one nice stretch for about half a mile where there is a runnable, flat section.
More switchbacks and up’n downs makes nice and scenic views of the hill country.
As the course headed back towards the start/finish area, there is a descent down to the bottom adjacent to the banks of Flat Creek. Someone said (after the race) that the water has snakes in it (so we said bye Felicia to swimming after the race shame). It gives some nice cliff and river views but the terrain was very technical in these areas.
Right as the trail headed back up again, there’s this mini cavern formation that we had to go through. They’re real and made out of limestone, except there’s no moisture to keep it wet… It reminded me of a failed Natural Bridge Caverns in formation ha.
I started the second loop not too far ahead of Pam, and I had spent a lot of time at the start/finish dealing with my shins/ankle area (it was still somewhat sore/affected from the Sasquatch 100k back in March).
I ran into wifey as well as Ed (another Maniac who lives near Austin) at the first out and back, about 2 miles into the start of the second loop. At this time, the sun was intermittently coming out, and it was HOT and HUMID.
Since it was hot, at this point I simply asked the aid station folks to load up my camelback with ice only, as they will melt fairly rapidly in this weather.
Some of the mountain bike mounds from earlier…
Back to the second aid station for the last time…
Just before the final aid station, I ended up chatting with this one guy named Jerry on the final stretch of the race. He and his wife lives in Austin and do these races on a regular basis (apparently his wife remembers me during one of the Capt’n Karls races a few years ago, small world shame). I mentioned that my wife is just a few miles behind and he said that his wife is already done ha.
It was great to run with somebody about the same speed (he intended to go faster but slowed down a lot at the end and walked a lot). The weather was getting more and more brutal…
When we entered the caverns, it was really refreshing to feel a breeze and shade… I was telling Jerry that these limestone formations are real and could’ve been part of a state park if it was much bigger ha.
I finished with Jerry right around 6h 50 min, and chatted with him and his wife for a while at the finish while having a beer. At this point the tacos that they sold they were giving away so I took a few for later ha… Wifey was about 2 miles behind, so based on my best time estimate I went out slightly backwards before the finish and met her there and brought her in – around 7 hours and 30 min. It was hot and and humid, and we are so glad to be done. The “medal” was a piece of leather with the race emblem engraved on it…
After the race we rinsed off at the Best Western Johnson City swimming pool, went back to San Antonio, vegan reloaded the next day after church, and drove back to El Paso Sunday afternoon/evening.
Run by Faith 