Pat repeats Dogwood 15K Trail Run
Pat Durkin completed this race for the 11th time on Nov. 13 The event is a family affair with three generations of the family's women showing up to compete or cheer. The course provides the most beautiful, challenging event I have tackled”, reports Pat! The race motto is: get wet, get dirty, race Dogwood.
Dogwood Canyon is located north of Branson in the Ozark hills. The course starts on the canyon floor, crosses streams 12 times as you climb steep, rocky ascents and loops back down to the canyon floor before ascending and descending again and again. Pat races with hiking poles, moving at a trot not a racewalk, to help with the uphill climbs and to help save her knees on the steep descents. The starting temperature was 22 degrees making for freezing temperatures with some icy spots on creek exits and a frozen camelback water delivery tube until 8.8 miles. The goal of finishing in 3 hours was accomplished with her family cheering her in. As the only woman in the 75 and up age group, Pat received her 10th 1st place award. She is also a champion and inspiration for the Heartland Racewalkers.