Deadwood Mickelson Trail Half Marathon
Deadwood, South Dakota
Sunday, June 7, 2015

On Sunday, June 7, 2015 I race walked the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Half Marathon in Deadwood, South Dakota. It was a nice day as the temperature varied from 51 to 69 degrees with mostly sunny skies and little wind. The course was a point to point course that utilized the north end of the Mickelson Trail which is an old railroad way with a packed mud surface covered by sand and fine gravel and was in excellent condition with great footing and very little wet spots despite rain for much of the last four days. Because of the narrowness of the trail, the 2250 participants were required to line up according to their expected finish times. The cooperation of the field was extraordinary. The start line was located at an elevation of 5150 feet and rose to 5210 in the first 2/3 miles. From there to mile 5 the course descended to 5000 feet where it began climbing to 5610 feet by mile 7. The rest of the course descended to 4550 feet in Deadwood. Water/Powerade stations were located approximately every 2.5 miles and were manned by plenty of volunteers. The trail crossed a few highways and roads where police and volunteers controlled the traffic. I have done this event three times and have always enjoyed myself and the well-organized fun event. I have also enjoyed visiting Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Custer State Park, and Devil’s Tower as well as enjoying the beautiful Black Hills and Historic Deadwood.