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This is an interesting race, run underground at the Subtropolis

Pulled from the Subtropolis site:

WHAT IS SUBTROPOLIS?

SubTropolis was created through the mining of a 270-million-year-old limestone deposit. In the mining process, limestone is removed by the room and pillar method, leaving 25-foot square pillars that are on 65-foot centers and 40 feet apart.

The pillars’ even spacing, concrete flooring and 16-foot-high, smooth ceilings make build-to-suit facilities time and cost efficient for tenants. A tenant requiring 10,000 to one million square feet can be in their space within 150 days. SubTropolis is completely dry, brightly lit, with miles of wide, paved streets accessed at street level.

Hunt Midwest SubTropolis sets the standard for subsurface business developments.

Adam McDonell probably never thought he would work up that big of a sweat at the end of January after a short warm-up run.

But there he stood inside the HuntMidwest Subtropolis on Sunday morning before the start of the Children’s TLC Groundhog Run dripping wet from a quick test run.

“We did a 1.5-mile warm-up, and I was just drenched,” McDonell said. “I knew I didn’t need to do too much more.”

No, he saved the rest of his energy to get a lead in the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) race and hold on for the win. McDonell, of Troy, Ill., finished in 30 minutes, 47 seconds. Despite the quick sweat, McDonell, who came to run with about 15 people running for sponsor Anheuser-Busch, said he enjoyed running in the Subtropolis.

“It’s a pretty wild concept,” McDonell said. “It’s nice to not have to worry about the weather conditions. You don’t have to wear tights for outside. You don’t have to wear a jacket, hat or gloves. So it’s easier for your concentration.”

Two of his Anheuser-Busch running mates, Bryan Glass (30:57) and Zac Freudenburg (31:05), both from Troy, finished second and third.

Cindy Cameron of Mission won the women’s 10K race in 38:15. Cameron broke away from other women after the first mile and never looked back. Her closest competition came from Wanda Scheib of Lenexa, who finished in 39:07.

The Groundhog Run’s 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) races were won by recent collegiate runners.

D.J. Hilding of Lawrence, who finished his track career at Kansas last year, won the men’s race in 15:57, besting his closest competition by nearly 20 seconds.

The women’s race was paced by Danielle Nagel, who won in 18:53. “I just finished running college cross country a few months ago, so I wasn’t sure what I could do,” said Nagel, who ran for Central Missouri State. “I had to get out early, and hold on. I guess being around the guys makes you run a little harder.”

Via the Kansas City Star

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