I
was lucky enough to arrive in Knoxville in time for the first edition of the Knoxville
Track Club’s groundbreaking Big South Fork Trail Race. I ran the first two
editions of this race in 1994 and 1995; it was decade before I ran again in
2005. In 2013 I decided to try again. I had some advantages with my experience.
My results were mid-pack for all three previous tries, and I knew the course
well from hiking, backpacking, and mountain biking trips. My training included
the Norris Dam 25K about a month previously. But my biggest advantage was that DK
agreed to run with me as a pacer.
DK and I on the Big South Fork course (KTC photo).
DK
and I drove up and back on race day together. Temp was 70F, and it was dry and
clear at the start. The footing was good, and I ran well and was free from any
knee issues during the race. DK ran behind me the entire way. He played Led
Zepplin on his music player, and somehow that heavy rock seemed to spur me
along. Stephanie also entered and ran just behind us for most of the race, at
least I remember seeing her as we entered the John Litton Farm.
The
course is barbell shaped; a loop on each end, connected by an out and back
section in the middle. The race started from the Bandy Creek Area with John
Litton Farm Loop (clockwise) with its paved, then gravel, then single track
lead out to the Fall Branch Trail. Next was the 7-mile Grand Gap Loop, the
return leg via the Fall Branch Trail, and finally the Lower John Litton Farm
Loop. The course was listed as 17.5 miles, up a bit from its original length.
The
course was overgrown enough that we could often not see the overlooks from the Grand
Gap Loop. I got one bee sting in my head, but I did not have any allergic
reaction from the sting. The BSF race is known for having several bee stings
each year. I also tripped and crashed into a wall in a rock house leaving an
abrasion and bruise on my left forearm. It took me 52 minutes to reach Aid 1 at
the start of Grand Gap Loop. We closed the loop back to the aid station in
2:02. At the end of the Grand Gap Loop, I already was tired enough to almost
exit the aid station the wrong way before a volunteer steered me in the right
direction. I nearly cramped in both calves and in both hip flexors in the last
two miles (I still didn’t have many long training runs that early in the year
and the humidity must have been high). The last two miles were awfully slow,
but I got a lot of motivation from DK, who probably saved me 5-10 minutes by
encouraging me to keep running when I was hoping to hike. I didn’t lose any
places this late in the race as most other runners were also battling cramps.
My
finish time of 3:05 is the slowest of my four attempts at the race, but not far
off my previous times of 2:50, 2:42, and 2:57. I was super tired the next day
as I was not yet in shape for pushing hard for that long.
Another KTC course photo.
I
have not run the race since, primarily because of commitments at the Barkley
Fall Classic, which occurs about the same time and occupies me both leading up
to the race and on race day. But looking back on my former races I see BSF results
for the 1990s, the 2000s, and 2010s. Maybe I’m overdue for a 2020s finish?
Runsignup
has results back to 2020.
Ultrasignup
has older results including 2013, 2005, 1995, and 1994 in its database.
