River Trail 15K - Course Changes

[Brian S-ski]

We've made a few minor changes to the River Trail 15K route for 2011. Gone are the detours at the beginning and end through the soccer complex parking lots. You will no longer have to run a half mile loop after having the finish line straight ahead in sight!


Soccer Complex Changes:
The starting line is pretty much the same spot.
At the start of the course you basically do a big loop around the soccer complex on park roads and the paved White Oak Bayou Trail. At about the 2 mile point in the course you leave the soccer complex on Tournament Dr. The route travels east and merges onto the Arkansas River Trail at the point where we've always had the first water stop. Once you are on the Arkansas River Trail, the course goes up that little hill before the golf course and continues exactly as before.


Turnaround Loop:
The middle of the course is exactly the same except that the loop at the turnaround point is run in the reverse direction. So you stay on the River Trail on the way out and use River Road for the way back.

Finish Area Changes:
After you go down the little hill just past the golf course on the way back, you cross the 8 mile marker. You'll then pass the first water stop again and get back onto Tournament Dr. Tournament Dr will take you back to the Soccer Complex where you will turn Left onto Catfish Rd. Then Right onto Goalie Rd, then Right onto Soccer Ave to the finish.
The finish line is exactly the same spot but because we got rid of the last detour, this time you run straight to it without looping around through the parking lots.

[Brian S-ski]

The course is tough to map out since so much is on the River Trail, but I've given it a few trys.

Here's a map of just the beginning, from the starting line to the first water stop:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4259012

From the last water stop to the finish line:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4259035

Here's the entire route:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4259049

[dhmac]

This sounds like another plan hatched by the evil empire to throw RVR into disarray now that we have enlisted and developed some promising local talent.