FKT: Brian Frain - Sugar River State Trail (WI) - 2020-12-09

Athletes
Route variation
one way
Multi-sport
No
Gender category
Male
Style
Unsupported
Start date
Finish date
Total time
3h 3m 56s
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An absolutely stunning day for December in Wisconsin. Temps in 40s and 50s and a crystal-clear sky. I've been thinking about doing this route for a couple of weeks, and today was too good to pass up. I dropped my bike at the southern end when it was still dark outside, and drove the 30 minutes up to the northern terminus. The SRT is extremely flat (even by rail trail standards), and the crushed gravel was cold enough that it was compacted and hard. The trail skirts 4 small towns as it winds towards the IL border, which helps break up the monotony. There are also a couple of golf courses that parallel the trail, although no golfers were out. There are 14 trestle bridges as the Sugar River winds back and forth under the trail. If you're looking for a spot in Southern WI to do a flat long run, this is your spot!

Biking back I had to pull off at the Mobil Station in Albany to buy a Gatorade, as my calves were cramping from the run. The back of the station is right alongside the trail, making it a handy stop if you were doing a supported or self-supported effort and running low on supplies. But 22 miles is relatively easy to accomplish unsupported!