This was a route near whete I grew up that I wanted to complete as a kid but on bike. Central Minnesota has a lot of great running to offer. Very little of it is publicized. So, this was purely to complete the route for a personal journey and to establish a route. The Glacial Lakes Trail will eventually be connected with another trail that would make this route nearly twice as long. I established this route from the furthest North segment of the trail where the Glacial Lakes Trail hits Roseville Road NE near Paynesville to where the trail intersects 30th St NE in Willmar.
My day went rather smoothly. For summer, the weather was very mild (low 60's but high humidity). I had one person who aided me about every 6 miles and road crossings and road the last few miles on their bike with me. The route is very easily accessible for consistent aid. It would also be easy to do your own drops at trailheads or road crossings. There is no fillable water along the route unless you decide to exit the trail to a nearby gas station.
Overall, for the shape I was in at the time, the day went well and I was happy to have established the route for others. This route would be great for runners looking to explore Central Minnesota and a nice route for a long marathon training run.