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Route: Kal-Haven Trail (MI)

Location
Michigan, US
Distance
34.5 mi
Vertical Gain
500 ft
Description

Kal-Haven Trail State Park is a 33.5-mile crushed limestone path (former RR bed) connecting South Haven and Kalamazoo. The trail meanders through wooded areas, past farm lands and over rivers and streams. Trail highlights include a camelback bridge and covered bridge. Dating to 1991 and held each year since 2010, the Kal-Haven Trail Run (race) has taken place along the length of the trail. Solo course records from that race are equivalent to supported FKTs for the route. Detailed run results and records are here.

As of 2022 the records are as follows: (age group records are included at the race website)

  • Female Open – 4:04:48.5     2012 Nicole Clement
  • Male open – 3:29:08.8     2015  Galen Burrell
GPS Track
Kal-Haven.gpx4.71 MB

FKTs

This route on the old FKT site
http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/1283/kal-haven-trail-mi

Comments

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nickolasarndt
Fri, 03/27/2020 - 02:42pm

On one of the most famous midwest rail-trails, the Kal-Haven Trail Run was (and still is) one of my proudest running accomplishments. I had no idea what I could run on this course, as I didn't train specifically for it. I ran 100+ miles the week of the race, all on trails in northern Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, and northern Wisconsin. In lots of snow. I felt fit, though. For the race, the temperature was in the 30s and the rain was coming down in sheets, with a wind of 20-30mph from the north (at our right sides). I went out conservatively and pretty quickly found myself in a nice rhythm. I hung out in 3rd place until mile 18-ish, when I moved into 2nd. The leader at the time, Nick Mockeridge, was a 2:29 marathoner and was literally out of sight and mind from the gun. However, I was building momentum and knew I was running very strongly. I was in such a flow. Finally, at mile 31, I caught sight of Mockeridge and reeled him in by mile 32. I went on to win the race in 3:35:33, splitting 3:16 for 50k, somewhere in there. I am really proud of that effort. (Galen Burrell is the only human to have run faster than I (3:29:xx). His splits for that race are incredible and I'm sure he is proud of that performance!)

Rob Peters
Tue, 10/06/2020 - 03:06pm

All of the times listed above would be "supported" times, right? Because they were part of a race and likely had aid stations? Does that mean no one has submitted an "unsupported" time for this route?

I had the same thought, Rob. I just ran the route on my own the weekend after the race. However, my parents rode a bike alongside me for a lot of the route. Even though I carried all my own fluid and nutrition and did not draft off of them, according to the rules, it would still count as supported because they were there alongside me. It begs the question if ANY FKT set during a race could be classified as unsupported because there are other runners on the course...