Odetoberfest

Join the Ode family and experience a fun day of racing solo or as a team. Odetoberfest is a festival of fun, food, and running.  Short distances to suit every runner's preference.  From a timed mile up to a 6-lap, 15-mile timed challenge.  Bring your favorite beverages and we'll provide the food.  Want to win the overall cumulative time contests? Bring Pigeon Hill Beer to the race and we'll give you a time bonus.  Camp at the park after the race for $5 each and you get access to the Wilderness tent camping facility with modern shower facilities.  Park pass or daily entry fee is not part of your race registration fees.

Sign up as a team to get discounts and you'll split up the events or laps.  Pick the morning, evening, or all-day Relay event you'd like (see the bottom of the race listing).  Once you start the registration process, you'll be asked if you want to join a group or team.  Say yes. The first person will establish the team, and the rest can then join in.  You can stop at 2, 3 or 4.  Each person will pay progressively lower fees, as the team count increases.  So you can settle up privately as you wish.

We will start Saturday morning at 10:30 with the Odetoberfest Mile - see how fast you are on a flat, out and back. Then enjoy up to four more races during the day, each with a bit of rest between.  We end with the Odetoberfest Bavarian Mile at 5-pm which you'll run in the traditional "beer mile" format.  (any fizzy beverage will work for those underage or wanting to stay NA)  By 7-pm, at dusk, we'll walk over to the campground to continue the party (it's about .8 miles along the race course - you can drive to nearby parking also for your gear drop)

The first half events:
The Odetoberfest Mile: (1 Mile) An out and back on part of the flat lakeshore loop, half pavement, half hardpack. A road runner's dream. Mile Map
der Brezellauf: (4.66 Miles - The Pretzel Run) It's the shape of a pretzel! 4.66 miles in a figure-8 on the flat lakeshore loop and river loop. It's mostly pavement with some beautiful hardpack cinder path on the west side of the lakeshore and almost a quarter mile of boardwalk through the wetlands preserve.  You'll pass through the start/finish arch near the halfway point for nutrition! If you have a four-person relay team, two runners will split this race. der Brezellauf Map
The Luftschloss: (4.33 Miles - The Air Castle) Luftschloss is the castle you build in your mind, the unattainable or impossible dream.  Experience beautiful hills and trails as we combine the Springlake, Rockridge and Lakeshore loops on the west side of the park. The Luftschloss Map
The second half events:
The Torschlusspanik: (6 x 2.5 miles - "backyard style") Torschlusspanik is literally the closing gate panic, or the feeling that time is running out.  You'll loop the flat and smooth lakeshore loop in 35 minutes or less before the next starting bell, you have 32 minutes before the bell starts loop 3... you see where this is going. Can you make the 15 miles?  Do this as a relay with your team members if you'd like, but everyone must do at least one loop.  The Torschlusspanik Map
The Schnapsidee: (1 Mile - "Bavarian style") Schnapsidee is literally an impractical idea that seems great at the time to the person who is somewhat or extremely inebriated. What's a beer festival without the traditional beer mile? Not much if you ask us. (non-alcoholic fizzy beverages qualify) Morning and Afternoon runners can participate in this. All relay team members can participate in this individually if they'd like.  Standard rules.  Chug at the start/finish, run a quarter-mile loop, and repeat. 4x The Schnapsidee Map

Signup as a team of three or 4 runners to split the distances in the team challenge and get signup discounts.  Run the 1st half events or 2nd half events, or the whole day as a team.  Same choices as a solo runner.  In the first half, each runner must run at least one event.  In the 2nd half, each runner must run at least one loop of the Torschlusspanik.  Everyone gets to run the Schnapsidee at the end of the day (bring your own drinks - no glass bottles please).  If you're unhinged - run ALL the events to total a marathon!  Check-in by 9:30 for the morning events and by 1 pm for the afternoon events.

Bring your own canopy (up to 10x10' in dimension maximum please).  We will be in the Twin Chimneys facility - the jewel of Independence Oaks park with modern bathrooms and plenty of areas to spread out and picnic.  Parking lots are adjacent to the start/finish area.  After 3 pm, those who are camping ($5 per person), will be able to set up gear.  At the end of the racing (about 5 pm), we will break down the race area and migrate to the campsite to continue the festivities.  Bring your dinner for grilling and tents and gear for camping.  Those who are camping get access to the modern bath and shower facility at the Wilderness Campground adjacent to the River Loop trail.  It's a .8-mile walk from start/finish but is also accessible by a nearby parking lot for your gear offload.  Have a county parks pass or pay the daily fee which is not included in the race entry