Call them crazy, inspirational, extreme, or all of the above – eight local women can now add the 75-mile Market to Market Relay to their list of accomplishments. They completed the race in just over 14 hours on Saturday, May 7.
Starting at sun-up in Jefferson, teams of six to eight runners and a van took on the diverse and scenic Market to Market course as they made their way to a downtown Des Moines finish and post-race celebration by sun-down. The course was broken into 17 stages with each runner taking on two to three stages. Stages ranged from about three to six miles on a mixture of bike trails, paved roads, and gravel roads.
Team members show support as Jill Van Dyke passes off the timing bracelet to Tashia Ehresman before the storm hit. Van Dyke – one who didn't train much prior to the race – was the calmest of the whole group and always had a smile on her face while running.
This was the first time the eight local runners competed in the relay. Six of them were from the Diamond Trail Fitness Center’s Group X exercise class, and they had the idea to team up for a relay race. Led by Bonita Jansen, a few of the gals didn’t know what they had signed up for!
Looking for another team member, Alison Agan and Kristi Brummel twisted Faye Brand’s arm one day during a haircut to join their crazy adventure. Brand convinced her sister, Kyra Smith, to join the fun, and the team “Chicks, Hens, and a Tough Old Bird” was formed. In addition to the teammates mentioned, other members of the team were Jill Van Dyke, Tashia Ehresman, and Christine Morningstar. None claimed to be runners, but most were excited for the goal and began running in early March to train for the event.
“I had never ran more than a 5K before in my life, so training to run two legs of the relay adding up to 10 miles was something I never dreamt I would do at my age,” Brand said. “My first long six-mile run from Sully to my house allowed myself to think maybe I could be a runner. Let’s just say after Saturday, I probably have changed my mind!”
Christine Morningstar finishes her leg of the race while Alison Agan gets ready to take off with Kristi Brummel cheering in the background.
Race day began very, very early, with the group leaving the Lynnville-Sully School parking lot at 3:15 a.m. Their scheduled race time was 5:45 a.m. from the starting line in Jefferson. The team crossed the finish line just before 8 p.m. Other locals spotted competing in the relay were Natasha (Jansen) Nikkel, Courtney Van Wyk, and Susie (Gray) Duke.
After a time of celebration and a bite to eat, the Chicks, Hens, and a Tough Old Bird team pulled back into Sully at 11 p.m.
The day was not without some bumps along the way. A rain/lightning delay had some teams stopped mid-morning. There were quite a few wrong turns and the need to ask for directions along the route as the van (lovingly named “Bessie” for the day) brought the team from one exchange point to the next. Another added challenge was learned of two days prior to the event, when race officials announced that leg 16 of the race was going to have an additional two miles because of a flooding detour! Illness was also a factor for the local team. Midway through the race, Ehresman got sick, and the rest of the team rearranged their legs to make up for their fearless leader with Morningstar and Jansen taking the brunt of the extra miles.
After finishing one of her legs of the race with some runners dressed in Olympic-themed costumers, Bonita Jansen was asked to be part of a photo opp that staged a medal-giving ceremony.
“This was an unbelievable event that I'm humbled to have experienced with each of you!” Ehresman wrote to her teammates after the race. “I have great memories even though I couldn't cross the finish line with you. I can't wait to do ‘something’ like this again. Above all, I hope you realized how very strong and capable you truly are. You rocked this little race. I love you crazy, determined, supportive, and somewhat psycho ladies! May we be blessed with many more opportunities to laugh, hug, and scream together as a team.”
During Saturday’s arduous task, the team members relied on the power of encouragement from their fellow teammates to help them push through each leg.
“My last five miles, all I heard the whole time was Kyra saying, ‘If you can walk, you can run. If you can't walk, then you can stop!’ It pushed me through!” Agan shared.
Despite the bumps along the way and the physical toll the run took on the team, with the race day behind them, the eight ladies are all glad they took on the challenge. Brummel said it was a day she’ll never forget.
“I’m so blessed to be surrounded by such strong, inspiring women I can call my friends!” she said. “We all should be incredibly proud – every single one of us pushed ourselves to the max and beyond.”
None of the team members have signed up for next year’s race yet, but a few haven’t ruled out the possibility of tackling the challenge again.
