10/03/2026
2026 FlatRock Race Report
Well, we've finally gotten the mud out of most of the equipment.
Most of it.
There's still a suspicious amount of Kansas dirt in the truck, but we're going to call that “seasonal decoration.”
Now that the gear is put away and our shoes have had a chance to dry out, it's time to look back at this year's FlatRock.
On September 26, 79 runners signed up, 67 showed up at the starting line, and 65 made it back to the finish. Those runners came from 12 different states to take on the oldest trail race in Kansas.
And, for once, Kansas started us off right.
A Perfect Start... Then Things Got Interesting
Race morning was about as good as you could ask for.
The weather was perfect for the start, and the temperature stayed in that comfortable range runners usually hope for. Cool enough to run hard, pleasant enough that nobody was wondering why they had signed up for this in the first place.
Then Kansas remembered we were having a trail race.
We had several hours of rain, which turned the trails muddy and made the rocks slick enough to require a little extra attention.
That's where our FlatRock motto came in handy:
“If you look up, you're going down.”
This year, it wasn't so much a motto as it was sound advice.
The trails got muddy.
The rocks got slick.
And suddenly everyone became very interested in the six feet of trail immediately in front of them.
There are probably easier ways to spend a Saturday.
But where's the fun in that?
65 runners finished.
They climbed the hills, negotiated the mud, tiptoed across the slick rocks, and made it to the finish.
That's a FlatRock finish.
And if your shoes came home a different color than when they left, we'd say you did it right.
The Oldest Trail Race in Kansas
FlatRock has been around a long time.
Long enough that we've learned a few things.
One of them is that Kansas weather doesn't take requests.
Another is that trail runners will willingly come from 12 different states to spend a Saturday running on the trail through the woods.
And perhaps most importantly:
Never trust a dry-looking rock.
That's why we're proud to still be putting on the oldest trail race in Kansas.
The trails change.
The runners change.
The weather certainly changes.
But the spirit of FlatRock keeps showing up.
Ethan Apparently Didn't Get the Memo
While everyone else was carefully watching their feet, Ethan Ward apparently decided to see how quickly he could get around the 12K.
He set a new 12K course record, beating the previous record by 1 minute and 5 seconds.
On a dry day, that's impressive.
On a wet FlatRock day, when the rocks are slick and the mud is doing its best to keep your shoes permanently attached to the ground?
That's downright flying.
Congratulations, Ethan!
You Can't Run a Kansas Race Without Feeding People
One of the great traditions of FlatRock is the people who show up to take care of everybody else.
A huge thank you to the Boy Scouts for manning the first staffed aid station on the trail and putting out an impressive array of food options for our runners.
They also managed to turn race day into a productive scouting day. Two scouts worked on rank, and one of them advanced to the next level!
We like to think that's what you call getting your money's worth out of a Saturday.
At Oak Ridge, Brittany, Silas, and Tasia had the answer to every runner's problems:
Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.
Wet?
Grilled cheese.
Cold?
Grilled cheese.
Tired?
Probably grilled cheese.
Then there was Devin and Shay Nelson at the Turnaround, where they had hotdogs spinning on the roller grill.
Because apparently somewhere along the way FlatRock stopped being a trail race and became a Kansas roadside café.
We're okay with it.
A big thank you also goes to Espin and Elden at the Start/Finish. We were also fortunate to have an Independence local, Andy, donate firewood for the Start/Finish. That kind of hometown generosity is exactly what makes FlatRock special. After a wet day on the trails, a warm fire waiting at the finish was a pretty welcome sight.
And thank you to Clint, who stayed around to help tear down some of the aid stations and load the truck when all was said and done.
To every volunteer who stood in the rain, hauled equipment, handed out food, cheered runners, answered questions, cleaned things up, donated supplies, or otherwise helped keep the wheels turning:
Thank you.
You are what makes FlatRock work.
Now We Need to Hear From You
We've been doing this for a couple of years now.
But that does not mean we are set in our ways and can’t learn something new.
So before we put another FlatRock in the books, we'd really like your feedback.
What worked well?
What did you enjoy?
What needs to change?
What should we leave exactly as it is?
Tell us about the course, aid stations, food, Start/Finish, communication, volunteers, registration, or anything else.
If you loved something, let us know.
If something could have been better, tell us that too.
And if you've got an idea, we're listening.
You don't have to write a novel.
Although if you do, we'll probably read it over coffee.
FlatRock, By the Numbers
79 — signed up
67 — started
65 — finished
12 — states represented
Perfect — race-start weather
Comfortable — temperatures throughout the day
Several hours — rain
A whole lot — mud
Plenty — slick rocks
2 — scouts working on rank
1 — scout moving up a level
5 — badges worked on/completed
1 — new 12K course record
1:05 — record improvement
Countless — grilled cheeses and hotdogs
1 — Independence local donating firewood
1 — very old Kansas trail race
And, of course:
If you look up, you're going down.
So thank you for watching your feet.
Thank you for getting muddy.
Thank you for trusting the trail.
Thank you for coming from near and far to run on the Kansas trail through the woods.
And thank you for helping us keep the oldest trail race in Kansas alive and kicking.
We'll see you next year.
Bring your shoes.
Bring your appetite.
Bring your sense of humor.
And maybe bring something waterproof.
Because it's Kansas.
And it's FlatRock.
You never really know what you're going to get.
See you on the trails!
— Brian and Tawny
