I had the great privilege of participating in the inaugural Via Dolorosa trail marathon a few weeks ago up in chilly eastern Wisconsin. In what I would consider a rather unusual pairing of disparate things, it blended a challenging trail race in tough conditions along the Ice Age trail with a focus on Catholic faith and spirituality. It's a one-of-a-kind event to be sure, and to say that it was right up my alley would be an understatement.
The race began and ended at the spectacular Holy Hill Basilica and Shrine in Hubertus, about 90 minutes west of Milwaukee. There were a few things that made this race unique; to begin with, the setting itself was without compare. The Shrine itself was beautiful. The surrounding forests were dense but peaceful, filled with barren trees awaiting the first warm breaths of spring. Race organizers offered the following description of the event to set the stage for participants:
"The Via Dolorosa Marathon takes runners on their own 'Way of Suffering' on a very difficult up and down course with
somewhat challenging footing at times. Throughout the course, there will be 14
Prayer Stations depicting the Way of the Cross for runners to contemplate the
suffering of Jesus."
The day would begin with Mass at 6am. I was a little hesitant as I entered the beautifully adorned St. Therese chapel in my trail running getup, but any fears I had of being improperly dressed were quickly dispelled by a room full of runners clad in camelbaks, Buffs, Hokas, and compression gear. It was quite a sight! And one that I probably won't see again anytime soon.
The race itself is a series of out-and-backs on the roads and trails in the foothills surrounding the basilica. The majority of the race is on the Ice Age trail, but there are roughly 4 miles or so of road running thrown in there as well. As one might imagine, the weather was still quite cold (at least, for a Texan). There were a few patches if ice on the trail - one of which caused me a quite painful fall at one of the aid stations - which slowly melted and turned to mud as the day drew on. It wasn't too bad, and in general I found the trail conditions to be quite good overall.
The aid stations were fairly well stocked with simple snacks (candies, potato chips) and some light drinks and sodas. Hammer was an event sponsor, so if you don't like their products, plan accordingly. The prayer stations were very small and understated - I ran by several of them without noticing them, and not because I was moving particularly fast. But they were there. Volunteers were enthusiastic and helpful, albeit bundled up beneath layers of blankets and parkas to brace against the bitter north winds. Their resilience is a credit to eastern Wisconsoners. (Wisconsonites?)
I did underestimate the amount of climbing and descending, particularly in the second half of the race. The last 12 miles or so served up a steady diet of rolling hills that took a toll on me. I started out a little harder than I should have, leading me to struggle for the last 5-6 miles as I ran out of fuel and water. I chalk this up as poor preparation on my part more than anything to do with the course itself; although, I have to admit that the chilly temps and high winds eventually wore me out.
Nonetheless, it was an amazing experience. Given the time of year that it is run (Palm Sunday weekend) there is no question that weather will always be a concern. It will be cold, and would not be surprised to have to deal with snow and ice at some point. But given what this race serves up it would be worth it. I mean, how could the race bill itself as a meditation on Christ's 'Way of Suffering' without a little suffering?
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| Wall at the base of the basilica. Pilgrims climb to the historic Shrine atop the hill using stairs directly behind and above this wall. |
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| Sign that greets pilgrims at the base of the hill. |
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| Front of the Shrine. The adjacent balconies offered endless views of the countryside. One could almost see Milwaukee, 90 miles to the east, from this vantage point. |
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| Finishing time 5:07:45. Was a long day, but well worth it. |
