Tunnel Hill 100 MILE RUN & 50 MILE RUN NOVEMBER 13, 2016 TUNNEL HILL STATE TRAIL Vienna, Illinois IN THE HEART OF JOHNSON COUNTY The citizens of Johnson County WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU We encourage you to take advantage of all that Johnson County has to offer during your stay with us. Below is just a short list of attractions. Throughout this booklet you will find local restaurants, shops, and tourist destinations. We hope you enjoy your time and look forward to seeing you again! Shawnee National Forest 1-800-MY-WOODS Ferne Clyffe State Park South of Goreville, IL, (618) 995-2411 Paul Powell Home (Museum) Rt. 146 and Vine, Vienna, IL 62995 Vienna Depot Welcome Center Vienna City Park, Vienna, IL 62995, (618) 658-8547 Shawnee Hills Wine Trail (618) 967-4006, shawneewinetrail.com Cache River Wetlands Center THE JOHNSON COUNTY 8885 Rt. 37 S, Cypress, IL, (618) 657-2064 BOARD OF Johnson County’s Courthouse COMMISSIONERS and Carnegie Public Library ERNIE HENSHAW, PHIL STEWART Vienna, IL, both on the AND FRED MEYER National Registry of Historic Buildings Tunnel Hill 100/50 Mile Run - 2 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FRIDAY NOVEMBER 12, 2016 Packet Pick up – 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Pasta Dinner - 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Vienna High School – 601 N 1st St, Vienna, IL 62995 SATURDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2016 Late packet pick up 6:30 – 7:30 a.m. Start – 100 mile and 50 mile 8:00 a.m. Finish – 100 & 50 mi. – Sun. Nov. 15 2 p.m. Vienna City Park – 298 E. Vine St., Vienna, IL Tunnel Hill 100/50 Mile Run - 3 Welcome to the Tunnel Hill 100/50 mile runs Being a native of nearby Paducah, Kentucky, I spent many hours on the Tunnel Hill State Trail. I was fascinated by the old train trestles; the incredible scenery, including the wetlands to the south, and the gorgeous rock formations to the north. Most of all, I enjoyed the dark, cool tunnel. Even though I knew that trains ran through it for years, I was still fearful of running into the wall. You see, the walls seem to close in on your as you approach the middle. After I ran my first 100 miler in 2004, I started to think of hosting a 100 on the Tunnel Hill Trail. I met with Jason Claunch (co-director), and the next thing I knew we were opening registration. What a great course we have! Beautiful! And Fast!! A legitimate argument can be made for this being the fastest 100 mile course in the country. Consider this... no altitude issues... elevation runs between 380’ to 680’. Steve Durbin No humongous hills... instead, a gentle 2% grade. No trip hazards to contend with, especially at night where most trails cause a major slow down for the runner. This is a smooth, crushed limestone and gravel trail. Hosting the event in mid November takes out the hot, humid nights. Average temperatures for the area... 59/39. The first two years have proven to support the belief, as many runners finished their first 100 or 50 miler, or set personal records. Most impressive so far, are Traci Falbo’s (Charlestown, IN) 14:45:26 in 2014... the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for 100 miles run on a trail by a female; and Mike Bialick’s (Minnetonka,MN) amazing 12:52:53 in 2015. Mike’s time was the fastest 100 run in North America last year. (source: Ultrarunning Magazine). Great news! Tunnel Hill 2016 is on the list as a qualifying race for the 2018 Western States 100. Finish the 100, and you may enter the lottery for Western States 2018! Special thanks to Illinois Department of Natural Resources, volunteers from the River to River Runners Club, West Kentucky Runners Club, and the citizens of Johnson County for their heartfelt welcome to their communities...especially; Vienna Welcome Center Director Phil Morris; Johnson County commissioners Fred Meyer, Phil Stewart, and Ernie Henshaw; Vienna City Council members Jon Simmons, Chesley Williams, Melissa Hill, Richard Owen, Alan Racey, Cheryl Myrick, and Jim Evans; and the local police departments for their assistance. Additional thanks to co-race director Jason Claunch, (who also serves as VP of River to River Runners Club), Gene Tincher, my brother, John Durbin, and my wife, Terri. When you see these people, as well as all the volunteers who make this possible, please say hello, and thank you. Enjoy the weekend, and come back often to visit this wonderful area! Steve Durbin – Race Director Tunnel Hill 100/50 Mile Run - 4 SANDBURN TUNNEL HILL TUNNEL HILL STATE TRAIL GUIDE P N E W 9.3 miles S 146 VIENNA 8 miles 3 Heron Pond 2.8 miles BELKNAP 45 Barkhausen Wetlands Center Grassy Slough Overlook RAGO 2.5 miles KARNAK Ohio River KENTUCKY LEGEND TRAIL ACTIVE RAILROAD CONVENIENCE P PARKING BIKE REPAIR RESTROOMS STORE LAW WATER MEDICAL FOOD ENFORCEMENT LODGING SITE OFFICE Tunnel Hill 100/50 Mile Run - 5 HISTORY OF TUNNEL HILL TRAIL At one time, the rumble of freight cars reverberated through the narrow tunnel. Wooden trestles, with their system of slanted sup- ports and horizontal cross pieces, spanned numerous bluffs and creeks. Passengers in Pullman cars clocked the miles with these and other landmarks as they traveled one of southern Illinois’ most scenic routes. Today, the railroad is gone. The route, known as Tunnel Hill State Trail, remains. Tunnel Hill State Trail stretches for 45 miles from Harrisburg to Karnak. The trail continues on a trails spur for 2.5 miles from Karnak to Cache River State Natural Area - Henry Barkhausen Wetlands Center on the old Chicago and Eastern Illinois railroad bed. The 9.3-mile section between Tunnel Hill and Vienna crosses trails already known to outdoor recre- ationists: the River-to-River Trails, which extends from the Mississippi to the Ohio River; the unmarked American Discovery Trails, which in southern Illinois follows back roads and some of the River-to-River Trail; the U.S. 76 Bicycle Route, a part of the Trans America Bike Route; and the Trail of Tears, the primary route the Cherokee Indian tribe took in the winter of 1838-39 during their forced move from the Great Smokies to Oklahoma. HISTORY The nation’s history and economy are entwined with 19th century railroad construction since the federal government made land available to the states for developing a cross-country railway system. Among the devel- opers in Illinois was a hapless Civil War general, Ambrose Burnside, perhaps best remembered for his style of facial hair, for which his compatriots trans- posed the syllables of his last name to create the term “sideburns.” In 1872, Burnside and others began the Vincennes and Cairo Railroad, named for its terminuses at Vincennes, Ind., and Cairo, Ill. In addition to passengers, the railroad transported coal, salt, wood products and orchard-grown peaches and apples. The railroad changed hands through the years. Other operators and owners included the Wabash, St. Louis, Pacific; New York Central; Penn Central; Con- rail; and, during its most productive years, the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis line, also known as the CCC & St. Louis or Big Four. The last owners were the Southern Line and, following a merger, Norfolk Southern Railroad. In 1991, Norfolk Southern gave the State of Illinois the railroad right- of-way between Harrisburg and Karnak, where it had abandoned op- erations. The Department of Natural Resources has worked to develop the railroad ballast as a trail for hikers, joggers and cyclists, surfacing the trail with crushed limestone and gravel, installing privy toilets and providing drinking water. The first segments of Tunnel Hill State Trail opened in 1998. The trail was completed in the fall of 2001. (Continued on next page) Tunnel Hill 100/50 Mile Run - 6 NATURAL FEATURES The trail at Harrisburg begins in flat farm country. At New Castle, the old railroad bed enters the Shaw- nee National Forest purchase area, remaining there for roughly half of the trail’s length. By New Brunside, it’s among bluffs, and south of Vienna it passes through a lush wetland. At Karnak, it emerges from the Cache River State Natural Area’s ancient cypress-tupelo swamp. As one landform melds into another, the countryside offers ever-changing vistas. Woodland wildflowers dot the forest floor each spring, while prairie flowers and grasses lend their beauty to the summer land- scape. Contrasting with the profuse greenery of summer, the lack of foliage on the oak, hickory, tulip poplar, cottonwood and sweet gum trees brings the river valleys and rocky bluffs into sharp focus from late fall to early spring. Wildlife abounds in this section of the state, and Tunnel Hill State Trail offers habitat to a va- riety of animals. Bluebirds and other songbirds flit through the trees, while killdeer, dove, quail and wild turkey also are present in the area. Squirrels often are seen scampering among the tree tops, and white-tailed deer are frequently observed. Less noticed, but having a presence, are red foxes, eastern cottontail rabbits, rac- coons and opossums. HOME OWNED & OPERATED Murphy’s OZARK GENERAL STORE HWY 45 • 12 MILES NORTH OF VIENNA We accept all major credit cards TUES-THURS 6-6 • FRIDAY 6-7 • SAT 6-6 • SUN 6-2 DELI & FRIED CHICKEN GAS • ICE • DELI MEATS & CHEESE FIRE WOOD • GROCERIES • TOBACCO PRODUCTS MONDAY-SATURDAY 6AM-9PM SUNDAY 7AM-9PM DAILY SPECIALS (618) 777-0344 Tunnel Hill 100/50 Mile Run - 7 LANDMARKS VISIT VIENNA’S HISTORIC If the 45-mile length of Tunnel Hill State Trail could be seen in cross-section, it would taper to its SQUARE FOR UNIQUE SHOPPING lowest points at either end, with Harrisburg at 370 feet and Karnak at 340 feet above sea level.