GACX: FROM PIGLET TO BACON, A RETROSPECTIVE
2018 A little behind, but we’ll get there. The ever-changing Green Acres Recreation area once again is giving the crew new opportunities. The course will be epic for sure. Hoping for decent weather, and by that we mean rain. Think 2013 mud. Yep.
2017 10 years in, and our biggest fields yet (715!!). The berm made its debut. So did the Grav Fundo Half Hundo. Another Iowa junior team took home the cowbell trophy (who knew there were so many) and we added a legit kids course (something to keep ‘em busy all day!). The sand run up got steeper, the corn maze got longer, and the competition got stiffer. The elite men’s race came down to a thrilling finish both days.
2016 Always looking to provide something new, our sand cliff run-up was downright Belgian-esque. Originally thought of as an “elite only” section, we decided to let most of the fields suffer through it. I think they liked it. Not during the race mind you, but after. Apparel sponsor Search and State jumped in, offering a $100 prime to the first one to summit the climb in each field. 2016 would be the swan song for the flyover. Sadly it was determined that it would not last another harsh winter, or Cat 4/5 race. Ever growing in popularity, 20% of the registrations were from outside Minnesota, representing 9 states.
2015 The elite field expanded to include racers from Wisconsin and Nebraska. We got some national exposure from CX Magazine. One of the coolest things was seeing how our race was drawing junior teams from outside the area. Just under 650 racers toed the line for the weekend.
2014 Children (and racers) of the corn did their best to navigate through our newest feature, the corn maze. This was also the year we began attracting racers from outside of the local area. 2014 SS National Champion Tim Allen staged an epic battle with local hero Eric Thompson. Tim wowed the crowd each lap, taking the flyover like it was a gap jump at a local MTB trail. Rounding out the weekend, a bluegrass band provided entertainment for racers and spectators alike.
2013 The flyover got a sophomore year renovation and new signage. The Green Acres banner flying proudly atop would be the iconic image for GACX over coming years. We expanded to a full weekend, and had our first Saturday pig roast. Sunday racing allowed us to experiment with a new course design, adding Pers Plunge (it was uphill, and definitely not fast as “plunge” would suggest) and Satan’s Anus (for the record, we can’t believe we called it that either). We added a team competition, the winner of which takes the giant traveling cowbell trophy until the next year. All of that paled in comparison to the mud, however.
2012 Race director Bob Sumada came back from Cross Vegas and said we needed something to put us on the map. Three weeks later, we were building the HED flyover. As the frost descended Friday night, nervous staff were wondering how it would play out. Thankfully, by 10AM the sun broke through and we started to calm down. After a first-race first-lap crash, the rest of the racers handled the new feature with aplomb. Bob had thrown down the gauntlet. From then on, Green Acres would pride itself on revealing a new feature (or two...) each year.
2011 On our way to something big, we cracked 200 racers for the first time.
2010 To be honest, we don't remember much this year either. But we have nice photos, so take a look at them.
2009 Year two and we managed to get race results up on USAC. According to them, 148 of you raced. Thank you.
2008 As far as anyone can recall, this was our first year. Sponsor club Synergy's close ties to cross country skiing at Green Acres Recreation Area was the impetus to choose that location. The rest is history. Looks like year one was typical October cross weather, windy and snowy. We can’t find any results, so if you know who won, help us out.
