KEWEENAW PENINSULA (7/12-13/03) - From 16 states, in record numbers, they came and saw. But they didn't conquer. You might survive courses at the Keweenaw Trail Festival. You might get from one end to the other, but no one -- no one -- conquers them.

You go up and down and up some more. You go through woods, through loose sand, through loose and slippery rock and shale, through cedar bogs, through swamps, through upland pastures filled with daisies and black-eyed Susans. You go past Lake Superior and inland streams, and see some of the coolest stuff you'll ever see on the trails, in one of the coolest places on God's earth.

But conquer it, you will not.

You will, though, have the time of your life. Ask Richard Magin, an engineering department administrator at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Magin sent race director Jeff Crumbaugh this email following the event:

"The 10K was a beautiful morning run. The hill climb was a difficult struggle but finished with great view of Lake Superior. The 25K, however, was a religious experience." Responded Crumbaugh: "I always knew the path to enlightenment was via trail running, eh?

This year the trail fest had an added wrinkle -- lots more people. Last year, 60 or so signed up to do all three races. This year, it was nearly triple that, and about 300 runners did one race or another. Runner's World magazine profiled the festival in its July issue, which came out in early June. The verbiage was supplied by some writer for Michigan Runner, and the stunning pictures by MR's Carter Sherline.

Despite the short notice, trail nuts from far and wide, including Magin, altered summer plans so they could see what torture Crumbaugh -- a guy whose email address is runskikayak -- and the Keweenaw, that long pointy finger of rock sticking way out into Lake Superior from the top of the Upper Peninsula, could dream up for them.

Crumbaugh ran out of race numbers at 150. The next 110 entrants got numbers penciled on their arms. Late registrants arriving Friday or Saturday were told registration had closed; but, hey, if you're going to drive all night from upstate New York, you're not going to turn around and go home. You're going to run as a reluctant bandit, and many did.

The motels filled up. The restaurants were jammed. And the Keweenaw Tourist Council was suddenly appreciating the value of the sport and asking Crumbaugh what they could do to lure more folks there next year.

What they can do is talk about the courses.

Saturday morning's 10K is billed as flat and fast. Someone oughta sue for false advertising. This year, sadist Jeff moved the start down to a wider place to accommodate more than 200 runners -- that wider place being the beach along Lake Superior. Its slow, soggy, deep sand had everyone spinning their wheels.

There were plenty of deep-forest views before a second stretch on the beach, then a descent down a dune to the finish, where the hearty could go soak in the big, cold lake. Runners may have come from 16 states, but Yoopers showed them how to do it. Karl Walczak, 23, of nearby Calumet, was first in 33:31, with Chad Christensen, 27, of nearby Eagle River, second in 34:15. Jim Cihak, 53, the U.P. legend from Marquette, was 12th overall and won the master's title in 36:52.

Two women broke 40 minutes in a stirring duel. Lisa Wiitala, 30, like many Yoopers of Finnish descent, pulled away on the long downhill finish to win in 39:44, with Margot Hutchins, 23, of Houghton, 11 seconds back. Joan Rundman, 40, of Hancock, was third woman and first master in 40:34.

Saturday's evening hill climb is so tough on the way up, but so beautiful every step of the way, particularly at the finish, that it's worth it, all 3.8 miles of relentless climbing, 840 net vertical feet but figure more like 1,200 feet with the few tough downhills thrown in along the way.

The start is on the beach at Eagle Harbor, a beautiful quaint deep port. You start in deep sand, head out the highway and about the half-mile mark begin the relentless trail uphill through, in turns, deep sand, a wide creek, loose rock, slippery shale, fragrant pine and cedar forests.

"Halfway up I said, 'If I'm ever going to drop out of a race, this is the one,'" said Steve Spalding of Waterford. "When I got to the top it was, 'Ohmigod!'"

Ohmigod could have referred to the last long nearly-vertical hill as well as the view once you got there. The winds in winter are so brutal off Superior that, at 840 feet, you're above the tree line. The view is unencumbered. You can see the tops of thousands of acres of forests, and, on a clear day, all the way to Isle Royale.

Bree Ray, 23, of Minnesota, led the women in 30:32, with Amy Hauswirth, 33, of Hancock, second by a second in 31:07 over Elizabeth Johnson, 26, of Minnesota. Wendy Sharp, 41, of nearby Atlantic Mine, led the masters in 32:02. Walczak again paced the men, in 23:47, with Cory Wubbels, 24, of Marquette, second in 25:07 and Tim Reynolds, 16, of Vermont, third in 25:09. Karl Stuber, 44, of Williamston, led the masters in 27:59.

How tough was Sunday's 25K through the Swedetown Gorge on the Maasto Hiihto trails? This tough: Stuber, one of the top age-group racers in the state, who led the masters up the hill Sunday, was reduced to long stretches of walking and finished in three hours, 21 minutes and 54 seconds.

"It was my slowest 25K ever, but it's the one I'm most proud of," said Stuber.

The climbs and descents were relentless; the views, when you could sneak them in, diverse and spectacular. Figure about 36 different microclimates, from swamps and cedar bogs to upland meadow; dirt roads and barely discernable trail; deep forest so dark it seemed like night; and blinding sun beating down relentlessly out of a cobalt sky.

The course was the overall winner. The male winner was Mike Wesson, 37, of Colorado, who finished in 1:50:45, more than three minutes ahead of Brian May, 31, of Minnesota. Charles Markham, 45, of Houghton, was 12th overall and first master in 2:12:39.

First master's man, that is.

Suzanne Ray, a remarkable 51-year-old from Minnesota, finished 11th overall, beating all the masters and all the women in 2:12:13. Wiitala was second in 2:19:02, and Sharp third in 2:20:44, coming in just 29 seconds behind her husband, Ray.

A ton of Runner's World readers who couldn't change their schedules at the last minute have told Crumbaugh they're coming next year for the fifth annual Trail Festival. Make reservations early. To keep posted on entry deadlines, add this to your email address book:
runskikayak@hotmail.com. MR