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Community Corner

'Conquer Castlewood' Opens the Waters to Canoe Racing and More

Canoe racing, biking and running all will be represented in the three-event race planned for Sunday.

Conquer Castlewood returns to Castlewood State Park on Sunday for the eleventh year. The event brings together three styles of racing with contenders going by foot, mountain bike and canoe in order to compete.

Th event, which is co-hosted by Ballwin Parks & Recreation as part of the Ballwin Race Series, will include two-person teams checking into the Park early Sunday. Pre-registration is required, although competitors still are welcome to sign up before the weekend event.

“I’ve had people in the past come from Indiana and from different states. It’s a fun race to get out and do with a close friend,” said Julie Vogel, Recreational Specialist for Ballwin.

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All levels of racers are welcome, ages 14 and above. Teams are divided into male, female and co-ed categories. The race will feature two heats, with the first starting at 8 a.m. and the second at 8:45 a.m.

For each heat, teams will sprint to canoes and paddle a one- to 2-mile horseshoe around a buoy. When teams return to starting point, they will split to their individual bikes and race for approximately for four to five miles along trails set off by orange markers.

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From there, each individual will continue into a three- to four-mile trail run marked by pink tape, with course marshals on site to help provide guidance. The biking and running trails will be separate, so there will be no risk of intersection.

Last year's top racers finished in appoximately one hour for their individual times, Vogel said, with the slowest racers clocking in at closer to two hours.

Many racers use Conquer Castlewood as training for other competitions, she said, or as part of a well-planned racing schedule. 

“It’s a really diverse group, anyone from competitive racers to recreational racers,” Vogel said.

Kate Geisen, the author of the racing blog Super Kate, said she plans on using Conquer Castlewood as part of a larger schedule that will help her broaden out into other adventure races.

“My goals for Conquer Castlewood are to get out and have fun, get more mountain biking practice, and hopefully complete the course without requiring medical attention,” said Geisen, who said she fell during a ride last year before tweaking her performance with some new hardware more appropriate for those trails.

Chuck Vohsen and Robin Rongey are a two-person co-ed team named ROCK Racing, which maintains high competitive race rankings in the Midwest.  They said they find Conquer Castlewood short enough for everyday athletes to have fun, but fast enough to be a challenge for experienced racers.

“We both love the race, it is very well planned and run,” Vohsen said.

The top three finishers in each category get prizes, and there also will be attendance prize drawings. The race is limited to 80 teams, and remaining spaces are expected to go quickly. There will be no race-day registration or  stand-by slots offerred. The $60 fee includes the race's canoe rental.

To learn more about the Conquer Castlewood Race, please visit the Ballwin Parks and Recreation website.

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