The Michigan edition of Dances with Dirt, a.k.a. “Hell” moved from September to June this year, with surprisingly good weather, given our recent heat wave here. The notable change for the Green Team was being able to set up and take down in daylight, a nice change for this event with an evening rush that darkness complicates.
RF Events added an appropriate 6.66K jaunt to go with half marathon, 30K, 50K, and 50-mile solo options, along with the signature 5-person relay teams taking on the worst the Pinckney/Gregory rec areas have to offer. Thus we had a pretty consistent flow of finishers early on, with a lull in the early afternoon just before the rush as the relay teams finished.
Umm…okay.
Yeah, Manny was doin’ great, and then he fell apart just before the finish line…
We set up in our usual spot across from the pavilion and near the start/finish line, placing All Waste boxes at the pavilion and at the ultra aid station nearby. We also pulled cans and bottles out of the trash boxes by the porta-potties. I did a sweep of the camping area in the afternoon, but picked up only a few small items of litter, a very pleasant surprise.
No pizza this year, thus no need for “The Crusher” to tamp down the boxes. (Good thing a pail of sand doesn’t cost much.) Instead, Chris Cakes provided BBQ and mac & cheese served in waffle cones – a twist (pun intended) that eliminated the need for plates, bowls, and utensils. We accepted their aluminum food pans, which required soaking and washing after the event. I’ll call that a good trade.
Recycling was consistent with past years, mainly cardboard, deposit cans and bottles, and disposable water bottles. Specialty items included Gu wrappers, snack bags, small plastics, and tear-off tickets for runners to claim their post-race beer. The dedicated pail for the tickets eliminated mixing with other waste and any blowing away in the wind, a persistent issue before.
Pretty clever idea, actually. (Sorry, that’s the best picture I have of them.)
Landfill was the usual wet wipes, dog poop, diaper, and a lot of the waffle cone wrappers, which are not recyclable due to their moisture-proof coating. It was a bit annoying to peel them off the bottoms of the cones, but their contribution to the waste was light.
Our “Toss Your Clothes Here” box was out as usual, but we only collected two pairs of discarded shoes and a few towels, way down from previous years. Must not have been too muddy out there.
Marilyn (right) at her final HPR event! Something about moving on to an actual career…
Rockstars of the afternoon! Bridget, Sue, and Cole.
We wound up with no volunteers this time, unusual for this event. Fortunately my staffers Cole and Bridget, and my friend Sue (an unofficial volunteer) stayed on top of the rush, which was pretty constant from 4:00 to 7:00. Thanks also to Marilyn, who worked her final race as HPR intern on the morning shift. We will miss her!
Happy Planet Running 