[COURSE PREVIEW] Heartland 30k, Pt.III: Paulina Cooper Dot-to-Dot 10k

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The event's official site can be found HERE.
Official Athlete's Guide can be found HERE.

The final event in the Heartland 30k series is the Paulina Cooper Dot-to-Dot 10k. Here's a quick run-down of the ever-popular course...

Course Preview
The route taken for the Dot-to-Dot 10k is a double-lap iteration of a route popular with several 5- and 10k's throughout the year. Girls on the Run 5k uses the single-lap course, as does the Jazz in the Woods 10k. For the Paulina Cooper Dot-to-Dot, both a 5k and 10k are offered.

Here are the basics for the 2014 10k route...
Distance: 6.24mi
Route Type: Double Loop
Terrain Type: Park Streets (Blacktop, Concrete)
Start/Finish Location: Corporate Woods, Building 3, Overland Park, Kansas
Start Elevation: 908ft
# Climbs: 4
Tot. Elevation Gain: 411ft
Google Maps Link: HERE

The Paulina Cooper Dot-to-Dot 10k route, with Farley Street climb highlighted (at least, the second half).
The 'divots' on the course profile are bridge crossings, and are NOT tiny valleys. :-)

Of the three 10k's in the Heartland 30k series, this sits comfortably in the middle for total elevation gain. There is an average of about 65 feet of elevation gain per mile, so obviously nowhere near the 120+ feet per mile that Broadway Bridge saw.

Two main climbs adorn the route, each of which will be climbed twice because of the double-lapped nature of the 10k course. The Farley Street hill (climbs #1 and #3) always feels the most tortuous to runners given the length of the climb, though the Benson Drive Turnaround actually poses more overall elevation gain and a steeper grade.

Here's a run-down of the two main climbs on-route...

• Farley Street Hill: 0.54mi @ 2.0% average grade (5.5% max), +41.8ft
• Benson Drive Turnaround: 0.44mi @ 2.7% average grade (6.5% max), +43.0ft

The remainder of the course is relatively flat, though after the first lap, those climbs do start to wear on the legs. Competitive runners will quickly grab a good placing out of the gate, just in time for the first climb up the Benson Drive Turnaround on the Southeast corner of the route. Usually by the turnaround, the top 15 spots are set. Then runners should sit in and hold off attacks until the last climb up Farley Street Hill, where any attacks will crush the souls who can't match.

Full report to follow.

Keep R/B/S-ing.

-tds

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