Kansas City Sun Run
July 1, 2001
Douglas T. Wyatt

Two of my favorite activities are running and naturism. When I can, I like to do both at once. Unlike an indoor swimming party or indoor bowling, recreating nude in the great outdoors always requires much more space. Nudists usually have to pick their running or hiking settings with a greater amount of care. Running, by definition, transports us over a greater area. This unfortunately always increases our chance of crossing the path of someone with a poor concept of nude recreation. This is, of course, more of a problem when we venture onto public lands.

On July 1st, the Heartland Naturists of Greater Kansas City held their first annual "Sun Run". As coordinator of this "Au Natural" race, I decided that it was time that our group hold an event in the great outdoors. The setting for the "Sun Run" was a retreat center west of Kansas City. The owners of the center permit nude hiking and swimming on select portions of the grounds. The property is well shaded from adjacent farm land and the size is more than adequate to host a five-kilometer trail. I was pretty sure that the camp was Kansas City's best, if not only, opportunity to hold a race in the true Olympian tradition.

Kansas City has been blessed by abundant rainfall this past spring. While good for my home lawn, the spring moisture caused the back fields of the camp to grow wild. In past years, Earth Rising had maintained the back lands so that they had always been a pleasure to hike. Who does not enjoy the opportunity to be natural in a very natural setting? The sight of a hawk circling gracefully over a Kansas prairie field is unforgettable. This year's rains however had truly reclaimed our trails for nature. Fortunately, the staff was willing to use their Brush Hog mower to help clear a trail for the "Sun Run". Using my own personal mower, I further leveled the trails so that they were a pleasure to run along.

After; mowing the trails, painting directional arrows on the ground (non-toxic spray chalk only), setting up registration tables and laying 100 24" orange pylons along the course, I was pooped!!! I went home climbed into bed and prayed that I would be able to get up at 5:00am the following Sunday morning to add the finishing touches to the course right before the race.

I had no clue if the efforts which I had expended on Saturday would come to fruition on Sunday. Fortunately, by 9:00am, fifteen to twenty cars pulled up the hill and were parked along the back ridge. The twenty four Spartans who registered for the "Sun Run" had arrived. Everyone was upbeat and ready to do the "Sun Run". Two of our contestants traveled from as far away as Omaha NE and Sioux City IA.

After penciling race numbers on everyone's arms and offering each participant a free TNS souvenir, we were ready to begin. This year's "Sun Run" had 13 runners, who ran the entire course, and 11 walkers, who either walked the entire course or ran and then got tired. By 10:00am the temperature for our "Sun Run was reaching about ninety degrees. This year's K9 entries are Spencer and Hamlet. Both pure bred greyhounds made a good presentation at the first annual "Sun Run". Like their nude human counterparts, the sun took its' toll on Spencer and Hamlet. Next year we will have some of that doggy gatorade, I think its' called "Rebound", available.

The "Sun Run" was a success because of good volunteer help. Tom, from Lawrence KS, and Sandy, from South Kansas City Metro area, gave up the opportunity to run and instead worked our watering station. Because of the course layout, I ended up stationing them far out on the lone Kansas prairie. We were very grateful by the time we ran out to them however. "KC" Elliott helped to direct our traffic.

"KC" kept our parking space from interfering with these other patrons. Marge, from Kansas City MO, assisted all by writing names, calligraphy, on our certificates. Although most runners/walkers purchased the official "Sun Run" T-Shirt, everyone thought that a "certificate of participation" was a good memento of the "Sun Run". Dick Williams, Heartland Naturists Officer, officiated the registration table and ensured that all participants made it to the finish line safe by graciously being the last walker in.

As 2001 is the first "Sun Run", the course record is now held by Tom of Omaha NE. His winning time is 16:00 minutes flat. Second place, 16:05 minutes goes to Terry of Kansas City MO. Third place, of the men's division, goes to Chuck of Sioux City IA. Chuck ran a 17:30 minute race just ahead of myself. Lori, the "Sun Run's" only female runner, won the women's division. Lori sets the women's course record, at 30:00 minutes. An even half hour.

We concluded the "Sun Run" with an awards ceremony and a potluck picnic. Some runners had to leave after that but many stayed for a swim in the lake with the other weekend nudists. I think that everyone who came enjoyed "Sun Run". Hopefully the Heartland Naturists of Greater Kansas City will host future, bigger and better, "Sun Runs". In this region of the United States good nude events are "far and few between". Whether one decided to walk or run, the "Sun Run" was a welcome opportunity for those nudists in the Midwest.