Groundhog Run attracts its biggest crowd

Kansas City Star: Groundhog Run attracts its biggest crowd

When it was just about over Sunday morning, an hour and a half after the second and final race of the day had started, race director LeRoy Unruh revealed the turnout for the 28th annual Groundhog Run.

“It’s the biggest ever,” he said, turning to another race worker for confirmation. “We’ve never had 3,000 finishers in this race.”

Nearly 1,900 runners had crossed the finish line in the 5-kilometer run, while another 1,100 had completed the 10K as runners flocked to the underground Hunt Midwest SubTropolis for an escape from the winter cold.

“It’s good for serious runners who want to do a race indoors during the winter, because you can’t do much else,” said Gina Morgan, the top women’s finisher in the 10K. “It’s very unique.”

That it is — according to its Web site, the Groundhog Run is believed to be the biggest organized underground run in the country — and that’s what keeps luring eager runners to the SubTropolis each winter. From across the metro area and beyond. …

… The Groundhog Run benefits the Children’s Therapeutic Learning Center, which serves young children with disabilities and their families.

A little know fact about Kansas City is its underground storage facilities. I think K. C. has more underground business and storage square footage than any city in the U. S. The entrance to one of these facilities is about a quarter mile from my house. I wonder if they'll ever turn any of these cave locations into condos.