The dirt crew has been tromping around all 110,000 acres of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve to craft an unforgettable DWD running experience.

Yes, DWD is famous for finding very challenging, memorable, “stupid sections”, but we also make sure that 90% of the course is beautiful, run-able trail. This goes for all events at DWD … no one escapes the “Insane terrain” but everyone fulfills the wilderness trail running jones, and we’re talking serious wilderness in Florida.

The Green swamp, as you can imagine, is flat. The footing is generally good but cypress swamps have stalagmite (little spikes coming out of the ground) kind of roots to keep you on your toes or on your face. Winter is the dry season (Unless it isn’t!). The way things are looking; Florida is in a bit of a drought so we’re guessing this year’s event will be on the dry side. This is OK; you have a better chance of seeing where the gators are as you pick you way through the “Stupid spots”. Yes, I’m not kidding! What I’m getting at is that it is easy to steer clear, a good thing.

All individual trail runs (13.1, 26.2, 50K, 50M) are loops, pretty much no repeated trail. We like that, we figure you will too. More adventure! All events start and finish in the same spot, a big field in the Withlacoochee River Park, a gem of a park we fell in love with. We run first in the River Park, then into the Green Swamp Preserve, the relay and 50 mile will go into Colt Creek State Park (Not on any map). The 50 mile starts in the dark on 5 miles of two track so it will be easier to follow before sunrise, the cool part, this two track loop takes you into some serious wilderness at the time critters are moving! This should keep the heat rate crankin’!

Any updates to maps should be done and posted by mid January, not to worry, they won’t help! Also, the final course may change a bit from the map depending on rainfall and stuff that happens.

I’m not a botany buff so I can’t tell you much about the flora. I can tell you that it’s beautiful, almost like the whole place was landscaped. A hundred kinds of palms, huge trees with Spanish moss, hammocks with every kind of bushy grasses from a foot to ten foot, scrub oaks and pines on the high ground, cypress trees on the low ground, and trees with amazing root systems that start way above ground, everywhere.

The flat sandy soil makes the trail disappear at times, to follow it constant vigilance, much of the ground is the same, no visible path, didn’t I say that?

Wildlife = Way cool, everything lives here!

Armadillos on the trail are kind of like mile marks. Cute, harmless little creatures about the size of a rabbit (Vary in size like rabbits). Some of them scurry away, and hop. Some seem to care less that you run by. I’m thinking they are my new favorite critters!

Wild pigs, feral hogs, are plentiful but you are more likely to hear them than see them. The dash off in a hurry and make a racket. You are most likely to see the little baby pigs because they are slower than momma. Again, steer clear of the little ones, mom is protective. The pigs seem to have babies all year, not just spring. I saw six little ones run by today, each a different color, no mom in site, very cute! Packs of hogs tear up the ground like a roto-tiller, you will come across areas every so often that look like a mine field. It’s like we hired them to put in stupid spots!

White tail deer abound. I always heard the southern deer are small but they seem to look the same as Michigan white tails to me, perhaps there are no really big deer but they look beautiful and healthy.

Spiders are the major issue, the webs are huge, and so are the spiders. Spider webs on the trail are like downed trees in the north, you leave the path to go around them. Yikes!

Wild turkeys, turkey buzzards, and every kind of bird of prey seem to follow runners, an ominous sight. Bald eagles are doing well in Florida, God bless America! Something I’m not used to is the many ground birds running around, more noise in the bushes!

I have spent perhaps a week in the bush and have not seen a snake … I’m hoping this is a good thing but ignorance is bliss, not. Keep vigilant and practice your scream.

Gators are my personal favorites, the last of the dinosaurs (Unfortunately, the carnivore type). Look both ways, right, left, up, back … before crossing water, steer clear, then dash! Big gators, give big clearance, little ones, watch for big ones!