There has been an ongoing effort in recent years to make improvements to the Whitley County Fairgrounds, located in the Savoy community of Williamsburg, and to find new and exciting ways to utilize the land. This past weekend’s Fog River Run Invitational cross country meet was the latest event to take place in that effort, and I feel like it was a huge success.
When I pulled up to the fairgrounds Saturday morning, the first thing that struck me was how appropriately named this race was. It was a beautiful, foggy fall morning, and while I didn’t know what to expect from the race itself, I was happy to see such a large crowd on hand for the inaugural event.
It didn’t take me long to find Whitley County Judge Executive Pat White, Jr., who explained to me how the race course had been laid out. He pointed me in the direction of one of the nearby wooded areas, so I took off to have a look.
Wow.
What I found upon entering the woods was a gorgeous nature trail that wound around the property, alongside the river, through some clearings, and ultimately leading back out into the large field where the race began and ended. I was so impressed with the amazing scenery as I walked the trail and snapped photos of the runners. I even took the opportunity to do a little nature photography while there, capturing one image of a squirrel clinging to the side of a tree while holding an acorn in its mouth that I was particularly excited about.
Although there are way more cross country courses that I have not visited compared to the list of ones that I have, my personal favorite has always been the course in Wayne County where the regional championship meets are held each year. Assuming the weather is cooperating, I love pretty much everything about covering the cross country regionals – the autumn scenery on the way to Monticello, the scenery on the farm where the meet is held, and the cup of pumpkin-flavored custard that I will inevitably stop and get from Culver’s Restaurant in Somerset on my way home.
As much as I love visiting that course in Wayne County, though, it may have just been replaced by the course at the Whitley County Fairgrounds. Seriously, I was so impressed. And to think, this is right here in my own home county. What a blessing. I will definitely be heading back down there in the near future to enjoy another stroll through the woods.
While I was covering the race, I noticed a lot of other activity going on at the fairgrounds. A large group of workers were there erecting some wooden fences around the property, and I got to have a look at the newly constructed (massive) open air shelter that will allow for several different types of outdoor activities to take place without having to worry about getting rained on should the weather turn bad.
All of these upgrades and new developments are encouraging, as it is good to know that the county has a fairgrounds that is being adequately utilized. As for the Fog River Run, congrats to all of the event organizers on what was, as far as I can tell, a very well received race. I am already looking forward to covering the next one!
