December 6, 2025, Brunswick High School (BHS) students participated in the Full Steam Ahead’s Sweet Run Adventure Race. This race took place at Sweet Run State Park at 11661 Harpers Ferry Rd, Hillsboro, VA.
A total of 44 students gathered at the park starting at 9:00 a.m. and would have the opportunity to listen to Aaron Linesville, about mapping and navigating skills when making their routes.
During the Sweet Run Adventure Race, students had to find a total of 3o check points, in three hours. Including three Pro-Logue points. Students followed their maps, and passports which included clues to where these flags were located.
The course included crossing streams, flat gravel roads, alongside uphill trails. However, several of these points were off trail so students had to use their navigating skills and use their compass to find them.
There were a few points that were worth double and, if a runner went to specific spots, they could have access to another map that included more check points.
What is so incredible about this race was that it was fully student made.
Jossalyn Henry, class of 2026, designed this course including all the points and where students could travel.
“Making a map is a lot harder than it seems,” Henry said, “You have to first go on this app called Cal Topo and start placing points.”
Henry was able to place points of trails or on trails. Henry shared how on this app she used features that show shading meaning there could be a ditch or shows blue lines marking water students would have to cross. Additionally, Henry had to go out and get a permit from the park rangers to even have the race in the first place and to hang up the markers. Henry shared how there were a few difficulties when making this map.
“When I was scouting you will mostly find that some features on the map aren’t a part of the park anymore” Henry said, “So I had to place markers in other places with the help of the Rangers who knew the park.”
This was the second year BHS Full Steam Ahead participated in the Sweet Run Adventure Race.
The BHS Full Steam Ahead advisor, Mr. Johnson, was at the race supporting all participants. There have been many races he has done, but he said this was a very good turnout for the Sweet Run Race, compared to last year.
“The number of participants was amazing, along with the weather too,” Johnson said, “And the course was perfectly designed by Jossalyn [Henry], where she placed the markers at the best places. All racers, advanced or new to Adventure Racing, were all still challenged.”
“The Sweet Run Race serves as a training ground, like many of our events, to help improve students ability to read topographical maps. In addition we attended various Quantico Orienteering Club (Q.O.C) events to improve student racers discipline and various racing topics,” Johnson said.
The day after the race, Dec. 4, 2025, Mr. Johnson shared the sophomore winners of the race: Berrett Ellison, Jack McGoldrick, Brenton Johnson, and Logan Kisselbach, won first place overall for clearing all points.
Logan Kisselbach, who is the youngest registered national United States Adventure Racing Association racer, worked with his team to clear all points. Kisselbach shared how he knew that the course and its design had to be carefully planned out because depending on the route he and his team took would affect their time.
“As my team looked over the map we realized that the only way to clear the course was to go counter clock wise due to the extra map location in the middle of the course,” Kisselbach said, “…with the mindset that we were going to clear it, we mapped out route making sure we got every point in the most efficient way possible.”
Kisselbach also shared how his team did go through some setbacks such as in the beginning Kisselbach overshoot a point.
“Luckily, we were able to find a trail intersection to get back on trail and it was then a quick fix,” Kisselbach said.
Furthermore, Kisselbach’s favorite part of the race was working with this team who are all very close with each other. There were points that they knew they had to focus but other times where they goofed off and had fun with each other.
Make sure to check out more races the BHS Full Steam Ahead Club puts on and works towards heading to the World Championships. Racing is a great way to stay active and try something new! Having so many interested racers is an unprecedented achievement for adventure racing nationally and on a world stage. Stay tuned to see who will be going to Worlds!