Just north of Lawrence there is a Kansas Athletics site that rivals Allen Fieldhouse in tradition and distinction.

Whether it is because of the monstrous hills, the lush forest complete with two covered bridges or the life-size cutouts of past Kansas runners frozen in the same pose for years, Rim Rock Farm is one of most memorable courses in the Midwest.

When one runner meets another in this part of the country, a question commonly asked is whether one has been to Rim Rock, often beginning a dialogue about a memorable race the athletes participated in at Rim Rock Farm.

The runners at Kansas are lucky enough to call this landmark in the running world home.

Bob Timmons, one of the most influential cross country coaches in school history, is the man behind Rim Rock Farm. In 1974 he bought the land that became the Farm.

“I remember it took quite a while to build, you know. The kids came out there with rakes and shovels and we had a bulldozer and it took a long while to put it together, but all the time you just knew that in the end that everyone was going to love it,” Timmons said.

Former Kansas runner Sheree Willis recalled the beginning of Rim Rock’s creation.

“I remember hearing that he had bought a wonderful farm North of Lawrence,” Willis said.

Willis, who ran cross country as a sophomore in 1975, was not able to compete on the course because it wasn’t finished before the end of her cross country career. She has had the opportunity to witness races held at Rim Rock and said she was very impressed with what Rim Rock has become.

“We had a few nice courses but none as pretty as Rim Rock,” Willis said.

Timmons also thought it was important for the runners to play a part in the construction of the course.

“My feeling was, you know, if they did this, then in a sense, it was their course and by doing that I don’t think they resented all of those hills and rocks and bluffs they had to go down because they were, in a sense, responsible for where the course went, and even though it was tough it was their course.”

The course has become home for the Kansas runners.

“Out of all the courses it’s definitely up there with my favorites,” said senior Bret Imgrund. “We do train on it and we definitely know the nuisances.”

It was through Timmon’s dedication and his team’s hard work that Rim Rock has become the beautiful and challenging course it is today.

“Coach Bob Timmons always had a vision for a course that runners would always remember,” former Kansas runner Steve Heffernan said. Heffernan competed for Kansas from 1987 to 1990 and now lives on and takes care of Rim Rock.

“It is the complete experience for any runner,” Heffernan said. “Rim Rock is legendary in the Midwest for cross country running and it has received national and international acclaim.”

Rim Rock hosted the Big 12 cross country conference championships in 2006, the Big Eight cross country championships in 1983, 1991 and 1995 and the 1990 NCAA Division I and II cross country championships.

Timmons carved the courses on the grounds, giving each one variety in landscape and difficulty throughout the course. Parts of the courses are out in the open where runners can see the sprawling golden landscape speeding past them with each step. But eventually the courses dive back down under the tree line as the wood-chipped trails take the runners around the farm’s lakes.

However, the scenery can only distract a runner from so much, and eventually the difficulty of the course becomes apparent.

“There are very few courses that demand so much from a runner, both mentally and physically,” Heffernan said.

Coach Timmons tried his best to make Rim Rock a challenging yet enjoyable course for all different levels of runners.

“We don’t have any real mountains in Kansas,” Timmons said, “but I think it entails some of the toughest little hills around and it made it a great challenge.”

The farm’s balance of beauty and challenge leaves few who run it devoid of memories.

“Rim Rock has always been known as a place for runners,” Heffernan said. “That is an inspiring part of the experience of running on Rim Rock.”

— —Edited by Samantha Foster