The day begins in Dodge City at the Dodge City Convention & Visitors Bureau

The stage concludes in Larned at Doerr Vernon Park.

The route today looks like a giant checkmark. From Dodge City, it follows Lariat Way southeastward. Paved initially, this becomes a dirt track from Wilroads to Ford, 16 miles into the stage, before turning back to the northeast for the remainder of the day. From there, you're climbing the stairs, zigzagging north and east through the grid system, flirting all the while with the Arkansas River. After a very long stretch through open farm country, the trail finally delivers you into Kinsley, aka Midway USA, sitting exactly 1,561 miles from San Francisco and New York City. Fortunately, Kinsley is not the middle of this stage; on the contrary, with more than 54 miles behind you, only 34 remain.

Your northeastward progression continues, though the "steps" become a little less frequent in this final section. At one point, this is due to an extended stretch on River Rd, a rare diagonal road in this land of 90-degree turns, just before Garfield. Later, it's the consequence of a longer jaunt northward, in order to reach historic Fort Larned, which is well deserving of a stop. The final approach into Larned is due east on KS Hwy 156.

Support: A support vehicle will be accessible at 132 Rd (24 miles), Kinsley - Romano's Pizza (54.6 miles), and Fort Larned (80.7 miles). Water will be available to top off bottles, along with all necessary participant gear. 

Take Heed: This stage involves quite a bit of time on dirt tracks. If you're a road biker and not comfortable with that approach, let's check in about the highway alternative.