A run in the underground world of Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt
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Inside SubTropolis. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
What began as a limestone mine boring into the cliffs above the Missouri River has become a sprawling underground complex — and home to one of Kansas City's most distinctive races.
The big picture: The annual Groundhog Run winds through miles of tunnels reaching under Worlds of Fun, blending a long-running charity event with a glimpse into the scale and ambition of the Hunt family — one of the richest in America.
- I went to explore how this subterranean world came to be — and to experience it firsthand as a runner.
Zoom in: The race is held at SubTropolis, a business park established by Lamar Hunt in 1964 now totaling more than 9 million square feet of developed space.
- Tenants include the National Archives and the U.S. Postal Service.
- "It's the largest underground business complex in the world," development firm Hunt Midwest communications manager Zach Murdock tells Axios, adding that he doubts even a secret military base would be as big.
Context: The development followed Hunt's move to Kansas City, a relocation that reshaped the region with the founding of the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Hunt founded Hunt Midwest and later built Worlds of Fun on top of SubTropolis.
- The race route, Murdock says, passes beneath the Mamba roller coaster — a detail I was grateful to learn after the fact.
- The race started in 1982 as a benefit for Ability KC, then known as Children's TLC, to fuel donations that help people with physical disabilities.
Between the lines: The Hunt family found wealth by digging into the ground even before SubTropolis, with Lamar Hunt's father striking it big in the oil business.
- As of early 2025, the Hunt family was worth $24.8 billion — with more than $7 billion coming from SubTropolis and the Chiefs.
What's inside: Massive 25-foot-wide stone pillars prop up the ceiling (ground?), each one numbered.
- "Street" names include Hushpuckney, named after a regional type of rock. The speed limit is 15 mph — which I didn't quite reach.
- Unlit tunnels blocked by barriers and rubble disappear into inky darkness.
- "It was kind of like the evil lair in a villain movie," Patrick Mahomes said about SubTropolis in ESPN's "The Kingdom."
💭 Travis' thought bubble: Between a runner dressed as a bat and a gopher mascot, it wasn't hard to remember where I was — more than 100 feet underground.
- The flat course yielded a good time, but the naturally occurring temperatures in the mid-60s made for a surprisingly sweaty February race.
What's next: SubTropolis is growing, with construction ongoing and room to expand to about 14 million square feet. Murdock says they plan to announce a major new tenant soon.
- As for me, my quest for a sub-20-minute 5K continues. I'll need to shave off 20 seconds.