Elsie is a blast. It is about a 45 minute race, about 7 mile laps. There is asphalt (about 1-2 miles) and the rest is mostly hard pack. They throw in a mudhole for good measure. The road sections are pretty high speed. One good size jump. There is a ton of rocks, so I usually run pretty high pressure to avoid flats (still got one last year).
The start is in rows of about ten riders, your number (starting position) reflects the order entries were received. Some of the bigger classed have 100+ riders. It's good to sign up early!
Good luck and have fun!