Vail Recreation District Trail Run series wraps up with MeadowGold 11K and 5K

The weather may have been overcast and chilly, but all who attended the final event of the Vail Recreation District trail run series last Saturday morning at Meadow Mountain left with warm hearts.

“I think it’s been a great year,” said Wyatt Smith, sports coordinator for the recreation district. Even though cloudy skies greeted the 163 runners who competed in the MeadowGold 11K and 5K, the dreary day was perfect for racing.

“This was great weather. It’s going to be nastier later. So, get the workout in early today,” said James Kirschner with a smile. The Eagle Valley High School teacher and mountain bike town series regular decided to dial back some of his professional XTERRA ambitions this fall and entered his first local trail race in three years on a whim.

“I got invited by a friend and didn’t have anything else on the schedule because you know, I’m trying to do whatever now and just take it as it comes,” he said. “I said, ‘OK,’ let’s go see what I got in the fitness tank.'”

A week after winning the citizens race at the Eagle Valley High School cross-country invite, Kirschner wound up second overall in the 11K. He completed the course, which contained 1,362-feet of climb, in 47 minutes and 32 seconds. He led a group of four up the initial Line Shack Connector ascent before building a nice lead in the ensuing downhill singletrack. After the short reprieve, runner’s climbed the relentless Grouse Creek Trail to the four-mile mark before coming back down Meadow Mountain Trail.

Support Local Journalism

Donate

“That second uphill was such a grind,” Kirschner said. “It was steep and tough.”

Jason Macaluso (49:30) held off Franklin Reilly (54:25) for the third and final spot on the overall podium. The friends entered the event separated by one point in the season-long standings for the 20-29 age group.

“It was good. The downhills really flew by fast,” Macaluso said. The 24-year-old was thrilled about his summer season after wrapping up the overall title.

“It was phenomenal,” he continued. “I went on a lot of trails this summer.”

Sarah Hochtl of Vail won the women’s title in 56:49. In the 5K, T.J. Simpson claimed his third victory of the year in 22:10, followed by brothers Griffin (23:34) and Gavin Hood (23:58). Vail 12-year-old Georgia Robison (25:11) topped the women’s field, followed by Edwards’ Tam Donelson (28:08) and Avon’s Mandy Benedict (30:40). After finishing at the base of Meadow Mountain, runners congregated at Magustos in downtown Minturn for pizza and prizes.

“The energy at these races is really high,” said Eagle’s Marcette Gordon, who won an award for completing all seven events this summer. Gordon said she’s been racing the series for the last 12 years or so.

“I come out here because my friends do it,” she stated before adding, “It’s local — I like to keep my money in the valley.”

Gordon’s crew, most of whom met through the race series, bring a unique flair to each event. Her and Darcy Beck are known for their colorful outfits.

“Darcy and I really pride ourselves on how we bring it for each races,” Gordon said. “We’re not the fastest, but you will find us at every race.”

Beck, who resides in Eagle, finished in 1:28:06. Gordon came through about 90 seconds earlier, but said her goals aren’t anchored in athletic performance, per se.

“I can’t say I have any goals other than finish, not being injured, and smile at the end,” Gordon stated.

Nancy Mires, another member of the friend group, feels the same.

“My joke is that I’m a completer, not a competer,” the 56-year-old said, adding that her highlight from completing all seven events was spending time with pals and sharing the obligatory and free post-race Northside Kitchen donuts.

“We come here, we carpool, we laugh — we take photos with the donuts,” she continued. “For me, this is a very important part of my social life, which I think is very good for mental health. So, the amazing people who show up for these races, the friendships, the memories, the photos — for me, it just keeps me in a good headspace.”

Second-annual Cougar Ridge Classic coming up in 2 weeks

Curating beautiful courses, contemplating subtle tweaks and bringing a personal touch with his humorous jabs at the podium ceremonies are just a few things Smith has brought to his role overseeing the trail run series.

“A huge highlight for me truly is, each year I come out here, I meet more and more racers,” Smith said. “So, I get to now cheer on more people, calling people by names, poking fun, making jokes, knowing certain families bring the whole family out — it’s awesome. It’s a really fun community.”

“Wyatt’s been such a great addition,” Gordon said. “I love Joel (Rabinowitz) and Beth (Pappas) — they keep me coming back. The volunteers are great; the people who put it on are really fun.”

Smith said this summer saw record numbers at a few events. The 10K and 5K at 10,000 Feet jumped from 350 athletes last year to 450 this time around.

“We hadn’t seen those numbers since 2013,” said Smith, who came into the season with one main course-related goal: adjust the Arrowhead Half Marathon course to avoid descending any ski slopes. This year, the longest race of the series utilized a brand new trail, Quiver.

“All the feedback I got from everyone who did the race loved the new trail, so that’s huge,” he said.

While the series is over, trail racing is not. The Vail Recreation District is hosting the second-annual Cougar Ridge Classic on Sept. 27. Gordon, Mires and Macaluso are all signed up.

“I want to get on the podium and get some big money,” Macaluso said with a smile when asked what his goals were.

Smith said the race will start at Gravity Haus this year since Dobson Ice Arena is currently unavailable. The course lengthened about eight-tenths of a mile — with the addition coming at the beginning — to make it a true 26K. Once runners hop onto Cabin Trail, the point-to-point route to Minturn is identical to last year. Registration is limited to 250 runners and can be found online at vailrec.com.

As another summer series wrapped up, Gordon couldn’t help but reflect on the increasing momentum she’s seen in the trail community.

“It’s nice to see the event is growing, what we do in the valley is growing and the enthusiasm around running,” Gordon said. “I don’t care if you walk the 5K or 10K or are racing to get that first place, it’s just nice to see people getting active … of every age.”

Tristan Sadler was the youngest finisher of the 5K race, at 9-years old, while, 86-year-old Marlin Smickly was the oldest. Both stats inspired Gordon.

“I hope I can grow up and be like that,” she said.