2010 Rattlesnake Ramble Race Report
PHOTOS! (more to come, and a video is in the works)
Eldorado Canyon State Park, September 18, 2010 - For the first time ever the Rattlesnake Ramble sold out! We had over 100 sign up for the race, but an overcast morning and a discouraging weather report limit the racers to 88 - 25 more than the previous record number of finishers.
While two-time defending championg John Tribbia was absent from the field, former champion and course record holder (for the Eldorado spur first) Andy Ames was in attendance for the sixth year in a row. At 47, Andy is one of the best Masters runners in the country. Lucas Crespin, at 26, doesn't care about that. Lucas was third last year behind Tribbia and Ames and he aimed to make a statement for youth. Andy's a mountain goat and his strategy was clear: break free of the young studs on the steep climb and try to hold them off to the finish. Sure enough, Andy topped the hill first, came off the hill first, and made the Fowler turn-around first, but Crespin and Patrick Cole were hunting him down like two wolves after an aging stag. When they down onto the Eldorado Road and started the fastest half-mile in trail running, the writing was on the wall. Crespin ran this section at a 4-minute mile pace and sealed the deal with a time of 29:05. Cole powered away from Ames to finish in 29:21 and Andy still stood on the podium with 29:30.
These three were the only racers under 31 minutes.
Lisa Goldsmith returned to the Rattlesnake after missing last year's race and I had a particularly good view of the battle for the women's title, at least until I was dropped late in the race. Abby Beattie went out hard up the road with Goldsmith holding back, showing her experience with the deceptively brutal start. Goldsmith, the female version of Andy Ames in that she is also a national champion Masters runner and a great climbers, took charge on the hill, moving past Beattie. Despite a valiant effort, though, Beattie was right behind Goldsmith after the descent. Leaving nothing to chance, Beattie immediately went to the front and put the hammer down. The course was now relatively flat and the emphasis was now on turn-over and the 30-year-old Beattie still had the legs after the climb. Abby won with a time of 34:12 and Goldsmith finished in second in 34:41. Newcomer Brittany Thompson ran a very solid race and finished at comfortable third in 35:32.
With Peter Graf notn around to defend his stunning win from 2009, TDK moved up from second to take the Masters title in 31:41. Jason McGowin, a newly minted Masters at 40, finished second in 34:00 and 6-time finisher Eric Coppock, dressed as a triathlete (someone must have told him that South Boulder Creek was part of the course), was just two seconds behind with a massive PR of 34:02.
Last year's overall winner, Kristi Jordan, returned to take the Masters title this year in 37:23, knocking last year's Masters winner, Vicki Hunter, down to second place (39:30), and Sheri Wright was just eight seconds back (39:38), taking third place.
In the kids division, 12-year-old Ryan Maulsby, in his third try, finally took the win in 20:58, finishing the 2.25-mile Kids' course long before any adult runners finished. Marissa Koski won for the girls in 24:46 and Beanie Oveson, paced by her mother who, as Beanie would later relate "Couldn't keep up at the finish", won the 5-and-under division with a time of 35:05.
Thanks to all the runners for coming out, but a special thanks to all my great volunteers (many of whom were racers as well). Stefan Griebel, who finished 6th overall, just out the money, was working the race from 6 a.m. that morning. My family (Sheri, Danny, Derek) and Lou "The Loobster" Lorber worked all the previous day and all that morning. Michael Maulsby worked the check-in and designed the race shirts. Tom Karpeichik took all the race photos, was our starter, and worked tirelessly before and after the race. David Escamilla and his son Greg manned our only aid station and delivered the Starbucks coffee. RMR had a full crew out there to take care of us and marshall the turn-arounds. Ning, Jeff Thorn, Steve McClung, Byron Murray, Clint Locks were marshalls and workers. Bill Hansen shot video of the race and rode a mountain bike with a helmet cam among the race leaders. I can't wait to see what he comes up with once he gets in the editting room. And a big shout-out to Mark and Molly Bockmann of RaceRite.com that worked the timing. It was their first timing race ever and they showed how professional they were by surviving a couple of power outages and having back-up timing in place. I am very much in their debt for taking this very stressful job off my hands. I sure hope I can lure them back next year.
Special thanks to all the sponsors: La Sportiva, which is a great local company that does more for trail running than any other company. Fleet Feet, Kahtoola, CAMP, The Spot, Boulder Rock Club, Sharp End Publishing, Mountain Edge Fitness, Noodles, Walmart, Costco, Chili's, Movement Climbing and Fitness, Big Stone Publishing, Verve, Deuter, AOV printing, and Andrea.
Thanks again to all of you and see you next year for the 7th Annual Rattlesnake Ramble!
Bill Wright
Race Director Rattlesnake Ramble
Board Member of the Action Committee for Eldorado
