Results

Race Results

Photos
View Run Rabbit Run Photos. More photos to be added periodically throughout October.

2009 Race HIghlights
“Awesome!” “Spectacular!” “The most beautiful course in the West, bar none!” “Where else can you run an ultra with a rock band and a thousand people waiting at the finish?” “Where’d that darn moose come from?” Those were just some of the comments to the third annual Run, Rabbit, Run 50 miler, run on a brand new fabulous course, where Greeley’s Ryan Burch, last years winner and nearly unbeatable at 50 miles, smoked the competition and the (old course) course record in an amazing 7 hours 26 minutes. Bryan Goding of Fort Collins was 2nd in 8:05, with Marco Peinado of Leadville, 22 and running his first ultra, 3rd in 8:14. On the distaff side our very own volunteer coordinator and newlywed Jenna Gruben of Steamboat, defended her title, also in a course record 9:14. Sonja Wieck of Greenwood Village, Colorado was 2nd in 9:20 and Boulder’s Caroline Walden 3rd in 9:45. Matthew Weatherly-White of Boise, Idaho ran a terrific 8:53 to win the Men’s Masters, and Colleen Ihnken of Alma, Colorado, was 1st Women’s Masters in 10:17.

Ninety-seven of 115 starters representing 19 states and 3 countries finished within the official time limit, and once again, the weather was terrific and the post-race party (which coincided with the Steamboat Oktoberwest beer fest) great fun. And that was no moose the runners saw out there; it was just our very own pooka, Harvey.

Prizes
All the winners and special award winners received a beautiful hand made ceramic platter designed and made by local Steamboat artists and all finishers got a nice beer mug. Bill Moyle at 70 the oldest official finisher received a special award, as did Karen Pate, running her third Run, Rabbit, Run. Once again she missed an official finish by minutes, but she was the last female runner across the line, so for her loyalty and perseverance we gave her an award too. Steamboat City Councilor Walter Magill, a good sport and an avid and tireless supporter of running who was running his first ultra, wandered (badly) off course, taking with him Jordi Caba Salva, who came all the way from Spain and was also running his first ultra. Their special effort in misdirection cried out for a special award, and we gave them each one too.


2008 Race Highlights
Yes, as Elwood P. Dodd said, every day is a beautiful day, but race day this year in beautiful Steamboat Springs was an especially glorious one:  the start under a brisk sky studded with stars, a morning turquoise sky framing peaks capped with snow from the prior days precipitations, in the afternoon a warming sun and a few billowing clouds:  it was enough to make a rabbit forget about racing and just laze around the hutch. 

But race they did, and what a race it was!  A contentious group of three raced bunny ear to bunny ear before Ryan Burch, 28, of Greeley, Colorado and last years fifth place finisher, edged Steamboat Springs Running Series Champ Todd Trapp, 30, for the win in 8:31, while our very own Jenna “Bunny” Gruben, 31, our Volunteer Coordinator and last year’s second place finisher, collared last years winner and course record holder Samantha Sigle, 33, of Boulder for the women’s win in 9:57 before an adoring family, all properly festooned in rabbit ears and tails.

Nicholas Clark, 34 of Fort Collins was third male, while Steamboat’s Angie Mangiardi, 31 and our loyal Smartwool representative and a tireless volunteer, was third woman.  Allen Hadley of Crested Butte, 51 (just a week after running the Wasatch 100!), and Chris Poland of Broomfield, 47, were top Masters.  

A total of 75 from all across the country hopped across the finish, many of them literally, within the official time limit of 15 hours, to partake in the beer and pizza that marked the finish.  The aid stations were spirited, our post-race party was fun, in the end no seemed much worse for the wear, and nearly all those coherent enough to do so commented about the beauty and the difficulty of the course.  Our race this year was dedicated to runner Steve Maloney, and his spirit shined over us: it was a glorious, glorious day.

Prizes
The winners received a beautiful stained glass plaque, and all prize winners received a  lovely glass paperweight.  Twelve time Leadville finisher John Hobbs of Colorado Springs, at 63 the oldest and last official finisher in 14:56, received an award, and since he graciously allowed Diane Repasky, 43, of Evergreen, Colorado, to finish before him, we gave her a prize too. 

June Gessner, of Salida, Colorado, though a mere 55 was the oldest female finisher.  She ran a terrific 13:45 and we gave her a prize as well.

 

2007 Race Highlights
Well, there sure were some wickedly fast wabbits out there! Two time All-American runner and former University of Colorado standout Zeke Tiernan, 32, of Aspen Colorado ran 8:05 in his first attempt at an ultra to win by over 40 minutes, while Samantha Sigle, 32, and back living in Boulder after spending some time in New Zealand, also made her first 50 miler a winning one, running 9:44 (6th overall!) to win the women’s division by half an hour. Charles Corfield, 48, fresh off his third place finish at the Leadville 100 came bounding down the mountain to get second, with Steamboat’s very own Allen Belshaw, 40 (and third place last week in the Wasatch 100!) taking third. Jenna Grubin, 30, also of Steamboat and Mary Mahoney, 31, of Crested Butte, were second and third women. Elise Boeh of Woodland Park and David Goldberg of Flagstaff were the top Masters. The winners got a beautiful stained glass plaque, and all eight runners also received beautiful Smartwool sweaters. We also gave Ian Maddieson from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and at 65 the oldest runner in the race, a Smartwool sweater for his terrific performance, as he finished in 14:49.

The weather conditions were perfect, the post-race party was fun, and the runners all described the scenery as spectacular. The veteran ultra runners called the course among the most difficult they’d run. Quiet a few runners (including winner Zeke Tiernan), described seeing what they identified as “moose” and others claimed they saw “deer” or “elk” along the course, but we attribute this to extreme fatigue. There was nothing out there but large and cleverly disguised bunny rabbits.