BALLWIN, MO – Back in 2010, Alpine Shop hosted the inaugural race of the Trail Run Series with a grand total of 33 participants. On Thursday, August 1, 2019, we began our 10th season with a capacity crowd of nearly 250 at the starting line. Along the way, we’ve continued to try to build this series into the best combination of physical activity, social night and a great chance to win some impressive prizes, in the St. Louis area.
Jon-Paul LaVenture (37, Ballwin) conquered the approximately 4-mile course in a time of 25:07.9, beating second-place runner Andy Rains (26, Ballwin, 26:10.6) to the finish line by more than a minute. Caleb Smith (31, St. Louis) crossed the finish line just 18 seconds later to round out the top three, overall.
On the women’s side, Mandy Wright (Kirkwood, 42) captured a rare feat, winning two Off-Road Racing League Events in less than a week. With the rescheduled Meramec Marathon Paddle Race running this past Sunday, Wright was the top women’s finisher in the Marathon Stand-Up Paddleboard division. Five days later, she took the top spot in the women’s race with a time of 34:22.1. She was followed by Emily Haarmann (29, O’Fallon, 34:34.1) just 12 seconds later and Annemarie Rains (27, Ballwin, 34:58.6) just under 40 seconds after that.
For the purposes of the Trail Run Series, our Masters Division starts at age 50. This week, Chris Martel (53, Francis Park) continued his dominance over his competition for the past three years with a final time of 28:44.9, good enough for 8th overall and first in Men’s Masters. Chasing him to the line were Ryan Yoch (56, O’Fallon, IL, 31:01.8) and Eric Buckley (56, St. Louis, 31:22.6). Martel and Buckley finished 1-2 in each race in 2018 and Martel has now won the last nine races in his division, going back to the 2017 season. On the women’s side, Kate Dewey (51, Chesterfield) took home her first win in a Trail Run Series race, with Sherri Schultz (50, Chesterfield, 38:25.3) and Julie Dobslaw (51, University City, 40:11.6) taking second and third, respectively.
Following the race, participants helped themselves to a selection of Urban Chestnut Brewing Company beers along with some barbecue and snacks. Lucky winners also took home prizes from Hoka One One footwear, Native Sunglasses and Smith Optics.
Race 2 of the 2019 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series will take place next Thursday night, August 8 at 6:15 pm. We hope you can join us!