BALLWIN, Mo. – No rain. No threat of rain. No worries about trail conditions from rain the night before. No floods. Finally, just a beautiful night for a trail race on the final night of the 2017 FITS Sock Co. Trail Run Series on Thursday evening at Castlewood State Park in southwest St. Louis County.
Since this series was started back in 2010, the last of the four races each year has featured the park’s “Grand Staircase” leading up to the bluffs bordered by the Meramec River on the south. Tonight was no different. Just under 200 runners climbed the 200 stairs, then made their way back down one of the steepest descents in the park before finishing with more than a mile of creekside single-track and one final chance to get their feet wet while crossing Kiefer Creek in a 3.75 mile course.
The overall results featured the third different winner over the four races, the first time we have record of that happening at the Trail Run Series. Drew Mueller (23) became just the second runner to pace himself under 6 minutes in an Off-Road Racing League event by just squeaking under at 5:59 with a total time of 22:46.0. (The first time it had ever occurred was just last week when George Price achieved an average pace of 5:55.) Caleb Brackett (29) finished in runner-up position for the fourth straight week, just 25 seconds later (23:08.3), securing his series title in the process. JP LaVenture (35) rounded out the top three for the second straight week with a time of 24:47.3. With that place, LaVanture landed in second overall for the series, followed by Price in third with two wins to his name earlier in the month.
Sunny Gilbert (38) maintained her stranglehold on the top spot of the women’s podium for races she has attended with a sixth place overall finish in a time of 26:13.6. Gilbert has yet to lose a race she has competed in at an Off-Road Racing League event. She won’t, however, take home the series title. That honor goes to runner-up Anne Gillespie (27), who completed the 2017 race series with her second runner-up finish to go with a win and a fourth place finish. Jamie Maher grabbed third on the day with her fourth straight top five finish with a time of 28:37.7. Maher ended up in second place overall for the series followed by Go! St. Louis president Mona Langenberg who finished in third for the series after a fourth-place finish on the evening.
For our masters division, Chris Martel (51) dominated the men’s side with his fourth straight win (and eighth place overall) with a time of 26:19.0. He wrapped up his series title easily. Runner-up on the night and runner-up for the series, Michael Montgomery (56) grabbed his fourth-straight runner-up finish on the month with a time of 28:45.0. Scott Schuyler (51) rounded out the top three in 30:39.1, and also the top three in the series standings.
Leave it to the masters women to have the most down-to-the-wire place hopping in the series standings. At the top, Susan Richmond, like Martel on the men’s side, completed a dominating month with her fourth win in a row with a time of 33:45.0. Cheryl Laux finished in second place for the second time this month with a time of 36:03.9. However, as those were her only runs in the series, it wasn’t enough to jump her into the series standings. Third place runner, Bev Ofsthun (37:38.5), made the biggest jump of any runner in the series by leapfrogging into a tie for second in the series standings from fourth after last week. Sophia Lin ended the series tied with Ofsthun after her fifth place finish on the night.
Full Point totals and Age Group point totals will be announced next Thursday, August 31. Age group winners will receive their prizes in the mail.
Thanks to everyone who competed with us again this year. We hope you’ll join us for the next race on the Off-Road Racing League schedule, the Smartwool Battle the Bluff Trail 13.1 at Council Bluff Lake near Potosi.
QUICK LINKS:
Overall Preliminary Results – Posted 08/17/17 – 10:30 pm
Age Group Results – Posted 08/17/17 – 10:30 pm
Photo Album