BALLWIN, MO – The 15th Annual Alpine Shop Trail Run Series stormed into Queeny Park on Thursday night—though thankfully, the storms themselves didn’t. Despite showers threatening from all sides, runners took off under dry skies on a 3.5-mile course packed with gravel grind, rooty ridgelines, and a few surprise scrambles through the “out-of-bounds” backwoods of the park’s northern stretch.
And once again, Steven Stallis (34) proved he’s built for this terrain. Arriving just in time for the starting whistle, Stallis powered his way to a ninth-straight Series victory, clocking a blistering 19:25.01—nearly a full minute faster than his 2024 time on the same course. Andy Rains (32) held onto second with a strong 21:30.8 finish, while Aaron Barber (25) rounded out the all-too-familiar podium. Yep—the exact same top three from last year’s opening race.
On the women’s side, we’ve got new faces—and a long-time contender finally claiming the crown. Annemarie Rains(33), a regular in the Series ranks, earned her first-ever overall win in the women’s division, coming in 19th place overall. Just 33 seconds behind her, Eva May (16) made a splash in her Trail Run Series debut to take second. And Jenn Ullery (52), a powerhouse in her own right, landed third overall while also leading the Masters division.
Speaking of Masters — defined in this series as ages 50+ — it was a welcome return to the top for Mike Barro (57), who notched his first category win since Race 2 of 2024, with a time of 22:57.1. Peter Manor (50) earned his highest-ever Masters finish at second place (25:13.4), and Kevin Kozuszek (51), second in last year’s opener, rounded out the podium this time in 27:04.0.
The Women’s Masters division saw Jenn Ullery double up with that overall third-place and a Masters victory. Elyisa Krieger, newly inducted into the 50+ club, marked her debut with a solid second place at 31:32.6. And last year’s series champion, Susan Richmond (64), kept the podium streak alive with a third-place finish at 33:13.5.
After the race, finishers dug into hot dogs and veggie burgers straight off the grill, washed down with cold pours from our friends at 4 Hands Brewing Co. Thanks also to Optimal Performance Centers, who were on-site to keep legs limber and recovery on track—something they’ve proudly done since 2015. And a shout-out to our long-time partners at Terrain Magazine, who not only help keep the region connected to the outdoors, but also lace up and toe the line right alongside our racers.
Photos from Race #1 are posted at the link below, so check back then to relive the muddy smiles and airborne heels. And we’ll see you all next Thursday for Race #2 in the Series—same time, same park, new course. Let’s go!
Advance Registration is available here for Race 2!