It was a packed weekend of racing at Bear Creek Lake Park in Morrison this past Saturday and Sunday as the Bear Chase Trail Races attracted hundreds of runners over the five race distances. The 100K, 50 Mile and 50K took place on Saturday, and the Half Marathon and 10K on Sunday. Both days were quite warm and provided an extra element of difficulty for runners, but that didn’t stop some fast times to be set, including those by runners from across the country.
50K Start
Half Marathon Start
Half Marathon 0.6 Mile Loop
10K Start
In the men’s 100K, Brady Poskin of Kansas City, MO took the win in 10:01:06. Coming in second was 47-year old Shawn Gilbert of Omaha in 10:14:23, with third place belonging to James Flanary of Colorado Springs in 11:31:08.
The women’s 100K saw only three finishers, all Coloradans, all finishing in the 13-hour range. 44-year old Vicki Gascho was first in 13:44:19, 21-year old Anna-Marie Migl finished second in 13:49:24, and 57-year old Rachael St. Claire rounded out the top three in 13:57:59.
In the men’s 50 Mile, Patrick Stewart overcame Phil Reutlinger’s commanding lead in the final lap and took the win in 6:36:38. Reutlinger finished second in 6:46:49. Coming in third was Jon Kuehler of Denver in 6:53:57.
The women’s race saw 41-year old Emily Booth take top honors in 9:36:33, with 46-year old Tonia Smith coming in second in 9:52:52. Rounding out the podium was Melissa Raguet-Schofiel of Fort Collins in 9:57:06.
In the men’s 50K, Christopher Gregory set the pace from the start and never looked back. the 35-year old from Westminster took the win in 3:53:00. Coming in second was Byron Critchfield of Fountain in 4:07:41, with 27-year old Matt Peharda crossing the line in third in 4:13:49.
An impressive race from Beth Kohring of Denver provided her with a first place finish for the women and a fifth place finish overall. Her lead from the start set the pace for a 4:24:14 winning time. Coming in second was 37-year old Amy O’Connell in 4:31:30, with Elizabeth Carey of Denver rounding out the top three in 4:39:37.
Sunday’s half marathon saw some fast times; in the men’s race, Brian Folts of Golden hit the ground running and came away with the win in 1:25:13. Coming in second was Denver’s Brian Schneider in 1:29:20, with Seth Webinger of Lakewood finishing third in 1:31:50.
Another impressive performance was that of Kim Dobson, who lead the women’s pack from the gates for the win and finished third overall in 1:30:50. Coming in second was Monica Folts in 1:38:16, with 39-year old Jen Byrne crossing the line in third in 1:39:14.
The 10K saw 24-year old Anna Hudson take the overall win in 41:28. Coming in first for the men was 46-year old Lance Risi in 41:29. Second place belonged to Golden’s Curt Honcharik in 46:14, with 49-year old Scott Hendrick finishing third in 47:55.
Second place in the women’s 10K was 23-year old Carly Porter, who also finished fourth overall. Rounding out the podium was 40-year old Amy Peck in 48:18.