All photos by Martyn Warick
Copyright 2004 / MW Photography.

If you ran in the event and wish to order any photos of yourself or others, please click here.

Photo: Bernie Boettcher of Silt repeats as men's champion in 2:22:48

The Imogene Pass Run (IPR) is a 17.1 mile point-to-point mountain race within the western San Juan mountains of Colorado, run along a route which connects the towns of Ouray (7810 ft.) and Telluride (8820 ft.) by way of 13,120 foot Imogene Pass. The IPR is held on the first Saturday after the Labor Day holiday, at the seasonal transition from late summer to early fall. Mountain weather at this time is famously "squirrelly" (rapidly changeable), and participants through the years have encountered a variety of weather conditions ranging from virtually perfect to terrible. This spectrum of weather during the race is in fact part of its lure and mystique. In good weather years the challenge of the mountainous traverse is rewarded by unsurpassed vistas and no small feeling of accomplishment upon crossing the finish line. In bad weather years, the wind, fog, rain and/or snow along the course make the successful arrival in Telluride a virtual rite of passage into the realm of true mountain running.

Except for short pavement stretches at the start and finish and a short trail section immediately below the pass, the IPR is run along a course consisting of normal to 4x4 dirt roads. This is a traditional summer travel way between Ouray and Telluride.

The mountainous setting of the IPR is impressed upon the participants as they assemble in Ouray each year. As they gaze upon the peaks which rise steeply on three sides above town, they are faced with the realities of the alpine environment through which they will soon find themselves moving as they negotiate the rocky route from one mountain town to another. Some years, the day dawns clear and cool with the promise of inspirational views; more often there is a mixed message with variable wind and skittish clouds moving among the peaks; occasionally there is a ominous message as the peaks are obscured at dawn by gray clouds with the promise of rain and snow in the wind.

The Imogene Pass Run has increased greatly in size and importance from its humble origins in 1974. Where once it was an adventure run for a few pioneers, today the race is immensely popular and the number of registered participants is by necessity restricted, due to safety and logistics reasons. From the original field of six, it has grown to encompass more than 1400 participants!

The 31st annual Imogene Pass Run was conducted on Saturday, September 11, 2004, in what can only be classified as perfect weather conditions. Imogene Pass had received its first snow for the season seven days earlier (September 4) when an intense storm dumped up to two feet of snow above 12,000 feet elevation. Intense sun and warm temperatures over the next five days had melted most of the snow by Thursday evening, but the road remained impassable to 4x4 vehicles within about 300 yards of either side of the pass due to lingering drifted snow. Another storm began early Friday morning and threatened to complicate the race with rain in the valleys and wet snow on the peaks. The storm dissipated as rapidly as it had formed, however, and Friday evening saw the sun set in clearing skies.

Race day dawned clear, calm and pleasantly cool in Ouray; in fact skies were totally clear and winds were calm at all points during the event. Temperatures were mild throughout the race, varying from 52 degrees F at the starting line in Ouray, to the mid 30's and 50's at the Imogene summit, to the upper 60's and even low 70's at the Telluride finish. The runners experienced ideal running conditions along most of the course, with damp footing but no rain, and cool temperatures with sun and no wind. The lingering snow and icy footing on either side of Imogene pass were of little consequence to the runners as they traversed across the ridge to the "summit" aid station which had been set at the 12,900 foot switchback, a quarter mile down on the Telluride side. In fact, the main concern for many participants may have been "Technicolor burnout" due to the spectacular vistas along the way on this the first truly perfect race day since 1993.

2004 was slightly down in number of participants with 1124 runners leaving the starting line in Ouray at 7:30 a.m., and 1099 crossing the finish line in Telluride by the 2:30 p.m. cutoff time. Only 25 starters failed to finish. Some of these DNF's turned back to Ouray at or before the Upper Camp Bird, some were transported by vehicle down to Telluride for various reasons, and some were DQ'd for not meeting the cutoff times at the Upper Camp Bird or at the finish line. Among the finishers there were 598 men and 501 women, ages ranging from 15 - 72 years. The majorities were from the San Juan region and general Colorado (658), but significant numbers also came from Arizona (234) and New Mexico (109). A few came from as far away as New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Florida on the east, and Washington and California on the west. Finishers from the host towns were 99 from Telluride and 12 from Ouray.

An amazing six new records were set in this year's running, two in the male age divisions and four in the female. For the men, in the Male 40 - 44 age group Bernie Boettcher (42,Silt) ran 2:22:48, breaking the long standing 2:22:56 record set by Gordon Eatman (41, Albuquerque) in 1989. In the 65 - 69 age division Warren Ohlrich (65, Basalt) ran 3:20:18, breaking the 3:22:50 record set by Eckart Limberg (67, Boulder) in 1994. For the women, In the Female 45 - 49 age group Kari Distafano (45, Telluride) ran 2:55:11, breaking the 2:59:08 record set by Nancy Stevenson (45, Golden) in 1999. In the 50 - 54 age division Nancy Stevenson (50, Golden) ran 3:12:24, to regain her record title, breaking the 3:15:34 record set by Melissa Sullivan (50, Montrose) in 1998. In the 55 - 59 division Beth Schlichter (55, Golden) ran 3:27:11, breaking the 3:30:27 record set by Linda Sherman (57, Flagstaff) in 2001. And in the 60 - 64 division Linda Sherman (60, Flagstaff) ran 3:41:07, smashing the 4:03:44 record set by Nelma Burnett (60, Colorado Springs) in 1990.

There were at least two father and son teams (Buzz and Galen Burrell of Boulder, and Sam and Peter Samuelson of Telluride) in this year's Imogene Pass Run. Seventy-two year old Richard McCrady of Las Cruces was the oldest finisher, but eighty-one year old Mathew Zhine of Flagstaff managed to gain the Imogene summit before calling it quits.

1. Nederland's Lisa Goldsmith wins the women's crown in 2:50:33


2. Galen Burrell of Boulder finishes second in 2:26:06


3. Brianne Lippoldt of Durango finishes as the second female in 2:53:19


4. What beautiful scenery as you head into Telluride


5. Kari DiStephano (#2) of Telluride sets a new 45-49 age group record of 2:55:11

Full results can be found here.