 FOTP president Mary Burger (left) accepts a check from a Pikes Peak National Bank employee. PPNB was the presenting sponsor of the race. |
On July 14, the event went off without a hitch. The course covered the twelve-mile round trip from the Cog Station to Barr Camp and back. It was a great morning, relatively mild for mid summer, and as you might expect from this summer no sign of clouds.
The participants were treated to enthusiastic high school teams staffing the aid stations. Each station had a theme, like part of the Barr Camp group dressed as cocktail waitresses, that served water in champagne glasses from fancy trays. We were able to vote for our favorite aid station at the finish. The schools were awarded a monetary prize to support their running programs.
The high schools weren’t the only winners. Besides the money given to the six high schools ($7,000.00), all of the race entry fees, as well as other donated funds, were given to El Paso County Search and Rescue ($2,182.92), Barr Camp ($2,097.42), Friends of the Peak ($2,061.41) and the All American Trail Running Association ($1,889.25).
I can tell you that I didn’t set any records, but it was a great way to spend a summer morning. The best thing about this run is that just as my legs were giving out I reached Barr Camp and could turn around and use a different set of muscles. Unlike several other folks I stayed upright on the way down. At one point I heard the runner behind me slide and grunt. I turned just in time to see him disappear off the edge of the trail. He was able to scramble up with minor scrapes and keep going. Next spring keep an eye out for the announcement for the 2003 Barr Trail Mountain Race. Registration begins on May 15. It’s a great event and gives a lot back to Pikes Peak. The web site is http://www.runpikespeak.com
