La Sportiva Vail HillClimb Welcomes New Faces to the Winners Circle
Posted Monday, 6 July, 2009
The La Sportiva Vail HillClimb celebrated its 33rd running today. This 7.5 mile uphill grind is a favorite for locals as well as out-of-towners. In spite of more than 2200 feet of vertical climbing and grades which average 7%, flatlanders often give the course a try and feel a huge sense of accomplishment after they cross the finish line and marvel at the views from the summit of Vail Mountain.
The morning started out with overcast skies and intermittent raindrops prior to the 8:00 a.m. start. Many of the participants looked up to the summit which was shrouded in clouds and took some time to evaluate their apparel choices for the uphill climb. Fortunately by race start the skies started to clear and the sun came out. Of course the weather in Colorado can change in an instant and the event organizers shuttle gear up to the summit for participants to collect after they finish so they stay warm and dry.
This is an event where runners quickly sort themselves out – some opting to start out fast and taper off, others sitting back, finding a gear that works, and pressing up the mountain in a rhythmic sustainable pace. Within two miles, Jason Delaney and Alex Nichols had separated themselves from the pack racing side-by-side to gap the field by nearly 30 seconds. Over the course of the climb Delaney, 29, outran Nichols, 24, to take the win in 49:17. Nichols posted a respectable 50:46, and masters’ runner and former HillClimb champion Andy Ames rounded out the top three with a time of 53:20.
On the women’s side Kelly Couch, 31, kept a steady pace to win in just over one hour, besting second-place finisher Anita Ortiz, 45, by two minutes, with Anne Nevin, 36, finishing in third with a time of 1:03:57. Ortiz was happy to have posted a time close to that of her run in 2008 in spite of being in recovery mode following her incredible win at the Western States 100 Miler last weekend. “I planned to take it easy today and was really pleased with my time. I felt good and relaxed,” said the Eagle resident who, upon finishing headed down the race course to cheer her 16-year-old daughter Amelia to the finish line. Ortiz didn’t have to wait long, Amelia finished in 1:12:30 to win the 19 and under age group.
Another mother-daughter team to run was the Canadas who also live in the Vail Valley. Collins Canada, 28, finished in 1:26:45 while her mother Charlyn finished in 1:32:54 to win the 60 and over women’s age division which was stacked with 10 women competing.
In the men’s 60 and over category there were 16 competing. Often winning his age group, Elliott Henry, 63, when asked if he won today said, “No, this guy named Katz won. He’s a youngster – he’s just 60.”
In addition to competing for age-group and overall prizes from La Sportiva, every race finisher – there were 335 today – received a commemorative T-shirt designed by Bernie Boettcher, an artist from Silt, CO, who finished fifth today. This year’s shirt was a photo montage incorporating images from past Vail HillClimb events.
After all competitors had finished and the awards ceremony was completed, raffle prize drawings were held featuring products from area merchants and national companies.
Some of the runners ran or hiked back down the mountain following the event, though most chose the easier and faster option downhill – riding the gondola. When they returned to the Vail Village, they could enjoy the Farmer’s Market, billed as the largest in Colorado.
The HillClimb is the second scoring race in the La Sportiva Vail Mountain Trail Running series. The first race in the series, the La Sportiva Summer Solstice 10 km was held on June 20. The HillClimb is followed on July 19 with the longest race in the series, the La Sportiva HalfMarathon which is actually a bit longer than a half marathon at just over 14 miles with an average grade of seven percent. The course boasts 4,020 feet of climbing with the high point at 11,653 feet. The event starts at the Golden Peak Children’s Center at 8:00 a.m.
The shortest distance event in the series at 4.3 miles, the La Sportiva Berry Picker, will be run on August 2. The race starts at an elevation of 8,238 feet at Lionshead and ascends to 10,346 feet to finish at the top of Eagle's Nest. The average grade is 12 percent on single track trails and double-wide gravel paths.
The fifth event, the La Sportiva 10k at 10,000 Feet will be held on August 16. Runners will take a ride up the Eagle Bahn Gondola for the start of the race at the summit of Vail Mountain. The entire race is above 9,000 feet of elevation with the high points above 10,000 feet.
The final race of the series is the La Sportiva Evergold 10k on September 13. The race starts behind Golden Peak Children’s Center at the base of Vail Mountain, and traverses the mountain on some of the most beautiful trails at a time of year when the colors are sure to include golden, and bright yellows from the Aspen trees.
Joining series title sponsor La Sportiva was First Bank of Vail, Vail’s Mountain Haus, Tiga Advertising, SmartWool, Howard Head Sports Medicine Centers, Steadman Hawkins, and Gatorade. Complete results available at www.vailrec.com.
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