WEEKEND EVENTS FOR OCTOBER 19 - 20

Cool, sunny weather is going to continue through the weekend.  Get out and enjoy it.  If you want to race, this and the following two weekends offer many opportunities.  After that, the pickings get much leaner.

You won't have to go far to race this weekend. The second annual Lake of the Ozarks Oktoberfest .5K and 5K takes place on Saturday at The Sanctuary Brewery in Osage Beach.  The race starts at 9:00 a.m., and benefits Wonderland Camp.  Scroll down this column to "Upcoming Events" to get all the details.

Local cross country teams will have the weekend off after conference meets on Thursday (for Osage, Eldon and Versailles) and Friday (Camdenton). The regular season is starting to wind down, with district races coming up on November 2nd.  The state championships will take placein Columbia on Friday and Saturday, November 8-9. 

Check out the separate listing for the Big Dog's Backyard Ultra / World Satellite Backyard Ultra Championship. It starts Saturday at 7:00 a.m.

Elsewhere:

Frankenstein (yes, there really is a Frankenstein, Missouri.  It's east of Jefferson City):

Frankenstein 5K, Saturday evening

Rolla:

Gail's Rock Run 5K, Saturday
Lion King Backyard Ultra, Saturday

Steelville (Mark Twain National Forest):

BT Epic mountain bike race (Facebook page), Saturday

Springfield:

Pound the Pavement for Parkinson's 5K, Saturday

Kansas City and vicinity:

Garmin Kansas City Marathon/Half/10K/5K, Saturday
Mileage Monsters 5K, Saturday
Rescue K-911's: The Great Pupkin Run 5K, Saturday (family and dog friendly)

St. Louis and vicinity:

Minnie Ha Ha 6- and 12-Hour Runs, Fenton, Saturday
Ella's Umbrella 5K Run & Remember, St. Peter's, Saturday
Gumbo Flats Pumpkin Run 5K/10K, Chesterfield, Saturday
Run for Webster 5K, Webster Groves, Saturday
The Great GO! St. Louis Halloween Race (5K on Saturday; 10K & Half Marathon on Sunday), Eureka
Run Walk Breathe 5K, Chesterfield, Sunday

Cape Girardeau:

Bigfoot Forrest Trail 10-Hour Fun Run, 50K maximum, Saturday

Bell Buckle, Tennessee:

Big Dog's Backyard Ultra, Saturday (see separate race listing)

*   *   *   *   *

BIG DOG'S BACKYARD ULTRA / WORLD SATELLITE BACKYARD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP  (posted October 15th)

This is Super Bowl weekend for backyard ultra competitors and fans around the world. It all starts at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday.

The Big Dog's Backyard Ultra gives way this year to the biennial World Satellite Backyard Team Championship. Teams of 15 runners in 63 countries across the planet will be competing not only for their national teams, but also for a chance to be the last man standing worldwide, and thereby earn a golden ticket to next year's individual world championship at Big Dog's.

The U.S. team includes our friend Cody Eubanks of Jefferson City.  Cody earned one of the nine at-large spots on the team after completing 59 hours ("yards" in backyard ultra parlance) at the silver ticket Queeny Backyard Ultra in St. Louis back in March. This is Cody's second trip to Big Dog's. He competed in 2022, and lasted 48 hours.

Links:

Live streaming and results are planned, but links to them aren't available as of this writing.

Lazarus Lake's Facebook page

Big Dog's Backyard Ultra Run Group Facebook page

Backyard ultra home page

*   *   *   *   *

HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY MEET RESULTS FOR OCTOBER 14th (posted October 15th)

Camdenton and Macks Creek cross country runners competed at the Dixon Invitational on Monday.  Gunner Rhoads and Luke Webb finished 1-2 (of 35 competitors) in the boys race.  Gunner crossed the line in 18:05, and Luke in 18:12. 

One week after running the fastest 5K of any Lake-area girl this season, Averie Hotle finished a fraction of a second behind teammate Payton Canales. Payton took second place (of 29 competitors) by finishing in 22:12.00.  Averie crossed in 22:12.27, earning third place.

Complete results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

CHICAGO MARATHON (posted October 14th)

For the second year in a row, a world marathon record was smashed at the Chicago Marathon.  Last year, Kelvin Keptum won in a record 2:00:35, breaking Eliud Kipchoge's previous record of 2:01:09. (Tragically, Keptum was killed in an automobile accident last February.)

On Sunday, it was the women's world record that fell--and by a big margin. Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya won in 2:09:56, beating the previous record of 2:11:53 (set last year in Berlin) by nearly two minutes. Just as breaking 2:00:00 is the holy grail among the men, breaking 2:10:00 has been the same for women.  

The men's race was won by John Korir, also of Kenya, who finished in 2:02:43.  That stands as the second-fastest finish time ever at Chicago, trailing only Keptum's record.

You can read more about the race here. 

*   *   *   *   *

FROG HILL HALF MARATHON & 10K and LEAPFROG 5K (posted October 7th)

The eleventh annual Frog Hill Half Marathon & 5K/10K in Waynesville on Saturday was sadly marred by tragedy.  Eighteen year-old Rudy Zevallos, Jr., a senior at Lebanon High School, crossed the half marathon finish line in 1:57:28, soon fell ill, and then collapsed.  Despite immediate medical attention and transport to a hospital, he was soon after pronounced dead. His parents were at the finish line, and witnessed the horror of seeing their son pass away.  The exact cause of death is not yet known.  (If indeed it's ever determined, it may not be disclosed publicly.)

It was warm on Saturday morning, with the temperature around 61° at the 8:00 a.m. start, and 72° at 10:00 a.m.   Skies were clear throughout the race.

Not to play Internet doctor, but if you look at the sequence of Rudy's finish line photos posted by Split Second Timing, there are some body movements that appear rather unusual at a finish line, and facial expressions that show signs of stress.  (Take a look for yourself.  They're posted here.  Note that Rudy was wearing full-length running tights.) 

Deaths at running races are extraordinarily rare.  (In 250+ races with a total of perhaps 100,000 participants over the last 22 years, I've never been in or at a race where a death occurred.)  They're the absolute, worst nighmare of a race director, and the deaths caused by sudden medical issues are essentially impossible to prevent.

Jim McDermott was the lone Lake-area runner in the race.  Jim ran the half marathon, finishing in 2:12:04, and winning the men's 70-and-over age group.

Complete results can be found here.  The race's Facebook page contains many photos, and more information about Rudy.

Here are the number of finishers of each distance since the inaugural race in 2014:

*   *   *   *   *

THE RUNNING OF THE KNIGHTS 5K/1-MILE (posted October 7th)

The King's Academy's Running of the Knights 5K Run/Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run on Sunday had 46 participants in the 5K, and an unknown number in the 1-mile run. The top male and female 5K finishers were Aidan Bethurem (21:33) and Betsey Spica (25:26). Complete 5K results can be found here.

Check out King's Academy's Facebook page for photos from the event.

*   *   *   *   *

HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY MEET RESULTS FOR OCTOBER 4 - 5TH (posted October 7th)

Camdenton High School cross country runners Gunner Rhoads and Averie Hotle ran their fastest races of the season to take the top local finishes at the Laker Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Ha Ha Tonka State Park.   Averie shaved more than a minute off her fastest previous finish this season to became the only female to break 20:00.

*   *   *   *   *

2024 Archives
2023 Archives
2022 Archives
2021 Archives
2020 Archives
2019 Archives
2018 Archives
2017 Archives
2016 Archives
2015 Archives
2014 Archives
2013 Archives
2012 Archives
2011 Archives
2010 Archives
2009 Archives

*   *   *   *  *

LAKE OF THE OZARKS OKTOBERFEST .5K AND 5K RUN/WALK (posted August 19th)

The second annual Lake of the Ozarks Oktoberfest .5K and 5K will be held on Saturday, October 19 at The Sanctuary Brewery on Osage Beach Parkway. (The brewery is located next door to Gran Rally Go Karts and close to Culver's.) The race starts at 9:00 a.m.

The entry fee is $15 for the .5K, and $40 for the 5K. Proceeds from the race benefit Wonderland Camp.

5K participants receive a t-shirt, a pint glass, and a coupon for a free beer at The Sanctuary.

Those opting to take on the challenge of the .5K won't get the SWAG, but will still be able to purchase a shirt for $15.

Online registration is available through 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, October 4th.

*   *   *   *   *