Course record set

By: 
Leslie Silverman

About 700 runners participated in this weekend’s Run Crazy Horse Marathon and Half Marathon events. This is the 10th anniversary of the event, according to race director Emily Wheeler.

The number of participants was dramatically limited this year to insure safety.

“Normally we have about 1,200 runners from 3 different countries. This year we have 46 states represented,” Wheeler said.

Race organizers encouraged social distancing. Organizers did not notice a lack of people wanting to participate.

“I think with all the other race cancellations we sold out very quickly,” Wheeler said.

Participants can race in several categories.

On Saturday adult runners could compete in a 5k, while children got their own kids 1k. Sunday’s racers began at Crazy Horse Memorial and run the Mickelson Trail to the race’s terminus in Hill City.

“The town has been very helpful and supportive,” Wheeler said.

The event was planned as a way to extend the town’s shoulder season beyond the Buffalo Roundup. Runners had to pick up their race packet on Saturday forcing most to stay overnight in Hill City.

A new course record was set on Sunday’s half marathon by first place finisher Marshall Kambestad. Kambestad finished the race in 1:09:05.

Kambestad had his eye on breaking the course record.

“I did a training run up here a couple of weeks ago and I was like, ‘you know it’s a possibility.’ But I wasn’t able to do the start up at Crazy Horse when I did my workout,” he said. “That took a lot out of me. It was a good experience for sure.”

This was Kambestad’s first time running the course and his second half marathon overall.

“It was gorgeous with it being fall and the leaves changing,” Kambestad said. “The weather was really nice. The course is really well taken care of. There’s a slight downhill for a lot of it and you can kind of get rolling and feel pretty good.”

Kambestad had planned to run the New York City Marathon, but it was cancelled due to COVID-19.

As a teacher in Rapid City, Kambestad had a few concerns about COVID-19 but with extra precautions in his school felt that once he got to race day he knew he’d be OK.

Kambestad, who is 33, has been running since middle school.

“My dad got me into running and just kind of progressed through there,” he said. “I ran in college and now it’s just a passion especially with everything going on in the world it’s nice to just get away from it, get away from cell phones and just go for a run.”

Race results:

Marathon, men:

1.         Ryan Gordyan, 2:59:13

2.         Richard Cantu, 3:21:07

3.         Stephen Neabore, 3:23:38

4.         Frank Webb, 3:26:01

5.         Pat Mangeot, 3:32:49

Marathon, women:

1.         Anne Terranova, 3:01:16

2.         Gretchen Johnson, 3:17:00

3.         Melanie Allen, 3:29:24

4.         Rachel Hancock, 3:42:03

5.         Dominique Beaudin, 3:45:16

Half marathon, men:

1.         Marshall Kambestad, 1:09:05

2.         Andy Van Deest, 1:24:07

3.         Christopher Bisschop, 1:25:38

4.         Steven Bales, 1:26:54

5.         Patrick Carlin, 1:27:16

Half marathon, women

1.         Jessica Donner, 1:29:31

2.         Alicia Porsch, 1:30:13

3.         Jamie Van Deest, 1:34:29

4.         Tanelle Steichen, 1:34:47

5.         Krista Mallams, 1:36:18

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