By Rory Luxmoore
On Sunday August 17, 220 runners laced up their shoes to take part in the first Dirty Feet running races in Revelstoke. Event organizers Phil and Grace Hiom were ecstatic about the turnout and the venue.
“The event was amazing. The trails were beautiful and technical, and the facilities were great.”
Racers chose between 5-, 10- and 21-km distances on the popular Mount MacPherson mountain bike and MacPherson cross country ski trails. Revelstoke was well represented with many runners participating and earning medals in their events.
The first finisher in the 21-km event was Matthew Fortuna from Oyama in a blistering time of 1:39:29. Top local was Rory Luxmoore in a time of 1:44:24, good for 3rd place. Top female was local Melanie Bernier in a time of 1:59:11 finishing just ahead of fellow Revelstokian Ann-Marie Gill. 14-year-old local, Elizabeth Elliott topped the women’s 10-km division with an impressive 55:04 timing. This race also featured a first for many runners who decided to give trail running racing a try. There were also many little legs belonging to children who tackled the 5-km and 10-km distances with style.
Many racers noted that this course was the most popular of the numerous Dirty Feet running series. The concession organized by the Revelstoke Cross Country Ski Team was also a hit offering fresh and tasty food for the hungry runners. Dirty Feet will be back again next year looking for even more runners to enjoy these beautiful trails.
List of top 5 local finishers:
Women’s 21 km: 1. Melanie Bernier: 1:59:11 2. Ann-Marie Gill: 2:01:23 4. Sarah Newton: 2:05:30 5. Natalie Stafl: 2:09:03
Men’s 21 km: 3. Rory Luxmoore 1:44:50
Women’s 10 km: 1. Elizabeth Elliott: 55:04 3. Clare Peacock: 56:47 4. Simone Palmer: 56:50
Men’s 10 km: Thomas Nelson: 51:24
For a complete list of finishers click her to visit the North Face Dirty Feet website.
Here are candid photos of some of our local runners:
