Under nearly perfect running conditions on Sunday, May 18, nearly 200 runners took part in the second annual Mt. Sopris Run-Off hosted by Independence Run & Hike. The race began at Flying Dog Ranch in Carbondale and followed singletrack trails to the finish line at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) Rock Bottom Ranch in Basalt.
Participants chose between two distances: a challenging 25K or a fun and fast 10-mile route. The field was split almost evenly between the two races.
In the 25K race, Keegan Oldani of Carbondale claimed victory with a time of 1 hour 51 minutes and 14 seconds, edging out runner-up Mitchell Day from Arkansas in a tight finish. Oldani also broke the previous course record by nearly 13 minutes. In the women’s division, Ariel Rittenhouse defended her title and bested her own course record from last year by just over a minute, finishing in a time of 2 hours 18 minutes and 3 seconds.
The 10-mile race also saw record-breaking performances. Brett Wachtendorf of Basalt cruised to victory in the men’s division with a time of 1 hour and 13 minutes, beating out 2nd and 3rd place runners Watkins Fulk-Gray (1 hour 18 minutes 11 seconds) and Danny Whelan (1 hour 18 minutes 42 seconds), while Rock Bottom Ranch local Cameron Mackenzie won the women’s race in 1 hour 25 minutes and 53 seconds, just breaking the course record and beating out podium finishers Anna Garvilova from Glenwood Springs and Jenya Berino of Aspen.
While most participants hailed from the Roaring Fork Valley — from Aspen to New Castle — others traveled from the Front Range and as far away as Michigan and Arkansas to compete.
The event wasn’t just a win for the athletes. Independence Run & Hike donated $30 from every race entry (for a total of $4,800) to Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting stewardship of public lands through community-driven education, restoration and conservation projects.
“This is a great event to kick off the summer trail season,” said Brion After, owner of Independence Run & Hike. “I’m thankful to all the athletes, volunteers, community partners like RFOV and ACES, and our generous sponsors — First Bank and Microcosm Coaching — who help make it happen.”
