The 9th Annual Run the Rocks 5K attracted over a thousand participants to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater on a sunny, warm and windy Sunday morning. The event is hosted by the American Lung Association which raises funds to help make a positive impact in the lives of those affected by lung disease. This year’s event has raised over $55,000 and is still accepting donations.
The Run the Rocks run is not your typical 5K; the course winds its way through the legendary Park, descending the first two miles before an intense ascent over the last mile including the Amphitheater’s famous stairs. After the run, participants basked in the above average temperatures, ate, drank and visited the multitude of vendors. There was also an awards ceremony where the top finishers were honored.
In the men’s race, 20-year old Trey Devries and 19-year old John Christensen, both donning Denver Pioneers singlets, hit the stairs section neck-in-neck. Devries made it to the top with seconds to spare, grabbing the win in 21:25. Christensen was second in 21:33. Coming in a close third was 11-year old Gavin Shary in 21:38.
The women’s race was all 12-year old Jadyn Goodrich. The young runner took the women’s win in 23:01, also good for eighth overall. Coming in second was Boulder‘s Denise Farley in 24:02, with Kristin Jenkins of Denver rounding out the top three in 24:48.