The 2020 Vail Recreation District’s (VRD) Vail Trail Running Series kicked off with the Dynafit Summer Solstice 10K and 5K, presented by Town of Minturn on Saturday morning, June 20. The route took place on Meadow Mountain in Minturn, Colorado. It was an exciting return to racing for many trail enthusiasts in the mountain town.
To ensure social distancing, runners were sent out in waves over the span of several hours, with their start time based on their age and gender. 10K runners ascended technical singletrack on the beautiful West Grouse Trail with multiple stream crossings and fields of blossoming wildflowers.
At the high point and nearly halfway through the 10K race, runners descended to the finish on double track with open views of Vail Mountain and the Gore Range.
5K runners enjoyed a 1.5-mile double track ascent through mountain meadows and past old homesteads before making a u-turn and descending to the finish line.
Jeff Cuno of Gypsum, 25, won the 10K race in 45:41 with Evergreen’s Alayna Szuch, 16, as first female in 55:39. Hunter Prather of Grand Junction, 18, won the men’s 5K race in 20:50 with 14-year-old Aspen Webb of Littleton the top female in 24:47. In all, more than 250 runners and walkers competed in the events.
The next race in the series will take place on Saturday, July 4th. The Dynafit Vail Hill Climb will have runners ascend Vail Mountain for approximately 2,000 vertical feet and then return to the base area and finish at Golden Peak. The 2020 route will be approximately 2 miles longer than the traditional Vail Hill Climb route.
