By Carol Walker
Though some people may have been shivering along the sidelines, runners in the Run Crazy Horse Marathon and Half-Marathon were happy to be running in cooler weather, according to Emily Wheeler, organizer for the event.
“Sunday was fantastic for the runners. There were a lot of personal records in this run. It was sad that it was foggy over Crazy Horse Memorial, but runners seemed happy with the way the day turned out,” said Wheeler.
She said there were 1,116 runners registered for the event, but not all of them picked up their race packets. Of those who began the race, there were 625 half-marathoners who finished the race and 166 marathon finishers. In addition, there were 33 relay teams that completed the race.
In the full marathon, 26.2 miles, Kameron Carpenter was first in the men’s division with a time of 3:00:30 and Rebecca Steadman took first in the women’s division with a time of 3:24:07. For the half-marathon, Duane Bowman came out on top in the men’s division with a time of 1:17:22, while Maureen Kimsey was the first woman across the line at 1:27:34. In the marathon relay, the men’s team called Last Real Indians had a time of 3:03:12, first in that division. The co-ed relay team called BHSH R.I.O.T. was on top with a time of 3:39:09, and the top female relay team was the Newcastle Ladies coming in at 3:43:39.
“With runners coming from 43 states and Canada, we are seeing the Run Crazy Horse Marathon becoming a destination marathon. People look for a place they can take a vacation surrounding their run,” said Wheeler.
Tobias Klingelhoefer came all the way from Germany to run in the event. Wheeler explained that he must have registered under a United States address. He had his picture taken with two women from Colorado, Kim Hobbs and Carly Blanke, who were dressed like colorful ponies.
“In Germany, Mount Rushmore is always on the television screen, and I have always wanted to see it. I tried to see it yesterday, but it was too foggy. I am going to try again tomorrow,” said Klingelhoefer on Sunday after the race.
Wheeler said the number of runners registered was up about 12 percent this year, something organizers would like to see every year. The number of women registered for the half-marathon is also up, as this year women comprised 64 percent of the entries in the half-marathon.
After the marathon, participants could stop for a mini-massage under a tent in the parking lot of Integrity Realty. Many were taking advantage of the service, finding a balm for sore muscles.
As local business owners look to stretch the tourist season, the marathon was again a nice boost to the shoulder season. With family and friends put into the equation along with the runners, Wheeler said there were likely more than 2,000 people in the area for the marathon. Hill City’s Main Street was pretty full last weekend, which may be an indication that Wheeler was right.