Sunday morning Rosslanders were out at the Centennial trail for this year’s Golden City Grind.
This year saw a couple of changes to the event.
Organizers added a 3km race for kids who weren’t yet ready for the 5km, but who were ready to move up from the 1km race.
The 3km race took runners from the starting line at the gate on Monte Christo down Centennial to Red Mountain Rd. and then back on Moe’s.
Runners who took on the 1km went down Centennial, around the Rossland Water Treatment Plant, and back to the finish line, which was also at the gate on Monte Christo.
The other change was to the 10km race.
Whereas the 10km used to have racers cover some of the same terrain twice, this year runners went up Monte Christo to Kootenay Columbia and over to the Techno Grind, before following Monte Christo back to Centennial and completing the 5km course, which followed Drifter and then Moe’s, looped around Larry’s to come back to the north end of Centennial, and then back down Centennial to the finish line.
“It’s actually bang on 10km now, whereas it used to be short,” said Shelley Ackerman, organizer for the event and co-owner of Alpine Grind.
There was a little bit of a mix-up on the trail and some runners ended up going the wrong way on Moe’s, but it wasn’t much of a problem.
“There’s always something,” said Ackerman. “We just make lots of notes and fix it for the following year.”
The event saw a great turnout.
“Last year was our biggest turnout, but this year was much better than the previous few years, so it was a really good turnout,” said Ackerman. “We were worried because there was another race on in Trail yesterday (Storm the Stairs), so we thought that maybe our numbers would be down.”
There were several winners for each race, broken into groups by gender and age.
First place runners received chocolate medals supplied by Mountain Nugget Chocolate, while second and third place runners received cookie medals supplied by Sweet Dreams Cakery.
There were also a number of door prizes, supplied by the Alpine Grind and Gerick Cycle.
Proceeds from the event support the Black Jack Junior Racers, and this year the race raised $750.
Ackerman wanted to thank all the volunteers who made the event possible.
10km race winners by gender and age group
Women, 16-19 First: Soleil Patterson, 1:06:13
Women, 30-39First: Andrea McCormick, 59:09 Second: Andrea Blair, 1:07:46
Women 40-49 First: Christine Andison, 1:06:26
Women, 50+ First: Catherine Spence, 1:04:49
Men, 11-15 First: Jackson Konkin, 43:51 (best time overall for the 10km) Second: Clemes Unterguggenberger, 53:03
Men, 16-19 First: Daniel Merlo, 49:17 Second: Hugo Dalmalm, 53:00
Men, 20-29 First: Julien Looke, 44:35 Second: Brenden Byes, 1:08:40
Men, 30-39 First: Jon Francis, 47:25 Second: Chauncy Blair, 54:56 Third: Black Mackenzie, 1:18:17
Men, 40-49 First: Keith Kalawsky, 56:19 Second: Mike Lynn, 1:01:19 Third: Phil Pattersen, 1:11:07
Men, 50+ First: Fred Bushell, 56:20 Second: Howard May, 1:09:32
5km race winners by gender and age group
Women, under 11 First: Ashley Germaine, 59:47
Women, 16-19 First: Chiaki Yamamoto, 24:09 Second: Sageg Robine, 27:35
Women, 20-29 First: Ashley McKenzie, 44:27
Women, 30-39 First: Rita MacLeod, 29:41 Second: Kerry Lee, 32:50 Third: Ali Loosley, 35:17
Women, 40-49 First: Laara Banner, 29:00 Second: Sandy Anhol, 30:41 Third: Lori Heximer, 43:57
Women, 50+ First: Michelle Baldner, 29:11
Men, under 11 First: Jackson Wan, 30:04
Men, 11-15 First: Sam Finke, 30:13 Second: Max Anhel, 31:10
Men, 20-29 First: Lee Hanrahan, 23:19 (best time overall for 5km) Second: Andrew Sanders, 30:05
Men, 30-39 First: Kris Morris, 29:15 Second: Tom Hughes, 29:23 Third: Sam Morris, 30:49
Men, 40+ First: Peter Wan, 30:11 Second: Ian Finke, 30:13 Third: Wayne Germaine, 59:48