A rainy week called for some major course alterations for the Steamboat Springs Running Series’ Emerald Mountain Trail Run, on Saturday, Oct. 1. 

A course that was originally scheduled to be a loop around trails on Emerald Mountain turned into an up-and-back starting behind Howelsen Lodge and going up the Blackmere trail side of the mountain. 

Series director Cara Marrs was happy the race still worked out despite the late change and said this course may have been even more difficult than the original. 

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“The Emerald trails do not fare well with rain and some of the trails become a muddy, slick mess,” Marrs said. “We just try to be good stewards so we worked with the city and we came up with an alternate course last minute. I think we came up with something good, it’s certainly a lot harder.”

There were two course options for this race, a 7-mile and a 4-mile run. Marrs estimated a 2,300-foot climb for those running 7 miles, which can take a toll on your body almost immediately. 

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Just a little over a half-hour after the race began, the first 4-mile finisher could be seen making his way down Howelsen Hill and eventually crossed the finish line in 31 minutes and six seconds. 

The finisher was 24-year-old Mark Myers, who moved to Steamboat two years ago from Illinois, and decided this race would be his first time competing in the running series. 

Myers practiced on the original course layout earlier in the week and said definitively the new trail was much more intense. 

“It’s definitely a tough course,” Myers said. “We ended up going way higher up on the way out instead of doing a little loop, so we went uphill the whole way out and then back down. It made the first half a lot harder but then on the road you can kind of cruise down so that was fun.”

Myers explained the October weather made the run easier on his body. The cool temperatures helped his breathing and the cloudy skies kept the sun off his skin. 

Saturday’s race was the final of the series’ season, though the Foundry Halloween 5k will take place as a ‘fun run’ on Oct. 29. 

The overall series winner for the men was Colin Rooney, who amassed 119 total points, beating out the next best male by 37 points. 

Tracy Stoddard took first place in the series for the women while also dominating the 50-59 year old division.

Myers was impressed with the series as a whole and intends on competing in more series races in 2023. 

“It felt good,” Myers said. “I haven’t raced in a long time so it felt good to come out here and dip my toe back into it and to get a win on the first one back is fun. I definitely think I’ll do some more of these next year.”

Male division winners: Overall: Colin Rooney 119 points. 10 and under: Langdon Devin 47. 11-19: Tristan Thrasher 76. 20-29: Scott Wappes 57. 30-39: Arthur Rinker 81. 40-49: Josh Smullin 82. 50-59: Walter Magill 69. 60-69: David Selden 79. 70+: Larry Handing 48.

Female division winners: Overall: Tracy Stoddard 85. 10 and under: Beatrice Bishop 52. 11-19: Georgia Bishop 53. 20-29: Adrian Walsh 38. 30-39: Pearson Alspach 70. 40-49: Jennifer Schmitt 68. 50-59: Ramona May 40. 60-69: Susan Hartley 24.