The annual Slacker four-mile and half-marathon from Loveland Ski Area to downtown Georgetown brought at least 2,200 runners, walkers and enthusiasts to the mountain town from Colorado and across the country.
This year’s event posed several challenges for a group of five organizers who, at the last minute, had to step up to make it happen. Jenn Jordan-Truesdale, the original person responsible for putting together the race, was “let go” by CCMRD just four weeks before the runners were at the starting line, according to General Manager Cameron Marlin.
“We all came together because the race organizer was let go, we had to do it for the 2,000 people who signed up six months in advance,” Organizer Evan Bullock said.
Advertising for the Slacker started months before the event, promising participants could “Seize the chance to earn your bragging rights as a true Slacker! Embark on this exhilarating journey starting at the base of Loveland Ski Area, perched at an impressive elevation of 10,880 ft. Brace yourself for an unforgettable descent to 8,400ft,” the ads on Facebook promised.
Another perk to the race was promoted as post-race entertainment and a community gathering.
“Post-race festivities in charming historic Georgetown,” the advertisement read. ”Picture an abundance of freebies, locally crafted beer, post-race pampering, and entertainment to celebrate your achievement.”
Overcoming some setbacks
Race day on June 28, competitors, spectators, family and friends of runners didn’t seem to notice the last-minute preparations. Medals for finishers needed to be put in place, tee-shirts for volunteers needed to be prepared and lots of vendors needed to be guided into place. Despite a few setbacks, it seemed like a seamless event for all in attendance.
Trevor Walters from Grand Junction had plenty of support when he crossed the finish line, where his wife, Johanna and 20-month-old son Tatum were waiting with hugs.
Walters said, despite running at least 30 miles a week for recreation, this is the first race he’s signed up for and completed. The experience was worth it, he said.
“People are all up and down the road cheering you on, no matter who you are, so it’s really friendly,” Walters said.
Lisa Atencio from Arvada also ran the race, but said she was glad she and her friend picked the shorter course this year.
“It was nice, a little warm, so I’m glad I only did the four-mile,” Antencio said. “It’s great business in Georgetown and the community members seem to love it because they come out and support it.”
Several of the racers had arrived near Georgetown days before the Slacker from out-of-state in preparation to participate in this one-of-a-kind race down the mountain.
Andy Smith from Dallas flew in the Thursday before with 15 friends and family. They do it every year, he said.
This year’s run was especially challenging for Smith, who was five weeks out from knee surgery. That certainly wasn’t going to stop him, he said.
“I’ve done the race several years and I knew I couldn’t do the (half-marathon) so my goal was to walk four miles and I made it, barely,” Smith said, smiling. He relied on his medical walker to navigate the crowd following his finish.
Elsewhere in the crowd, a large group of young runners celebrated their teammates’ apparent first-place victory in the Women’s four-mile category.
High school Senior Charlotte Hardy took the title with the support of nearly a dozen of longtime teammates from the Shawnee Mission East Varsity Cross Country Team from Overland Park, Kan.
“The altitude is hard to run in, but when we come out here, we stop feeling the effects pretty quickly, so we can still get a good race out of it,” SME runner Chloe Swan said.
Altitude aside, there is one thing all of the varsity squad agreed on instantly as an advantage to running in the mountains.
When the Courant asked about the difference in humidity, they all answered simultaneously: “There’s none of it,” “It’s fantastic,” “Yeah, I think it’s 100% right now back home,” the team laughed.
The community event relies on dozens of volunteers who give their time and energy to make the intricate festival come together.
Otto and his son Eric Vangeet from York Gulch in Idaho Springs were two of those volunteers giving up their Saturday for the community and friends. It was the father/son’s first year volunteering but, as a friend of one of the organizers, they willingly gave their time handing out finisher medals.
“It’s a cool event, everybody’s having fun, it’s beautiful weather and there’s a whole bunch of happy people that feel accomplished for finishing whatever race they did, so a lot of smiles,” Vangeet said.
Organizers said, hopefully with a little more prep time, the iconic Slacker race will be back, even better, next year.