News & Stories
2019 Loopet Loppet Recap
The second edition of the Loopet Loppet was a day to remember. Cool temperatures were perfect for putting in a full day of mile after mile, and the mix of snow–rain–sun–hail–sun–rain–sleet–sun kept things interesting, and only enough to dampen the trails without soaking the runners.
A total of 119 runners came to the race from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, New Hampshire, and Ontario. Of the 66 individual runners on the 12 hour course, 54 (82%) reached an ultramarathon distance of 27 miles or greater. Seven runners participated in the new 6 hour division, which is quite an accomplishment in its own right. And, 46 runners on 12 teams competed in the relay division.
The most exciting result of the day was that a vast majority of runners reported having run further than they had ever run before, earning the new “Furthest Day Ever” patch.
And, 2019 was the (not actually surprising) year of the woman! Women had 16 of the top 30 finishes in the 12 Hour division, including 2 of the top 4. Women also took the top two slots in the 6 Hour division.
Runners ranged in age from 22 to 68 years old, and we were especially excited to see the number of young pacers, with numerous under-18 pacers taking on a lap (or two or three) during the day to support their parents, friends, and coaches.
Leading the pack of 12 Hour runners was Desmond Cariveau, who completed a staggering course-record 63 miles, followed by Loppet Run Club member Scott Griebel with 56 miles. Our first two women followed on their heels with Kayla Anderson putting in 54 miles and Loppet Run Club member Lisa Garretson at 52 miles. Rounding out our 3rd place awards were, on the men’s side, Jake Wittman with 50 miles, and on the women’s side, Amy Omann with 49 miles.
In the 6 Hour event, Jessica Pekari took the overall win with 25 miles. Amy Clark came in second with 22 miles. Kevin Johnson and Bob Crawley took the first and second positions for the males both at 20 miles. Andy Lambert took the third position for the men with 16 miles. Terri Lindenbaum took the third spot for the women with 15 miles.
Teams came out in full force, and, as we now expect, they turned the energy dial to “11”, especially once runners switched to the shorter one mile loop. In a testament to the power of team, the top 5 teams were all within 5 miles of each other. Turning the heat on from the very first lap was Fake Brogan, whose members put in a mind boggling 77 total miles. Worst Game of Tag Ever took the second slot with 76 miles. Brisky Business kept up a brisk pace all day coming in third place with 75 miles.
Teams, families, and spectators enjoyed hanging out in the warm and dry Trailhead, where at least 3 puzzles were completed during the day.
When you add it all up, Loopet runners put in 3074 miles during the day. That’s enough to run from The Trailhead to either the equator or to the North Pole–you make your choice what the better end point would be!
Runners were supported throughout the day by the Godfather of Trail himself, Kurt Decker of Twin Cities Running Company, who was ably assisted by the Race Director’s parents-in-law, Jay and Stevie Byrne, who drove all the way from Ohio to help out. Between these three, runners were supplied all day with a smorgasbord of hot soup, coffee, cocoa, hundreds of pancakes, quesadillas, grilled cheese, bacon, pot stickers, candy, pretzels, pickles, and–well, you get the point. And, runners stayed hydrated with Tailwind energy drink in crowd-favorite orange flavor!
This event would not be possible without the dozens of volunteers who also worked to mark the course, count all the runners’ laps, keep people going the right way as course marshals, and help clean up after the all-day party. Friends and family stepped in to help support their runners by cheering, pacing, and even helping to create the custom jack-o-lantern awards.
Thank you to everyone who made Loopet Loppet 2019 one for the record books–and see you next year!