Robert Krar and Megan Kimmel both won the final installment of the 2012La Sportiva Mountain Cup
Photo by Charlie Lansche
Robert Krar and Megan Kimmel both won the final installment of the 2012 La Sportiva Mountain Cup at the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase in Park City, Utah, Saturday, and clinched the overall Cup title in the process.
Krar, of Flagstaff, Arizona, ran a course record 1:44:51 on the roughly 16-mile course, over ten minutes ahead of runner-up Ryan Woods. Woods, of Boone, North Carolina, finished in 1:55:05, sealing up both second in the race and second in the Cup standings.
It was Krar’s fourth La Sportiva Mountain Cup win this year. Krar also won February’s Moab Red Hot 33K in Utah, the Don’t Fence Me In 30K in Montana in May and New Mexico’s Jemez Trail Half Marathon, also in May. He amassed 117 Cup points to Woods’ 106. Jared Scott, of Grand Canyon, Arizona, finished third in the cup standings with 82 points.
Kimmel, of Silverton, Colorado, had a closer race, winning 2:07:42 to 2:08:38 to Park City’s Susan Minneci. The win brought Kimmel to 94 cup points, good for first in the standings over Alison Bryant, of Elkin, North Carolina, who finished fourth at Jupiter Peak in 2:12:59. Bryant earned 91 points, good for second in the Cup standings. Christina Bauer, of Flagstaff, Arizona, finished third in the Cup with 75 points after a 2:27:18, seventh-place finish at Jupiter Peak, and Minneci’s race left her tied for seventh in the Cup standings with 21 points.
This was Kimmel’s fourth Cup win in 2012. She also won Don’t Fence Me In, Jemez and the Rothrock Challenge 30K in Pennsylvania in June.
The Jupiter Peak Steeplechase, founded in 1992, offers a challenging uphill climb and steep downhill descent, totaling over 3000 feet of elevation gain and loss each way, up Jupiter Peak, along Pioneer Ridge and then to the top of the Tri-Counties Peak in Park City.
“The course is not technical the challenge lies in the climb and steep downhill,” says Ginger Ries, events director at the Mountain Trails Foundation, which puts the race on. “The majority of the course is a single track uphill climb from 7000 feet to 10,000 feet, weaving in and out of trees with spectacular vistas if you take the time to deviate your eyes from the trail.”
La Sportiva’s Ian Achey says Jupiter Peak is a good fit for the La Sportiva Mountain Cup. “Initially, we brought the Mountain Cup to Jupiter Peak because it had a reputation for being a challenging and beautiful course placed in a perfect setting above Park City,” he says. “The race defines what we look for in mountain running and integrates seamlessly into the Cup schedule.”
The La Sportiva Mountain Cup, started in 2009, picks ten of the best mountain and trail races in the United States with the goal of bringing European-style mountain racing to North America.
“The La Sportiva Mountain Cup Series hand picks 10 of the best trail races in the country,” says Achey. “Throughout the season, racers will compete across the country and total their score with their best five races. Scoring is based on the racer’s finishing position; the closer to first place, the higher the score.”
The Jupiter Peak Steeplechase has been a part of the Cup each year since it began.
Achey also says the Cup is an effective way of developing trail racers – and showcasing top trail racing – in the US.
“The competition for the prize money in the Series is growing every year,” he says. “It seems like course records are being broken every race … and as more elite runners shift into mountain running, the potential for what athletes are able to do on trail and in the mountains is being redefined every time they lace up their shoes.”
The 2012 Cup consisted of the Uwharrie Mountain Run 20 Mile in North Carolina in February, the Moab Red Hot 33K, The Ugly Mudder 7.25 Miles in Pennsylvania in February, the Hillbilly Half Marathon in Washington in March, the Hell’s Hills 25K in Texas in April, Don’t Fence Me In, Jemez, Rothrock, the Barr Trail Mountain Race in Colorado in July (canceled this year due to wildfires), and Jupiter Peak. More information on the Cup can be found at www.mountaincup.com.
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