RESULTS: Pumpkin Run Results in Finish Line Index
PHOTOS: Great Pumpkin Race, by Dee Budden

by Travis Duncan

Runners attending the 2012 Great Pumpkin Race at Venetucci Farm were bundled up in beanies and arm warmers against the cold this morning, and at least one 5K runner stayed warm in a bright blue wig. Despite his bitter dislike of the cold, 31-year-old Colorado Springs native Adam Rich managed to beat the 5k course record by one second, besting the 16:28 time set last year by Pat McGuire of Fountain.

“When the race started, my teeth were chattering,” Rich said, “and I thought, ‘this is not a good indication of things.’ Last year I came out here, and granted, it was about 70 degrees, but I ran a 31:44 (in the 10k),” he said. “So this year, to struggle with 16:27 (in the 5k), it was tough. When it’s cold, it’s fine, but when you get wet mixed into it, I’ve noticed I have a tendency to just not run well.”

Rich said he fell at the race start for the second year in a row, but actually thinks that may have contributed to beating the course record since he had to hustle to the front of the pack and his chip timer didn’t start timing him until he crossed the start line.   

The Great Pumpkin Race is the last contest in the Grand Prix of Running, but Rich wasn’t competing for the series this year; he forgot to wear his chip timer during the 5k on St Patrick’s Day and missed the Take 5 in the Garden race because he was supporting fellow physical education teachers in a fundraiser race held in Broomfield. Rich teaches physical education at Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy. Despite not being in the running to win the series, the race did end up being something of a back-and-forth battle with second place runner, Michael Weiss, who finished in 16:28, however.

“At one point we hit a really narrow section with the 10K runners and I couldn’t get through; I actually had to stop,” Rich said. “Weiss had passed me and had about 3 seconds on me. We came around a corner and he decided to slow down and I passed him. I thought, ‘This is really weird.’ He caught back up and got ahead of me. Then all of a sudden, he said, “It’s yours.” It’s not the way you want to win a race. I think in reality he should have won it. I don’t even know how to put it into perspective why it happened the way it did. I’ve been racing competitively for 10 years and I’ve never had that happen before where someone slows down and says it’s yours. I guess a win’s a win, you know. That’s one way to look at it,” he said.

William Dillon, 33, of Colorado Springs finished third in 17:46, just four seconds ahead of Adolfo Carrillo, 41. The two were in first and second place, respectively, for the Men’s Grand Prix Short Series heading into Saturday’s race and that’s how the standings should look for the series when they’re officially released a few weeks from now. It’s especially impressive since Dillon won the Men’s Long Series in 2010.     

“I just stayed behind Adolfo the entire race and passed him there at the end,” Dillon said. “I used to race bikes, so I understand how to do a stage race. I let him set the pace and I stayed behind him. I did the honorable thing in the end and stopped drafting off him and we had it out in the sprint.”

Like Rich, Dillon noted how much slower he ran than at last year’s race.

“My average pace in last year’s 10k was faster than my 5k this year,” he said. “But it was a lot better than what I thought it’d be considering what the weather forecast was. I thought we’d be running in an inch of snow. And when I read the 10k was going to start before the 5k, I thought it’d really be a mess.”

Dillon said this was likely his last running race of the year and he was looking forward to competing in some endurance skiing events over the winter.

Rochelle Persson, 44, of Colorado Springs won the Women’s 5k with a time of 20:20. Persson will also be the overall winner in the Women’s Grand Prix Short Series. Although it’s the first time Persson has won the Grand Prix series, it’s not her first time racing at Venetucci Farm.  

“I won this race last year and have the overall course record with last year’s time of 19:50,” Persson said. “I was hoping if the weather was good to take it down a couple seconds, but it didn’t happen.”

There wasn’t much back-and-forth battling for Persson, who passed her only female competition within the first mile and never relinquished her lead. The next-fastest female was only two minutes behind her and only 13 years old, however. Kieron Brunner of Colorado Springs set the age group record for females under 19 with a time of 22:07.

Winners received a Venetucci mug stuffed with a $20 gift certificate to Venetucci’s Farm Stand. They also received free entry into the 2013 Bedrock series and a Pikes Peak Community Foundation tote bag stuffed with produce from Venetucci Farm. It was a fitting prize for a race held on the Worldwide Day of Play, which encourages families, and kids especially, to get outside and away from the television sets for a day of playing.

Michael Hannigan, Executive Director of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation, said 5,000 - 7,000 kids come to the farm each year to learn about growing healthy organic food, and that the proceeds from this year’s race would help them bring in even more local children next year.

After the 5k and 10k races were over, there was a children’s fun run followed by plenty of pumpkin picking and admiration of the hearty produce grown at Venetucci Farm.