Cool weather didn’t stop Run for the Rangers

By Carol Walker

 

In their 15th year, Run for the Rangers organizers still wonder what the weather will be like and if it will affect the turnout, but people came, they were enthused and the race was on. Nearly 350 men, women, children and plenty of dogs walked and ran the three-mile course, beginning near Granite Sports.

“It is a pretty fun event and kind of like ‘old home week’ with some of the same people returning year after year. The weather wasn’t the best but it didn’t seem to keep people home. People were in a good mood and it’s for a good cause,” said Pat Wiederhold, lead organizer for the event.

Carrie Gerlach was walking the course with her rescue dog Buster Brown. Gerlach has Black Hills Adventure Tours so she knows Wiederhold and Darci Ferebee, organizers for the event, but she had never participated before.

“It is a fun way to support the community. A lot of 5K races don’t allow dogs, but I am glad this one does,” said Gerlach.

A digital board showing runners’ times was visible as runners arrived at the finish line near the middle school. First male in was Keenan Urdiales, a 19-year-old freelance software engineer from Spearfish with a time of 16:58.

“My grandma got me running with her when I was about 4 or 5 years old, and I have been doing it ever since,” said Urdiales.

First female in was 13-year-old Brinna Sheldon, an eighth-grade student at Stagebarn Middle School, with a time of 22:45. She said she may have lost a minute or two when she got a bloody nose and had to ask someone in Sunset Creek if they would get a tissue for her.

It was a low-key race with people from all over the Black Hills area participating. Kent and Cathy Johnson from Rapid City participated for the first time. They moved to the Black Hills from Denver a couple years ago and joined the Black Hills Running Club.

“We run about three to four miles with the club on Thursday night, so this is about that same distance,” said Kent.

Almost every participant received some kind of prize at the end of the race. Wiederold said they typically put out an email to all their Granite Sports vendors, alerting them to the Run for the Rangers event, and they respond with a plethora of prizes from Chapstick to backpacks.

Cindy and Tony Carver, owners of Cindy’s K-9 Treats, were asked to set up a table for children to paint dog treats. Granite Sports carries their dog treats.

“We make cakes, cookies, dehydrated treats for dogs with no preservatives,” said Cindy.

Ferebee and Carol Wiederhold baked goodies all week long, providing tables full of homemade treats for the runners and walkers. Krulls Market donated apples and bananas as well.

Registrations money for the event provides scholarships to seniors who are in the Hill City track program, with the remaining proceeds going to the Hill City Scholarship Foundation.

Pat Wiederhold thanked everyone for coming and told the crowd, “One of the things that makes this work is the local community and shopping local. Go to Krull’s and buy groceries, go to Miners or eat at our restaurants in town, shop at my store.”