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Ben Schreiber minds his step on the descent after the mile 11 marker near the Tiehack ski area on Saturday, September 28, 2019. Schreiber finished 72 in the overall men’s class. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
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Bridger Tomlin, who finished 3rd in the overall men’s class, competes in the Golden Leaf Half Marathon on Saturday, September 28, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
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Justelle Grandsaert nears mile 11 during the Golden Leaf Half Marathon on Saturday, September 28, 2019. Grandsaert finished 69th in the overall women’s class. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
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Colin Wofe finishes the descent of mile 11 near Tiehack ski area during the Golden Leaf Half Marathon on Saturday, September 28, 2019. Wolfe was the 9th man to finish the race. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
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Runners turn a corner on the descent near mile 11 during the Golden Leaf Marathon on Saturday, September 28, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
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Amy Rollins, left, follows closely behind Scott Smith as they finish their descent after mile 11 near Tiehack ski area during the Golden Leaf Half Marathon on Saturday, September 28, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
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Eli McCullick turns the corner of mile 11 during the Golden Leaf Half Marathon on Saturday, September 28, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
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Runners approach mile 11 during the Golden Leaf Half Marathon on Saturday, September 28, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
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Runners descend the government trail during the Golden Leaf Half Marathon on Saturday, September 28, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
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Runners turn a corner on the descent near mile 11 during the Golden Leaf Marathon on Saturday, September 28, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
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Tanner Powell, 13, runs along Government Trail near mile 11 during the Golden Leaf Half Marathon on Saturday, September 28, 2019. In the Male 13 and under class, Powell finished 3rd. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
John O’Neill has had his eyes on the Golden Leaf Half Marathon for years now. It wasn’t until this go round, however, that he earnestly tried to register and managed to sneak into the field of around 1,000 for a race that always sells out.
“Just getting over to the Roaring Fork Valley is always special,” he said. “Everyone talks about it. Everyone on the Front Range knows about this race. Everybody in Vail knows about this race. It’s beautiful so people really are at their computers trying to get in and you can see why. You have the golden aspens above you, some of the leaves have fallen, all single track or mostly single track. Just beautiful.”
O’Neill, a Vail native who ran cross country for Colorado State University and now lives in Boulder, won the 41st running of the popular half marathon from Snowmass to Aspen on Saturday in his first go. He finished with a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes, 35 seconds, beating runner-up Ryan Phebus by 83 seconds. Phebus, a former Roaring Fork Valley resident, won the Golden Leaf in 2017.
In third Saturday was Boulder’s Bridger Tomlin (1:29:19.3), in fourth was Littleton’s James Rebenack (1:30:46.9) and in fifth was Boulder’s David Glennon (1:31:28.5).
“It was perfect. It was actually nice because there weren’t too many leaves that have fallen, which when you are running on trail can disguise some of the obstacles,” O’Neill said of the race, which is mostly ran on the Government Trail connecting Buttermilk with Snowmass. “We were able to see what we were running on and still enjoy the view.”
Crested Butte’s Stevie Kremer, who has won the Golden Leaf multiple times, added to her collection by winning the women’s side of Saturday’s race in 1:40:26. Aspen’s Jessie Young was second in 1:49:38.7. Aspen’s Julia Rowland was third (1:50:09.1), Denver’s Sara Woodward was fourth (1:51:29) and Carbondale’s Mariel Fulton was fifth (1:55:15.3).