RED DESERT — Last weekend, the first annual Run the Red Desert race–a trail half marathon–drew 65 runners into the heart of Wyoming’s Red Desert. Run the Red Desert was hosted by the Wyoming Outdoor Council, Wyoming Wilderness Association, and the National Outdoor Leadership School in an effort to celebrate the Red Desert’s wild spaces and raise awareness about the wide variety of excellent recreational opportunities found there. Runners and their families came from Lander, Rock Springs, Green River, Pinedale, Laramie, Jackson, and from out of state, to convene at the White Mountain Petroglyphs site and race their way through 13.5 miles of dusty trails across shifting sands, amidst the junipers on White Mountain, and along the old railroad grade. The course was complete with expansive views of Boar’s Tusk, North and South Table Mountains, Steamboat Mountain, the Killpecker Sand Dunes, White Mountain, and even the snowy peaks of the Wind Rivers.

Winners:

Male division:

1st: Scott Pies, Rock Springs, and Kevin Redmon, Lander (tie): 1:34:57
2nd: Jason Crompton, Rock Springs: 1:38:03
3rd: Trey Warren, Lander,: 1:40:20

Female division:

1st: Brenda Gray, Rock Springs: 1:54:14
2nd: Joslin Heyward, Jackson: 1:59:40
3rd: Greta Olafsen, Lander: 2:06:44