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Well over one hundred outdoor enthusiasts overcame hot, muggy weather Tuesday evening to take part in “Red Rock Fest” at Cordova Park.
“We had a great turnout! A little warm, but it was certainly a fun opportunity to run the trail, and we had a great turnout for the tower race as well,” said Marion County Development Commission Executive Director Carla Eysink.
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Eysink was one of the organizers of “Red Rock Fest.” The event was highlighted by a trio of outdoor activities, with a 5k run and walk, kayak adventure and race up the steps of Cordova Tower. Roughly one hundred people took part in the “Running Rocks 5k”, with Sarah Schuring finishing as the overall female winner of the race, followed by Michaela Martin and Sherri Jorgensen as the overall second and third place winners in the women’s division.
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On the men’s side, Justin Gerber finished in first place overall, with Nathan Brotherton placing second and Darin Schukneckt taking third place.
Nearly thirty people – many of whom also ran the 5k – took part in a race up all 170 steps of Cordova tower. The men’s division ended up being a close race, as Nathan Brotherton’s time of 28.03 seconds just edged out Caleb Fredrickson; who navigated the stairs in 28.98 seconds. Ben Fessler placed third in the men’s stair race.
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For the ladies, Jen Gerber took first place; followed by Jackie Reif in second place, and Sarah Rhoten placing third.
“We think it’s a great recreational opportunity to show that there’s trails out here that they can come and enjoy, and obviously the tower is a good workout challenge,” added Eysink. “We enjoy getting people to see all of the great recreational opportunities that are out here at Lake Red Rock.”
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Even with the heat and humidity, participation at Tuesday’s “Red Rock Fest” was roughly double that of last year’s event, and Eysink is hoping for even greater success for the event next summer.
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