On Saturday, December 7, more than 150 runners from Moab and the surrounding region gathered at the Moab Golf Course. Participants huddled around fire barrels to keep warm on a cold but sunny morning as they waited for the Moab Locals 10k to kick off.
Moabite Sandy Hinck ran the race when it was known as the Winter Sun, but this was her first year participating in its new iteration as the Moab Locals 10k. Hinck, who has lived in Moab for more than a decade, loves the community feel of the event.
When asked what makes the race unique, Hinck said, “It’s a lot about the fact that it’s locals, and it’s obviously in a beautiful setting. The camaraderie, and the enthusiasm. I love it.”
Hinck says the race organizer, Ranna Bieschke, has a great history of putting on fun events. Bieschke organized the Winter Sun for several decades before selling it in 2017. When the new owners discontinued the event, Bieschke came back to organize the Moab Local’s 10k last year.
Participants received goody bags full of items like custom socks, sunscreen and lip balm, and a pack of supplements from The Synergy Company. With runners encouraged to dress up for the race’s costume contest, the golf course parking lot was a sea of tutus, bright Hawaiian shirts, and Batman masks.
At 10:00 a.m sharp, the starting pistol sent a wave of costume-clad runners onto the course, where they headed down Murphy Lane and into town on a mostly downhill course. Max Robinson of Fruita took the overall win, running a time of 32:06 and setting a new course record. Madeline Francis of Moab was the first place overall female, also setting a women’s course record with a time of 34:17. Prizes were also given to first place runners with strollers, runners with dogs, and runners over 60.
As the final runners crossed the finish line in the parking lot of Moab Regional Hospital, most stuck around for almost an hour for the raffle, when more than 70 prizes and over $1,000 in gift cards were raffled off to participants. All prizes were donated by local Moab businesses.
Organizer Bieschke says the race was a great success, with the generosity of the local community and volunteers helping to make the event run smoothly.
“Special thanks to Jacob Francis, Jessica Retka, Thom Moreau and Kevin Fitzgerald for their dedication and enthusiasm,” said Bieschke. “I was extremely pleased with the event, and enjoyed seeing so many festive participants.”
Moab locals Elsie Fisher, Lauren Carmona, and Avery Sloss were running the race for the first time.
“I just thought it would be a silly time,” said Carmona. “We wanted to be part of the Moab community, and feel that community love. It was invigorating.”
“The course was beautiful, we got great weather,” said Sloss, “And mostly downhill – it was a fun time.”
Fisher says she would absolutely do the event next year again.
“Everyone was having a good time, and at least from what I could see, no one was taking themselves too seriously, so it felt very welcoming,” she said.
