For the week of July 25 - July 31, 2001

Albright repeats 16.5-mile triumph on trails

295 in Backcountry Run

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Ketchum’s Kristin Albright, 25, joined some elite company when she won the 16.5-mile women’s division of the 21st annual Backcountry Run Saturday north of Ketchum.

Kristin Albright, on her way to the 16.5-mile win. Express photo by Willy Cook. 

Albright clipped 2:18 off her winning time from last year’s run and led 36 women to the finish of the 16.5-mile course in two hours, 11:36 minutes, good for 14th place overall out of 87 finishers at the long distance.

She joins Cindy Mann (a six-time winner), Michelle Jensen of Boise (four-time winner), Gabriele Andersen and Abbi Fisher (three-time winners) as the only women who have won more than one 16.5-mile event.

There were 295 runners finishing Saturday’s courses, 87 on the long course and 208 on the 10-mile trail. The event was sponsored by The Elephant’s Perch of Ketchum.

Organizer Bob Rosso said, "It was a fast group."

Grant Folske, 24, of Ketchum, the runner-up in the Sun Valley Sprint Triathlon July 8, won the men’s 16.5-miler in 1.53:46, a pace of just under seven minutes a mile. Whitney Albright of Ketchum was fifth of 51 men, in 2.02:53.

Meanwhile, Cindy Mann completed her 21st Backcountryn Run, the sixth woman overall at 16.5 miles in 2.20:50.

In the men’s 10-mile run, 27-year-old Dylan Mason of Bend, Ore. (57:33) shaved 32 seconds off his winning time from 2000 and took the 10-mile event by 2:10 over Henry Hagenbuch of Ketchum (59:43), with Derrick May of Ketchum (1.00:14) third.

Mason was also in a bit of a hurry to leave after the race, because he had to attend his own wedding reception.

Class winners at the long distance were Kristin Albright, Tom Montgomery and Cindy Mann. Over 10 miles, the local class winners were Henry Hagenbuch, Derrick May, Dave Strawn, Susan Chandler, John Swyers, Coneolata Pennay and Charley French.

Best 16.5-mile time improvement was by Paris Nicholson, 14:49. Mike Sinnott logged the top 10-mile improvement over last year, 7:33.

The Backcountry Run, staged on trail courses in Adams Gulch and Fox Creek north of Ketchum, has become a drawing card for out-of-town runners, even though there were more locals (116 of 295 runners) taking part this year.

For more photos, check next week’s Local Life section in the printed (paid edition) Idaho Mountain Express.

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.