OTHTC Summer 2021 Challenge Series
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July 5 through August 22, 2021
by Dianne Rindt
Well, the 2021 edition of the OTHTC Summer Challenge has come to an end. I was happy to organize this virtual trail running series again this year. It was fun to try to come up with some new running routes, in some parts of our desert that you might not have previously considered. Hubby Tom got in on the fun by helping decide on this year's courses. He especially gets the credit (or blame?) for Brady Hills! In addition to helping scout and mark the courses, he has been getting all the information up on othtc.com. And special thanks go to Connie and Tony Scanlan, for picking up the course marking flags.
We again featured six courses, but the time frame to run or hike each course was expanded to two weeks, to allow more flexibility. The courses were described online, with maps, descriptions, and downloadable routes for use with various navigation apps. We again attempted to supplement the high tech aids with a little physical course marking. That idea met with varying success, due to the tendency of the ribbons to disappear over a period of a week or two. Series points were awarded each week, to those submitting times and tracks, and total points determined at the end.
Thirty-seven runners and hikers signed up. Twenty-seven of those turned in results from at least one of the six courses. And of those, 17 did all six of them! For the others who signed up, and anyone else joining in, I hope you enjoyed these routes too.
Participants could run the courses on their own, and there were also some unofficial meet-up opportunities. I enjoyed the posts on our Facebook event pages. It was especially nice to see so many families sharing this experience together! Kudos to everyone who braved the heat, and toward the end, the smoke coming from our California fires, to meet this challenge.
Series male and female points leaders in six age groups will be receiving awards. Congratulations to this year's top finishers! We had two ties, so I decided that duplicate awards were in order.
| Male 19 and Under | Zion Ortiz |
| Female 19 and Under | Mica Rull-Hildreth |
| Male 20-29 | Zachary Wolfe & Jacob Van Meter |
| Male 30-39 | Germain Ortiz |
| Female 30-39 | Julie Jensen |
| Male 40-49 | Nate Kimbler |
| Female 40-49 | Elisa Zimmerman |
| Male 50-59 | Brian Hildreth |
| Female 50-59 | Elaine Riendeau |
| Male 60 and Up | Wesley Elmore |
| Female 60 and Up | Jenny McLaughlin & Carol Wolfe |