Peterson Ridge Rumble on tap for Sunday

Charlie Kanzig | Last updated Apr 09, 2013 12:0pm0

Charlie Kanzig count

The Rumble draws hundreds of distance runners to Sisters.

The 11th annual Peterson Ridge Rumble will be staged Sunday, April 14. The event will include a field of nearly 500 runners choosing between the 20- and 40-mile courses on the trails and dirt roads surrounding Sisters.

Race director Sean Meissner, formerly of Sisters and now living in Durango, Colorado, reports that 470 runners had registered as of April 3.

"It's another good field of runners," he said. "Local runner Gene Trahern is the only entrant to have run in all of the previous 10 Rumbles, so I'm glad to see him back for another go at it."

Early starters for the 40-miler will hit the trail starting at 7 a.m. near Sisters Middle School and head out on the Brooks-Scanlon Road and onto the Peterson Ridge Trail system. The course loops back on the Brooks-Scanlon road before cutting southwest onto more trails, including the Metolius-Windigo, before turning back to finish at the high school track.

Meissner wants local residents to be aware of the activity on the trails and hopes people will come out and cheer on the runners.

"Everyone needs encouragement in races of this distance," he said.

Meissner will be out marking the course with ribbon in the two days leading up to the race and asks for people to please leave it intact.

"If you see yellow ribbon printed with the word 'Montrail,' please leave it alone," he requested. "We have sweepers go through the course Sunday to clean it all up. We don't want anyone getting lost because the trail markings were removed."

The regular start for the 40-mile course will be at 8 a.m., while the 20-mile racers will take off at 9 a.m.

The 20-mile course takes in the majority of the Peterson Ridge Trail as an out-and-back course.

Prize money of $100 will be awarded to the male and female overall winners of each race, with an additional $50 for the first male and female finishers aged 40 or over. Refreshments for the runners are being provided by Sisters Bakery this year, along with a post-race meal catered by Longboard Louie's of Bend.