Little BIG Dog Trail Run 2021

Little BIG Dog Trail Run held on January 23rd of this year, 2021, and was a wonderful success. Oh how I love see my participants out hiking and running my events and at our local trials. The best part about this race is that you can enter the trail run with your favorite running/hiking pup. Like prior years, this event is held on the challenging, fun trails at Kershaw-Ryan State Park in Caliente Nv. This is a little bit of a tough course and holding it in January, the weather can make it a challenge also but this year the weather was great and every participant finished and did GREAT. The race started out chilly but definitely warmed up as the day went on. No snow this year during race, which is always a bit of a bummer, the snow if part of the challenge but there was some icy spots on the road and I watched a few runners ski a bit. With that said, no injuries and that is a good thing. As a race director, I am grateful for careful runners! Even more grateful that all dogs got along and enjoyed there time with their masters.

I would like to thank all who made it out for this 3rd annual trail race with your dog. The first year I put it on in 2019, I had 9 runners and 7 out of the 9 run with their dogs. In 2020, I had 11 runners and 9 of those 11 ran with their dogs. This year, I had 19 present (a few more doing the virtual option) and 12 of those ran with their dogs. It’s growing and I’m so grateful and blessed. I love the gradual growth but honestly if I had 4 people I’d be just as jazzed and grateful. It’s only about the numbers for me because I love seeing people out exercising and seeing what they can accomplish. And lets be honest…the dogs just make it so cool. The dogs are amazing and love seeing the different breeds and most of all, I love hearing the stories about their dogs!

This trail run has 2 distances with 2 categories for each. There is a 14k and a 4k with a category to run with your dog and a category to run w/o a dog. The 4k course is 2.8 miles with 600 ft total climbing and 400 ft total downhill, not exactly an easy 2.8 miles. It feels like 4 miles when running it. The 14k course is 8.8 miles and has 1230 ft of climbing and 980 ft of downhill, again a good challenging run. Both have wonderful views once at the top. Now onto the race placings….

4K Placings

*Our 1st place Overall winner for the 4k and 1st place in category w/o a dog was our local Poiche Nv gal, Jaycee Bernal with a time of 35:34.

*2nd place Overall for the 4k and 1st place in category with a dog was another local Piocher and my son, Austin Romans and his dog “Gus” with a time of 37:30.*3rd place Overall for the 4k and 2nd place in category with a dog was my 2nd time participant at this race and just up the road from us was Kristi Rozich and her adorable dog “Natty” from Ely Nv with a time of 38:49 and increased her time by 3:40 then her first race here 2 years ago!

*4th place Overall for the 4k and 3rd place in category with a dog was another 2nd time participant here and from LV area was Shawn Barnes and his beautiful dog “Lily” with a time of 40:09. His and Lily’s time the prior year was 40:10…talk about consistent!!

*5th place Overall for the 4k and 2nd place in category w/o a dog was again another 2nd time participant, Danny Siegal, along with his girlfriend Nicole Franco and their dog “Bailey” from the LV area. Danny finished with a time of 42:59. Nicole and Bailey finished in 6th place overall and 4th in category with a dog and with a time of 43:04.

*Had a lot of first time participants from the local areas like Lola & Warren from Alamo who ran with their 2 dogs “Mercy & Crash”. Love their names! From Panaca, we had Susan & Max with their 2 dogs “Ginger & Scooby Doo”. And from Pioche, Stacey with her pup “Pearl”, Alisha and her pup “Daisy”, and my right hand lady, if she isn’t volunteering she is participating, Alice & Rylee Midgley with their dog Frank. Alice, Rylee, and Frank have participated in this run all 3 years with Frank!

*Had a couple newbies from the Las Vegas area; Scott and his dog “Sasha” and Yelena Hamai who ran w/o a pup.

14k Placings*

Our 1st place Overall winner in the 14k was a return customer all the way from San Francisco area, Jason Reed, with a time of 1:34:11 and ran w/o a pup. Jason had entered my race in 2020 Night Echoes Moonlight Run and came back to our little town for another race.*2nd place Overall for the 14k and 2nd place in category w/o a pup, was another return customer who ran my Horses Wild Joke Race in 2019 and is from down the road in Mesquite Nv, Leon Durbin with a time of 1:47:49.*3rd place Overall and 3rd place w/o a pup was Leon’s buddy and from Mesquite Nv also, Daniel Ramirez with a time of 1:47:51.

*4th place Overall and 1st place in category with a pup was another 3rd time participant along with Alice and Rylee at this event, my friend Sarah Somers and her pup “Sugar” with a time of 1:56:56. Sarah is from Pioche and she switches back and forth between her dog Sugar and Forest. Forest ran last year and Sugar ran in 2019.

*5th place Overall and 4th place w/o a dog is another first time participant and pleasure to have from Helendale Ca, Melissa Timko with a time of 2:01:04.Well Done To All The Participants! Most of all thank you for entering and allowing me to get to know you and your pups.

I have some Thank You’s before signing off …..

 

 

• Thank you to Tailwind Nutrition, my official sports drink nutrition sponsor…. what blessing to have a great option for nutrition.

 

• Thank you to Kershaw-Ryan State Park for a great venue and allowing Rocky Road Adventures to keep having this event there.

 

• Thank you so much to Loving Care Animal Society for your donations to the raffle, beyond awesome!!
• Thank you to my 2 volunteers, Jessica and Chey…. I’m so grateful for you both so much! Love ya both and thank you.

 

I do hope to see you all and many more in January of 2022 ….. till then keep running!!!!

Kristal Romans

Rocky Road Adventures

Race Director / Owner