(8-6-08) Snow may be months away, but Bend-based XC Oregon cross country skiers Evelyn Dong and Zach Violett showed they will be ready when it comes by finishing 1st and 2nd in the women's and men's races at the 2008 Mt. Ashland Hillclimb Run in Ashland, Oregon on Saturday, August 2.
The 13.3 mile Mt Ashland Hillclimb climbs 5,600 feet on largely dirt trails and roads from downtown Ashland's Lythia Park to the top of the Mt. Ashland ski area. A sold-out field of 250 participants took part in the 2008 event which organizers said featured the deepest elite field in the 32-year history of the event.
Dong shattered the women's course record by nearly 5 minutes winning in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 40 seconds. The previous women's course record of 2:13:39 (Dolores Bergman) was set in 2004. Second place in the 2008 Hillclimb women's race went to Ashland's Jenn Shelton in 2:29:45.
This past April, Dong also set the Corvallis MacDonald Forest 50km trail run record by over 9 minutes.
On the men's side, XC Oregon's Zach Violett finished second in 1:57:23, 4:22 behind race winner and professional ultra runner Erik Skaggs. Skaggs ended up with the second fastest men's Hillclimb time ever run.
XC Oregon's Brayton Osgood, the 2007 Hillclimb champion, finished 7th (2:06:02). XC Oregon athletes Colin Mahood and Jason Tedrow finished 12th and 16th in the men's race.
Both Dong and Violett will be getting an early taste of winter when they compete in the 2008 Australian XC Ski National Championships and Australian Kangaroo Hoppet ski marathon later in August.
For complete results, visit www.mtashlandrun.com
