Tour de Essex - 7k Trail Run

9 AM - Saturday, October 19, 2024
Essex Park, Rochester, MN

Experience the rolling hills of the Essex Park trails at the Tour de Essex. Enjoy the trails used for hiking, running, dog walking, and cross country skiing. These trails are expertly maintained throughout the year by volunteers of the Rochester Active Sports Club (RASC).

The approximately 7K trail run will start on the Essex Park entrance road and then head onto the trails. Running surfaces on the race course are mainly grass and dirt with short sections of gravel and asphalt.

This is a low key, low frills race. No race mementos (e.g. shirts) or awards will be provided. Water will be available on the course. Runners will be timed with results published on the Rochester Running Club and Rochester Active Sports Club web sites.

The entry fee is a very reasonable $15.00 (that's right - only $15!) for online registration through Thursday, October 17. The entry fee for race day registration will be $20. RASC and Rochester Running Club members will receive a $5 entry fee discount. The entire race entry fee will be put towards trail maintenance expenses at Essex and Quarry Hill Parks.

Race day registration will begin at 8 AM at the Essex Park red barn (not the picnic shelter).

The race starts at 9 AM.

If you have any questions, contact John Resman at jresman@gmail.com.

Come on out and enjoy a great fall morning touring the Essex Park trails, and at the same time you'll be supporting the year-round maintenance of the Essex Park and Quarry Hills Park trail systems!

This race is jointly sponsored by the Rochester Active Sports Club and Rochester Running Club.

For the discounted race fee, join the Rochester Active Sports Club or Rochester Running Club.

2024 Overall Results

A beautiful fall morning greeted 47 runners at the Tour de Essex on Saturday, October 19, 2024 with sunny skies, comfortable 57 degree temps, and fall colors on display. Due to a bridge washout, an extra 1.2 km was added to the course length providing runners the opportunity to enjoy a total of 8.6 km (5.3 miles) on the Essex Park trails. The runners appreciated that the added length did not add to the seemingly endless hills on the course.

A group of five runners started out fast and pushed themselves up each hill. Their efforts resulted in the first time at the Tour de Essex that five people ran faster than a 7:00 mile pace. Rick Curtis led the group of five across the finish line at a 6:20 mile pace. Ben Dolphin came across second not far behind in a 6:27 pace. Alex Martin rounded out the top three running 6:40 miles.

Shannon Rupp defended her first place women's finish from last year crossing the line at a 7:41 mile pace. Branda Anderson repeated her second place finish from last year running 8:11 miles. Jessica Warren was the third woman finisher running an 8:48 mile pace.

Several runners set age group best mile-pace times -

40-49 Female Branda Anderson - 8:11 mile pace
50-59 Male Brian Carlsen - 7:11 mile pace
80-89 Male Ed Creagan - 13:18 mile pace

In case you were wondering, the 40-49 year old females and the 60-69 year old males had the highest number of participants in the race.

A number of runners ran top mile-pace times in the history of the Tour de Essex

Overall Male
Rick Curtis - 7th fastest (6:20)

20-29 Female
Shannon Rupp - 2nd fastest (7:41)
Laura Brady - 7th fastest (9:46)

30-39 Male
Alex Martin - 5th fastest (6:40)
Steven Brady - 6th fastest (6:43)

40-49 Female
Branda Anderson - fastest (8:11)

40-49 Male
Rick Curtis - 3rd fastest (6:20)
Ben Dolphin - 4th fastest (6:27)
Danny Whipple - 6th fastest (6:44)

50-59 Female
Megan Pfrimmer - 6th fastest (9:02)

50-59 Male
Brian Carlsen - fastest (7:11)
Eric Batterson - 5th fastest (7:59)

60-69 Male
Keith Nelson - 5th fastest (9:01)

70-79 Female
Peggy Menzel - 3rd fastest (11:14)
Rosemary Harnly - 6th fastest (14:17)

70-79 Male
Lee Smith - 5th fastest (12:29)

80-89 Male
Ed Creagan - fastest (13:18)

Thank you runners for participating in the Tour de Essex. Your entire entry fee goes toward the costs of maintaining the trails at Essex Park and Quarry Hill. Rochester Active Sports Club volunteers mow the trails during the summer, clear brush and downed trees, and groom the trails for skiing in the winter.

Congratulations to all the runners as they enjoyed/endured a fall sojourn on the Essex Park trails!

Online registration closes on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

Race day registration begins at 8 AM.