Racers Tackle the Midwest’s Steepest Mile
Racers will summit to the top of Rib Mountain where they will have beautiful views of the community.
RIB MOUNTAIN – Racers will be climbing up Rib Mountain this weekend in the inaugural IRONBULL Solstice Summit Challenge presented by the Town of Rib Mountain. Racers will summit Rib Mountain, which rises 700 feet over the course of a mile, the steepest mile hill climb in the Midwest. Racers start at the base of the ski hill and finish atop Rib Mountain State Park’s Observation Tower with panoramic views of the area awaiting them.
“Rib Mountain is unique to the entire Midwest, and we are blessed to leverage the challenge it presents for individuals to push themselves,” said Andrea Larson, race director.
The IRONBULL Solstice Summit Challenge offers routes of varying difficulty. The Competitive Division offers a bouldering section. Photo credit: Coates Photography
For those looking for an even greater challenge, the race offers the Triple Bypass Division, where runners must ascend and descend the hill three times, covering 10 kilometers. For those that simply want to tackle the mountain, there is a Recreational Division, which is untimed and open to leashed dogs. A Rucking Division requires competitors to ascend carrying a 10 pound pack. The event also hosts a ¾ mile free kids run taking place near the base of the hill, sponsored by Ruder Ware. The event appeals to a range of ages, with ages 2 to 84 registered.
The evening will culminate on Granite Peak’s Historic Deck with live music by Tyler Vogt and lawn games. Granite Peak will be firing up their grill and have beverages on tap available for anyone that wants to enjoy an evening at the hill.
A free kids run is sponsored by Ruder Ware to remove financial barriers to enable families to get outdoors.
“We are excited to work with IRONBULL on this new event tackling one of the highest peaks in Wisconsin,” said Greg Fisher, Granite Peak general manager. “IRONBULL has a long standing of organizing and conducting excellent events in our region and we hope this will become a staple of their event calendars for years to come.”
The Solstice Summit Challenge is one of three events IRONBULL utilizes Rib Mountain State Park. In the fall, the IRONBULL Ultra Trail challenges runners with 15k, 25k, and 50k distances while the Red Granite Grinder takes bikers throughout the area. Both events also offer free kid’s events.
The Solstice Summit Challenge will take place on Saturday, June 10, 2023 starting at Granite Peak ski hill in Rib Mountain. The kids hit the trails at 5 pm followed by waves of runners summitting to the top.
More details at: https://www.ironbull.org/summit Registration remains open including same day registration at https://ironbull-signup.redpodium.com/2023-solstice-summit
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