The 11th Annual Vertical Mile Challenge (VMC) Trail Race attracted almost 140 runners from across North Carolina and beyond on a hot Saturday, June 21 at Rocky Face Mountain Recreational Area in Alexander County. There was a total of 130 finishers, with 76 who completed the full VMC (8 laps, 16 miles) and 54 who completed the half VMC (4 laps, 8 miles).
Andrew Speas, age 19 of Winston-Salem, captured the top spot in the VMC with a time of 2:56:58. Melissa Roth, age 46 of Charlotte, was the top female with a time of 4:03:32. Drew Morris, age 21 of Galax, Virginia, earned the male fastest first lap award (20:09), while Elizabeth Hart, age 34 of Harmony, received the female fastest first lap award (23:53).
The top males and females from Alexander County were also honored. The top local male was Nelson Hart, age 23, with a time of 3:56:12. The top local female was Angel Williamson, age 26, with a time of 6:25:59. The Alexander County fastest first lap awards were presented to Will Boggs (25:11) and Angel Williamson (34:52). Full VMC results are available at https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=123549.
In the Half VMC, Matt Kearney, age 40 of Mount Olive, earned top honors with a time of 1:20:08. Katherine Jovanovic, age 26 of Boca Raton, Florida, was the top female at 1:39:13. Justin Kerley, age 32, was the top Alexander County male (1:37:08), while Kennedie Millsaps, age 19, was the top Alexander County female (2:41:54). Half VMC results are available at https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=123550.
North Carolina runners hailed from the following municipalities: Aberdeen, Angier, Apex, Black Mountain, Blowing Rock, Carthage, Catawba, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Clayton, Clinton, Concord, Denver, Dudley, Durham, Eden, Ellenboro, Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Fuquay Varina, Greensboro, Harmony, Hiddenite, High Point, Huntersville, Kannapolis, Kernersville, King, Laurinburg, Leland, Lenoir, Lillington, Lincolnton, Marion, Mooresville, Moravian Falls, Morganton, Morrisville, Mount Airy, Mount Olive, Newland, Newton, Oak Ridge, Pinebluff, Raleigh, Rockingham, Southern Pines, Statesville, Stony Point, Summerfield, Taylorsville, Terrell, Troutman, Union Mills, West End, Whispering Pines, Wilkesboro, Winston-Salem, and Zionville. Other states included Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia.
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Learn more about the Vertical Mile Challenge at https://rockyfacepark.com/the-vertical-mile-challenge.