MANIC IGNITE

MANIC IGNITE, held March 5th through the 7th was an outdoor virtual challenge, which raised over $23,500 for LiftUp of Routt County.

IGNITE offered participants the opportunity to take part in five socially distanced events over the course of the three day weekend. The challenges included, ascending Blackmer Road to the top of the Lane of Pain via foot, ski or bike; Nordic skiing a 5K loop at the Borden Ranch; biking CR 44; ascending the Steamboat Ski Area to the top of Christi Peak or the Gondola building via foot, ski or bike; and, snowshoeing MGM or Molly’s trails on Emerald Mountain.

Loosely based off of the former Steamboat Pentathlon, there were two distances to choose from. Individuals could participate in the long or short course by themselves, with a partner or as a team of up to five participants. The emphasis throughout the event was to have fun and encourage all ages and abilities. The goal was to create an experience that would inspire the community to be physically challenged, and simultaneously raise funds for our community.

“The weather was perfect for IGNITE. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer weekend. Everyone you saw outside taking part had a smile on their face. Everyone was in a great mood and there was almost magic in the air” said Michelle Geib, one of the event organizers. Geib went on to add that “not only was the timing perfect with regards to the weather, but there were people in the community who, for the first time in a year, finally felt safe to participate in an event such as IGNITE. The increase in vaccinations, the decrease in COVID case numbers and the fact that Routt County moved to Level Yellow a week prior to the event, all aided in Steamboat residents feeling safe to take part in this socially distanced, outdoor challenge.”

In total, the event drew 188 participants, 172 of which live in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Since there was a virtual course option, in addition to the Steamboat specific events, individuals also took part in Minnesota, Florida, Illinois, Hawaii, Australia, Scotland, Japan, New Zealand and England! The youngest participant, Ryder Robinson, just 9 years of age, entered the Duo Short Course category with his father, Barkley Robinson. The oldest competitor was Larry Wennogle of Steamboat Springs, age 72.

Despite being labeled as a fun fundraiser, IGNITE was a physical challenge for even the most fit. The long course included 33 miles of traversing and approximately 5,500 feet of climbing across all five challenges, and the short course was 22 miles in length with approximately 3,600 feet of climbing. The fastest individual to complete the Long Course was Peter Surgent who was able to finish all five challenges in an astonishing 3 hours and 50 minutes. Dr. Allen Belshaw was not far behind, finishing in just 3 hours and 58 minutes, followed by Kit Callahan and Chris Sias who both completed the course in just a few minutes over four hours. Megan Robinson, Ryder’s mother, was the fastest female to complete the Long Course in a heart pounding 4 hours and 13 minutes.

While these times are certainly impressive, the fundraising aspect of the event was always in the forefront. The largest individual fundraisers were Dave Carroll, Laura Cusenbary, Benjamin Stroock and Kim Temple, and the top fundraising team was the Queen Bees. The event participants collectively raised $14,131.00 and the remaining $9,400 was generously donated by Tim and Janet Borden.

“We couldn't be happier with the success of the event, the support of the community and the results of our efforts to raise money for those who need it most” said Graham Muir of Manic. “We decided to put this together and see what we could do. Turns out that we were able to do a lot with the help and generosity of our community. There were over fifty local businesses who donated to the event in some way, offering merchandise to be used as prizes, product samples, gift cards or even coupons for cookies; their donations and support helped us put on a great event for an even better cause - LiftUp.”

LiftUp of Routt County provides charitable assistance, without discrimination, to meet basic human needs, while fostering self-sufficiency. LiftUp of Routt County serves over 1 in 10 Routt county residents through three food banks, and emergency financial assistance with housing, utility, healthcare and other expenses. Learn more at liftuprc.org.