Rendezvous Mountain Hillclimb Results

It was western. Another classic Jackson Hole Mountain Resort event, the 10th year of the Rendezvous Mountain Hillclimb went off amidst porous clouds and frigid rain up high, making one of the toughest running events in the west that much more difficult. Despite these precipitous conditions, stoke remained high amongst a field of runners varying in age and competitive level. This year, we returned to the traditional course--6.1 miles and over 4,1 vertical feet--culminating at the summit of Rendezvous Mountain next to Corbet’s Cabin and the Aerial Tram. In honor of this, we upped the ante to a $1,000 prize to the first person to break an hour–which remains as a record yet-to-be broken.

Upper-mountain conditions added to the already monumental physical toll this race takes upon runners. Near-freezing temps, strong wind gusts, and constant bone-chilling rain made the course even more difficult from Rendezvous Lodge up to the finish line. Through the exhaustion, runners described trail conditions as “slick” and “sketchy” from Tensleep Bowl up to the summit. Had the weather cooperated, perhaps we would have seen the fabled hour-mark broken by Tyler McCandless, this year’s winner (his second win in a row) with an overall time of 1:01:53. Nonetheless, such athleticism and speed amidst such challenging environmental factors is more than enough cause for celebration.

A massive shoutout to all the runners who participated this year! You all are amazing and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is proud of you. Thank you for honoring the memory of Chris Onufer, aka “Captain X”, for whom this race is run for each year, as well as supporting the trails in Jackson Hole through Friends of Pathways. See below for top three men and women, photos, and full results.

TOP 3 MEN

1. Tyler McCandless - 1:01:53
2. Michelino Sunseri - 1:05:28
3. Neil Bangs - 1:05:53

TOP 3 WOMEN

1. Kim Dobson - 1:08:37
2. Samantha Diaz - 1:17:55
3. Andie Cornish - 1:23:41

FULL RESULTS HERE.

We look forward to seeing you all next August at the 11th annual Rendezvous Mountain Hillclimb.