Ponderosa's Phillip Reid sets the pace at the midway point, as Michael Duran and Everett Johnson (mostly hidden) tuck in behind in the driving rain. Photo by Alan Versaw.
The Ponderosa Mustang Stampede became the second meet of the season to see rain play a leading role.
An impressive downpour, though without lightning, rolled through about an hour before race time, softening up the course, followed by a period of calm. But the next wave of rain moving south through Denver and into Parker hit early in the JR/SR boys race and would continue through almost the entirety of the four races. For most of the JR/SR races, the rain was accompanied by winds sufficient to drive the rain into your face. Nobody who raced, and nobody who lined the course to urge the runners on, stayed dry.
Nor the did course stay dry.
Rain added a considerable greasing factor to sections of the course, though the sections of the course that involved any climbing were mercfilly short. W...
