Why let a little cold air and frosty ground interfere with an otherwise gorgeous day in the mountains of northern Habersham County? Braving temperatures below 30 degrees, 177 Ramble participants enthusiastically ran or walked the 3.75 mile course before crossing the finish line to enjoy the after race refreshments, goodie bags, and bluegrass entertainment provided to them courtesy of this year’s event sponsors.
With some participants arriving as early as 7AM at the event site to enjoy the sunrise under a crystal clear starlit sky, the field near the Soque River slowly filled with volunteers, spectators, and walkers/runners ready to achieve a personal best and maybe win an award for their efforts. Thanks to the orchard heaters (aka “smudgepots”) in the event area that were provided by Habersham Winery, everyone was able to stay reasonably warm prior to the start at 9AM sharp.
LEFT: Avery Miller (26:47) & Nick Shurtz (23:01) were the top female and male finishers for the 6K Run. Nick has been a first place winner for many of the previous Ramble events, while Avery made her debut as a first place winner in this year’s race.
RIGHT: The first two across the finish line for the 1K Fun Run were Noah Webb (#755) and Aubrey Bolton (#619), both seen here near the starting line prior to the run.
LEFT: The winner of this year’s informal canine runner contest went to “Whiskey”, a very fit dachsund owned by Justin Ellis and Ching Yu Huang, who is seen here enjoying his stuffed possum prize.
To see more photos of the 2013 Soque River Ramble 6K Run & Walk, courtesy of The Northeast Georgian, visit the following link below:
