120 runners participated in the first-ever ‘Daydreamer’ trail run event in Patagonia on March 1. Patagonia resident Heidi Rentz produced the weekend event, which included a fundraiser dinner benefiting the ‘Patagonia Recycles’ program. Over 180 people joined in the festivities in addition to the runners.
Trail runners had three distance options: 10k, 30k and 50k. Runners’ ages ranged from 12 to 83. About 70 percent of the entrants were women.
Several local runners represented Patagonia. Duke Norton won the men’s 50k, Erin O’Mara took second place overall in the women’s 10k, Richard Gambino placed third in the men’s 10k and Blaire Campbell placed fourth overall in the women’s 30k. Charles Fleder, age 66, finished in 12th place in the men’s 30k. 83-year-old Robert Brandt was the oldest runner in the event. 12-year-old Benji Krys was the youngest runner.
Daydreamer sponsors provided music throughout the weekend at the Patagonia Lumber Company. Food trucks were available and “minimal waste” was the theme. Folks were asked to bring their own plates, flatware and cloth napkins. Volunteers from Patagonia Recycles hosted a dishwashing station.
A portion of each runner’s entrance fee, plus the cover charge for music and proceeds from the donation jar at the dishwashing station generated a total of $1,311 for Patagonia Recycles.
The Daydreamer was a celebration for coming together to share our community, its trails, and its commitment to recycling. We’re looking forward to next year!