Race Director Gabe Flanders, Kismet board member Sasha Eisele and Kismet Cliff Run overall race winner Carl Swenson holding the golden shoe trophy after the inaugural race in 2009. photo by Brian Post

This year’s Kismet Cliff Run is slated for Sunday, September 19 at 10:00am in Echo Lake State Park, North Conway, NH. A benefit for Kismet Rock Foundation, the 5-mile trail race will follow last year’s inaugural route, including a grueling Cathedral Ledge uphill and some nasty downhills. Kismet Cliff Run event sponsor LaSportiva is donating a range of prizes, including gift certificates for trail running shoes, a jacket, hats and travel mugs. Local La Sportiva Rep Doug Madara is also offering this special challenge to racers, “If last year’s course record of 48:18 is beat, LaSportiva will make an extra donation of $200 to Kismet Rock Foundation!” Prizes are also being donated by Eastern Mountain Sports and Mountain Hardwear. Matty Braun’s Kearsarge Café will be providing post-race California-styled burritos. Race founder and volunteer director Gabe Flanders has created innovative recycled trophies for Kismet Cliff Run race winners- retired trail running shoes painted metallic colors and mounted on “granite” bases.

Out of last year’s field of 50 runners, the first to cross the finish line was nativeson and Olympian Nordic skier Carl Swenson with a time of 48:18, also the race’s only sub-fifty minute finish. New this year for the race will be a noncompetitive Walker’s Division, with the same route as the runners. Registration fee for runners and walkers is $20. For a race route description, please visit http://www.kismetrockfoundation.org/join-us/events/kismet-cliff-run/. To register for the 2010 Kismet Cliff Run (and walk) please visit www.active.com or pick up a registration form at one of the following Mount Washington Valley businesses: Eastern Mountain Sports, International Mountain Equipment, Ragged Mountain Equipment, or Kearsarge Café in North Conway and Altitude 6288 Sports in Gorham, NH. To receive a race registration form via snail mail please call 603-383-9928.

Check out Anne’s blog post about her day out.
Check out Eric’s gallery from his day out (turn the volume up for some music too!).

Thanks to both of you for your generous contributions!

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Many thanks to Anne Skidmore for use of these images

Kismet Rock Foundation volunteers MIKE LACKMAN, PHIL THALHEIMER, NICKIE SEKERA and board member BRIAN POST worked the silent auction tables and were on hand to answer questions about the organization.

Quality climbing hardware and soft goods were donated to the silent auction, which raised more than $1,700  for the Kismet student scholarship fund.  Thank you to those sponsors: JULBO, ICEHOLDZ, LOWA, OUTDOOR RESEARCH, PRINCETON TEC, ASOLO, PETZL CHARLET, SCARPA, MAMMUT, MOUNTAIN  HARDWEAR, PATAGONIA, LA SPORTIVA, and BLACK DIAMOND.

Adding to an already memorable evening, Jim Shimberg, a longtime friend of Kismet, presented a check for $2,500 to establish a KISMET INTERN ENDOWMENT FUND, in memory of Jonny Copp, Micah Dash and Wade Johnson. Jim ‘passed the hat’ for nearly a year, collecting contributions from $1 up to $500 to create the fund. Kismet is honored to carry on the memories of those three men who were so loved and are so missed with this very special fund for Kismet graduates.

Contact Kismet to learn more about the fund.

Our gratitude and appreciation goes out to Ice Fest event directors Sarah Garlick and Anne Skidmore for a successful weekend, and of course to Rick Wilcox and Brad White of IME/IMCS for making the event possible.

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2009 Kismet Cliff Run video: