High Country Running: The race that almost wasn’t: Footprints for Hopi 10k and the Pocket Fire

At last Saturday’s Footprints for Hopi 10K benefit run for the Hopi Relief nonprofit, record high temperatures didn’t slow Flagstaff race winners Brandon Joe (35:01) and Tereza Rumfola (44:05) on the iconic Soldiers Trail at Fort Tuthill County Park.

When Hopi Relief co-founder Thomas Kaye’s countdown hit zero, Brandon bolted off, leaving no doubt about who would win the race. The women’s side was decided when Tereza outkicked Flagstaff’s Rene Horne by three seconds. The race ended when Ron McFarland crossed in 1:54:32, winning the day’s most prestigious prize: the last-place Hopi basket. However, runners were aware that pulling off this year’s race at Fort Tuthill was nothing short of a miracle.