Monday, April 28, 2025

Racers Tackle the Midwest’s Steepest Mile

Posted

IRONBULL

RIB MOUNTAIN – Racers will climb up Rib Mountain this weekend in the inaugural IRONBULL Solstice Summit Challenge presented by the Town of Rib Mountain.  Racers will summit Rib Mountain, which rises 700 feet over the course of a mile, the steepest mile hill climb in the Midwest.  Racers start at the base of the ski hill and finish atop Rib Mountain State Park’s Observation Tower with panoramic views of the area awaiting them. 

Racers will summit to the top of Rib Mountain where they will have beautiful views of the community. Coates Photography. Click on images to enlarge.

“Rib Mountain is unique to the entire Midwest, and we are blessed to leverage the challenge it presents for individuals to push themselves,” said Andrea Larson, race director. 

For those looking for an even greater challenge, the race offers the Triple Bypass Division, where runners must ascend and descend the hill three times, covering 10 kilometers.  For those who simply want to tackle the mountain, there is a Recreational Division, which is untimed and open to leashed dogs.  A Rucking Division requires competitors to ascend carrying a 10-pound pack.  The event also hosts a ¾ mile, free kids run taking place near the base of the hill, sponsored by Ruder Ware.  The event appeals to a range of ages, with ages 2 to 84 registered.

The evening will culminate on Granite Peak’s Historic Deck with live music by Tyler Vogt and lawn games. Granite Peak will be firing up their grill and have beverages on tap available for anyone that wants to enjoy an evening at the hill.

“We are excited to work with IRONBULL on this new event tackling one of the highest peaks in Wisconsin,” said Greg Fisher, Granite Peak general manager.  “IRONBULL has a long-standing history of organizing and conducting excellent events in our region; we hope this will become a staple of their event calendars for years to come.”

A free kids run is sponsored by Ruder Ware to remove financial barriers to enable families to get outdoors.

The Solstice Summit Challenge is one of three IRONBULL events that utilizes Rib Mountain State Park.  In the fall, the IRONBULL Ultra Trail challenges runners with 15k, 25k, and 50k distances while the Red Granite Grinder takes bikers throughout the area.  Both events also offer free kid’s events.

The Solstice Summit Challenge will take place on Saturday, June 10, 2023, starting at Granite Peak ski hill in Rib Mountain.  The kids hit the trails at 5 pm followed by waves of runners summitting to the top.  

Registration remains open, including same-day registration at:  

https://ironbull-signup.redpodium.com/2023-solstice-summit

More information at:

https://www.ironbull.org/summit

###

IRONBULL is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that promotes outd

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here