Julian Schima Wins Audi Power of Four Trail Run in 5:41

The Audi Power of Four Trail Run turned Aspen into a starting line Saturday, kicking off the Roaring Fork Valley’s busiest race season.

Aspen Skiing Company produced the event. The featured 50-kilometer run demanded more than distance. It required vertical.

Runners climbed and descended all four of SkiCo’s mountains. The route started at 6 a.m. at Gondola Plaza in Aspen. It ended midday at Snowmass Base Village. The path hit Aspen Mountain, Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass.

Boulder’s Julian Schima won the 50k in 5 hours and 41 minutes. Aspen’s Johnny Youngs finished second in 5:46:31. Carbondale’s Tim Shepard placed third in 6:01:05.

Ninety-four runners crossed the finish line for the 50k. A few dozen more recorded did-not-finishes.

Sophie Linn of Boulder placed fourth overall and first among women in 6:08:31. Mack Abernathy, also from Boulder, was fifth overall and second among women in 6:15:58. Heather Pugh of Eagle rounded out the women’s podium in 7:34:07, placing 20th overall.

The 25k option simplified the geography. It skipped Aspen Mountain and Highlands. The race began at Buttermilk’s Tiehack. It finished in Snowmass via the Government Trail.

Brent Kocis of Louisville, Colorado, won the 25k in 2:19:46. Aspen’s Max Rispoli was second in 2:22:19. Glenwood’s Mathieu Dumoulin finished third in 2:22:40.

Kate Emerson of Boulder claimed the women’s 25k crown in 2:36:55. She placed eighth overall. Therese Haiss of Chicago finished second among women in 2:43:28 (11th overall). Aspen’s Jenny Connery was third among women in 2:47:29 (15th overall).

The 10k race stayed local. It began and ended in Snowmass. Camilo Arado of Sanibel, Florida, won in 49 minutes and 31 seconds. Collin McKinney Hill of New York was second in 50:16. John Mulkey of Las Vegas took third in 51:27.

Olivia Roberts of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania — the town famous for Groundhog Day — placed fourth overall. She was first among women in 53:46. Jen Chierotti of Snowmass Village was second among women in 56:02 (sixth overall). Aspen’s Alicia Thrush was third among women in 56:57 (eighth overall).

The results confirm a trend. The valley is waking up. Local runners are showing up. So are visitors from Boulder, Chicago, and beyond.

The next wave arrives next weekend. The Aspen Valley Marathon follows. It adds another layer to the calendar.

Readers can check full results at my.raceresult.com/406463/results.

What the numbers mean for locals

Schima’s time of 5:41 is fast. It sets a benchmark for the 50k distance in this terrain. Youngs and Shepard, both local to Aspen and Carbondale, finished close behind. This suggests strong home-field advantage in the featured race.

The 25k course offered a different challenge. Skipping the first two mountains reduced elevation gain but increased speed. Kocis’s win time of 2:19 reflects that efficiency.

The 10k remains a sprint through Snowmass. Arado’s sub-50-minute time indicates a competitive field. Roberts’ performance highlights the diversity of participants. She traveled from Pennsylvania for this single race.

The valley’s infrastructure supports these events. Gondola Plaza serves as a hub. Snowmass Base Village acts as the finish line. The roads hold up under the weight of hundreds of runners and spectators.

Feinsinger wrote in the Post Independent that the season is "busy." The data supports that claim. Four distinct distances. Three major towns involved. Dozens of finishers in each category.

The short version: The Power of Four is not just a race. It is the opening act for summer in the Roaring Fork Valley. The mountains are open. The runners are ready.