Jackasses race the Trail of the Cd'A's this Saturday

KELLOGG — The ever-popular Jackass Half Marathon and 5K will fill the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene's this Saturday, Oct. 1, ending with a delicious beer and after party at Radio Brewing Company in Kellogg.

“Our Jackass Half-Marathon Committee is amazing!” said Kelton Enich, one of the event’s organizers. Enich is in a group with four other community members who plan the marathon, including Justin Cline, Sarah Murphy, Tara Lodi and Scott Albrethsen.

“The five of us have been here since the beginning, back in 2019, and honestly this wouldn’t have ever happened without them,” Enich said.

The five first began planning the event in 2019 and then managed to pull off the first one in the fall of 2020, and Enich explained that it was the first time since COVID-19 had started that everyone was allowed to come together as a community and contribute to the greater good.

“It was incredible,” Enich said. “We have seen so much excitement and enthusiasm from the community again this year.”

The momentum from that first year has continued with the subsequent events.

The race is run 100% by volunteer efforts, with all proceeds going directly back into the Silver Valley Chamber of Commerce, which in turn goes toward community events like Music in the Park, Business After hours, parades, celebrations, Shop Small Campaigns, and small business networking events.

“It also goes towards promoting tourism in our area and supporting local businesses,” Enich told the News-Press. “We were even able to supply $3,000 in scholarships to local high school students last year, and we plan to do that again.”

This year, the race has been capped at 600 people and is currently sold out. “This is to ensure a quality experience for all involved,” Enich said. “By keeping the numbers small, we can guarantee that the shuttle, food, shirts and swag are top notch for our participants. It also keeps the running course less congested so people can enjoy the route's beauty.”

Although the race is maxed out, the after-party at Radio Brewing Company is open to anyone. “Everyone is invited to the after party! We would love to see many community members come out to the party on Main Street outside of Radio Brewing between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. You do not need to be a runner to come to the party.”

Extra parking will be in the Silver Mountain parking lot, with shuttles running every 10 minutes up to the party.

This year the committee has decided to push the race start time to two hours later. “We did this to try to take advantage of warmer weather in the late morning — last year was way too cold.”

Racers can pick up their packets today at the Beanery on Railroad from 4-8 p.m. and on the day of the race, Saturday, Oct. 1, from 7:30-11 a.m. at the Silver Mountain parking lot.

Racers will be shuttled from the Silver Mountain parking lot to their starting locations.

The mass start will occur at 9:30 a.m. for the half marathon in Wallace, with the rolling start from 9:35-10:30 a.m. The 5K starts 1 mile west of the Big Creek exit, with the rolling start from 11-11:30 a.m.

Live music from local musician Travis Brown will start the party at 11 a.m., with the Jackson Roltgen Trio playing from 2-5 p.m. at the finish line at Radio Brewing. A kid's fun run will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the race finish line.

The afterparty is open to anyone who wants to celebrate, with food and drinks provided by Radio, as well as 4-5 other food vendors.

“I think the race initially became popular because it was one of the only races that took place in 2020, and the popularity has spread since then,” Enich said. “We try to encourage a super fun and goofy atmosphere, and not take it too seriously. We also provide lots of perks to make the race unique. Free beer from Radio, handmade medals made by the local high school students, individualized T-shirts and the after party. The energy on the day of the race is truly incredible. And of course, who doesn’t want to run in a race called The Jackass Half?”

The committee would also like to give a big thanks to all their sponsors, with a special thanks to Local Real Estate, Verdis Engineering and Dave Smith Motors.

“Additionally, we seriously have the best volunteers,” Enich said. “Over 100 volunteers have stepped up to be on the race course, make funny signs, dress up in costumes and cheer on the runners.”