A Colony Christmas tradition

PALMER — Over 200 people ran through the Palmer wind that kicked up this weekend for the third annual Running of the Beers from Bleeding Heart Brewery’s location on Inner Springer Loop to their new location in the back third of the Alaska Picker building in downtown Palmer.

The third running of the beers serves as the ceremonial last event at the farm. When runners made their way into the Alaska Picker building under the Palmer water tower, the section soon to become Bleeding Heart Brewery was empty, awaiting construction and a new taproom for Bleeding Heart.

The iconic neon pink silk cross-country shorts adorned with Bleeding Heart’s logo were donned by many of the 250 runners, but only one man was brave enough to wear the silkies without warmer clothing on underneath.

Wasilla High football offensive coordinator Matt Jaronik won the race in former Wasilla High standout and current Colorado State University Pueblo runner Alison VanPelt’s absence. VanPelt had torched the field as a high schooler during the first two iterations of the Running of the Beers, but Jaronik lead the field from start to finish in a time just over 23 minutes.

“I actually enjoy the run. The evening run in downtown Palmer is kind of nice and the afterwards stuff is pretty fun too,” said Jaronik.

The first two Running of the Beers drew massive crowds to wear pink shorts and drink beer with friends. While pre-registered participants get their first beer purchased on the house, the race is less focused on competition and more centered around camaraderie. Bleeding Heart employee Taylor Raftery stood behind the counter in a packed Bleeding Heart and served beer to racers prior to the start.

“I think it’s about supporting the community, celebrating Colony Christmas, lighting up the tower and trying to include everyone so you could walk run crawl or bike,” Raftery said.

While snow was not present during the race, cold windy conditions canceled the fireworks show that usually follows the parade. The lighting of the iconic water tower in downtown Palmer began as a labor of love when Bleeding Heart’s Stefan Marty and Zach Lanphier teamed up with Alaska Picker’s Kelly Turney and the Palmer Fire Department. The trio were raised up on a ladder and strung lights around the platform around the tower, leaving it lit throughout the Christmas season. The ceremonial lighting of the tower at 5 p.m. now holds a tradition as the start of the Colony Christmas parade.

“I think it’s adding its own tradition with the light on top of the water tower. I think that’s awesome. It’s bringing new things in,” said Lena Andrist.

While some running enthusiasts do care about their time, many wear Christmas themed costumes, lights, or decorative sweaters during their run.

“It’s actually super fun because it’s so nonchalant, it’s like anyone comes out and you just go with your friends and I think it’s a lot less stressful which is nice, which makes it actually enjoyable. It’s amazing,” said Carly Venzke.

While many residents suit up in Christmas themed costumes, one runner was dressed up in his work attire. None other than Santa and Mrs. Claus ran in the Running of the Beers on Saturday.

“The thing that’s special about this race is that it’s a prep for the big day on the 25th and it gets all my joints and bones all ready,” said Santa.

While many of the participants that are too young to enjoy the products that Bleeding Heart serves go along the trail in strollers, 11-year-old Ian Naylor who attends school at Larson Elementary enjoys the winter race, straying from the usual trails he runs on during cross-country and track seasons.

“I think it brings kind of like a little bit of joy and a lot of just sense of community and things like that because everyone gets out together and goes and runs,” said Naylor.

Bleeding Heart will not have a taproom between the end of 2019 and when they open up their new location in Alaska Picker sometime in late spring of 2020. Marty said that the race is a way to give back to the community they grew up in, the same community that supports Bleeding Heart.

“This one, I think is the end of the current era,” said Marty. “Next year we’re going to be offering a new thing, we’re not going to do the pink shorts we’re going to do something new and next year also new track and hopefully a huge turnout because it’s going to be the first time we’re doing it in our new location so next year is the big year of change and we’re really looking forward to it.”

The Running of the Beers trail that has been utilized three times stretches from Inner Springer Loop around the Palmer Golf Course, past Palmer Junior Middle School and around the baseball fields and tennis courts in Palmer before stopping at Alaska Picker. The new course offered next year will pay homage to Palmer’s auto racing history of yesteryear, but will still draw both beer and running enthusiasts from around Southcentral Alaska.

“I think you bring in people, because I live in Anchorage so I think you bring in more people from other places that don’t live in Palmer,” said Meghan Paulson. “It’s a gorgeous location so it gets dark during the race but when you start the mountains are white with snow. It’s beautiful, it’s not like when I run in Anchorage in the city, all the races are downtown Anchorage and it’s busy. Out here it’s just like, this nice, peaceful chill.”

A Bleeding Heart Brewery stalwart since the early days, Steve Paine dressed in a Santa Claus tracksuit and finished in a respectable time despite the inclement weather. Crediting Paine with assisting Marty, Lanphier and Turney with the conception of the idea for the Running of the Beers and lighting of the water tower, Paine got to plug in the two extension cords that lit up the Water Tower with colored lights. This year, the lights extend all the way down the legs of the iconic structure. With no more Colony Christmas Triathlon for runners to compete in during the Colony Christmas weekend, the whimsical Running of the Beers has carved out its own place among the many traditional Christmastime activities found around Palmer during Colony Christmas weekend. Kelsey Taylor took his holiday gift wrapping more seriously than his running attire, finishing the 5K in a large, wrapped box. Taylor was proud that even in a large cardboard box with wrapping paper, he did not finish in last place.

“It’s a Colony Christmas miracle,” said Taylor.