A Grassroots Event with Small Town History!

The Blue Ribbon Run was founded in the early 1980s by Ken Safranski and Joe Zimmerman. According to race director, Terry Morris, Ken started the race because he thought the Kendall Mountain Run was too far to run! In keeping with its grassroots spirit, the original entry fee was a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, and prizes were odds and ends sourced from Kenny's garage — a charmingly informal start to what would become a beloved community tradition.

At some point the race lapsed until Terry Morris spearheaded its revival in 2022, with roughly 130 runners turning out. His goal was to make it an annual event going forward. This year, the Blue Ribbon Run will be taken over by local nonprofit, Silverton Wild, whose focuses include community enrichment through outdoor activities and fundraising events. Silverton Wild is committed to continuing to honor the spirit of the race that Ken, Joe, and Terry worked to build and preserve.

The race is a free community event that gratefully accepts donations for our local preschool, Silverton Family Learning Center. Beginning at Memorial Park, with 5k, and 10k distances, the run follows a scenic perimeter course around the town of Silverton. All finishers receive a prize and a freshly made rhubarb bar provided by Friends of Silverton Library. And of course, there’s the bragging rights as you join the rest of the July Fourth celebrations in our beautiful little mountain town, the ‘Epicenter of the San Juan’s’!

Event's current local time: 2:21 PM MT