Broken Arrow 3.5K Ascent: Bouge Leads M70-79 to the Summit

• Richard Bouge (1st, 50:47) set the pace at 23:21/mi, finishing nearly seven minutes clear of the field.
• Daniel Perrot (2nd, 57:29) crossed at 26:26/mi, edging Phil Adrian (3rd, 59:04) by one minute and 35 seconds.
• All three finishers completed the ascent through thin air at elevations up to nearly 8,000 feet — a genuine feat at any age, let alone past 70.

Three men in their seventies took on the Broken Arrow 3.5K Ascent at Palisades, Tahoe, climbing through high-elevation terrain where the air thins noticeably above 7,000 feet. The conditions — 65°F, 17 mph winds, and just 19% humidity — added a drying edge to an already demanding course, and for athletes who may not train at altitude, every step upward carries an extra tax.

Richard Bouge, 72, of Boise, ID, was the clear standout. His winning time of 50:47 at a 23:21/mi average left no doubt at the top of the M70-79 field, and he pulled away decisively from the moment the race began, moving from 236th to 234th in the men's field on the Snow King to finish segment. That's a man running his own race, untroubled by what was behind him.

Daniel Perrot, 70, of Rocklin, CA, came in second at 57:29 — a 26:26/mi effort — while Phil Adrian, 70, of Grass Valley, CA, rounded out the three-man field in 59:04 at 27:10/mi. Perrot held off Adrian by one minute and 35 seconds, a meaningful gap on a course this short and steep. Adrian moved from 268th to 270th in the men's field on the final segment, suggesting the closing climb took its toll, while Perrot gained two spots to finish 265th — the difference between someone who steadied and someone who faded just slightly in the altitude and wind.

A field of three is a small one, but finishing a mountain ascent at high elevation past the age of 70 is not a small thing. Bouge, Perrot, and Adrian all made it to the top.