If you are visiting this page, you may have opened it hesitantly given its title. Please do not be frightened, or confuse what this page is about with the original fish slapping dance.
If you are visiting this page, you are probably related to one of us, or you like fly fishing, trail running, craft beer, or some combination of the three. And if you are at all like us, you realize that your best running days are behind you…
Hence the Flyathlon, a venue where you can suck at running, yet still win a trophy (Top Fundraiser, Biggest Fish, Smallest Fish). And while I wish that we could have Flyathlons every weekend, we can’t, so what does a runner who isn’t very fast but who really likes to fly fish and drink craft beer do on those off weekends…?
Fish Slap an established race. Duh.
It is a shit-ton of fun.
Our challenge to you, fellow flyathletes, is simple. Bring your fly rod with you on your next someone-else sanctioned trail race, catch a fish somewhere just off the race course, take a fish picture near their race bib (adhering to Keep Fish Wet principles as best as possible), then finish the race before missing any cut-offs. And then have a beer (or whatever your post-race jam is)...
Below is a gallery of races that we collectively have Slapped. Use your imagination, as all sorts of trail races will work…
run. fish. beer. (including during other people’s parties)
The Official FISH SLAPPED List:
Imogene Pass Run: Andrew Todd (2014)
Lead King Loop 25K: Daniel LeMoine (2015)
Moab 240 Endurance Run: Jason Wooden (2019)
Bear 100: Jason Wooden (2020)
Standhope 60K: Jason Wooden (2020)
Staunton Rocks! Marathon: Andrew Todd (2021)
Suffer Better Fall Trail Run 25K: Kristine Hoffman (2021)
Suffer Better Fall Trail Run 25K: Katie Mazzia (2021)
Suffer Better Fall Trail Run 25K: Brian Kouba (2021)
Suffer Better Fall Trail Run 50K: Andrew Todd (2021)
Eltuck Valley 12K: Erik Holmlund (2022)
Suffer Better Fall Trail Run 25K (2022): Katie Mazzia, Arianne Rhea, Stacey George, Hayden Allan, Jim Rudolph, David Heller, Phil Snyder, Nick Leuck
Hardrock Hundred Endurance Run: Bryon Powell (2023)
Run the Rockies Trail 10K: Katie Burgert (2023)
Staunton Rocks! Marathon: Andrew Todd (2023)
Plain 100: Jason Wooden (2023)
Suffer Better Fall Trail Run 25K (2023)
Kesugi Ridge Traverse (2023): Bryon Powell
The WILD: V5000 (2023): Bryon Powell
Crazy Mountain 100 (2023): Nick English
White Pine 50 (2023): Michael Braman
Cherokee Ultra 70K (2026): Josh Palaski