Runners of all ages enjoy Ice Breaker Race

When Brittany Stevens, Cascade County Sheriff Department deputy and county court bailiff, read about a Los Angeles Police Department officer who ran a marathon in her full uniform, it sparked an idea.

"I thought a small version would be fun," she said.

Rather than a marathon, Stevens decided to run the 3-mile Ice Breaker Road Race in full patrol gear. She thought it would be a nice way to honor Deputy Joe Dunn, who was killed in the line of duty, and to raise awareness of the sacrifices other fallen heroes have made.

Stevens recruited five of her colleagues at the Sheriff's Department to join her in the run, along with Robynn Dunn, widow of Joe Dunn, and their two kids.

Robynn Dunn was touched by Stevens' plans when Stevens first told her the idea.

"I love it," Robynn Dunn said before the race. "I love it that people are constantly looking for ways to keep Joe's memory alive."

Before the starting gun fired to kick off the 3-mile race, Stevens and five other patrolers suited up behind the Great Falls Police Department. They wore they're full uniforms and all the gear they typically wear.

"Everyday patrol gear is what it is," Stevens said.

That everyday uniform weighs about 30 to 40 pounds. Some of the deputies wore their boots, others opted for running shoes.

Robynn Dunn and her kids, Joey, 6, and Shiloh, 4, wore T-shirts honoring Joe Dunn. Joey and Shiloh got to enjoy the race from the comfort of a stroller.

The goal of the whole group wasn't to win the race, but rather to honor, remember and raise awareness.

Runners with a wide variety of goals took to the streets Sunday for the 36th annual Ice Breaker Road Race.

Rowan Judkins, 6, was looking for a win in the 1-mile race. However, she was facing tough competition from her sister Becca, 5.

"I'm most excited about getting gold," Becca said.

Rowan and Becca ran the 1-mile race with their father. Their mom did the 3-mile and their grandmother, Kathy Milling, did the 5-mile race.

This was the first Ice Breaker Road Race for the whole family, Milling said, and it may be the start of a new family tradition.

Louise Mitchell, 82, is a longtime veteran of the Ice Breaker.

"I've run it maybe 30 times," she said, after crossing the finish line in the 3-mile race. "I've missed maybe two times."

Mitchell has also done 20 marathons, the last in 2011.

At the 2013 Ice Breaker, Mitchell suffered a heart attack just after crossing the finish line. Recovery from that was hard and slow, but Mitchell didn't let it keep her from the Ice Breaker.

"I ran last year too," she said.

A total of 3,537 runners took part in the Ice Breaker on Sunday, according to Patty Rearden, race director and deputy director of Great Falls Parks and Recreation. That's on par with last year's 3,564 participants.

"Considering the weather, we had great turnout," she said.

Temperatures were a little chilly during the race, in the high 30s and low 40s, but many runners appreciated the lower temperatures.

"I think people had fun," Rearden said.

If Mitchell was one of the most experienced runners at the race on Sunday, Charley Goroski was one of the newest members of the sport.

Just seven weeks old, Charley "ran" the race in stroller, pushed by her aunt Mary Anderson.

Despite her young age, Charley was registered as an official participant in Sunday's race. Her race bib was pinned to the stroller and she even got a medal when she crossed the finish line.

"We knew she was going to run it ever since she was born," Anderson said.

Josh Goroski, Charley's father, hopes this is the first of many running events for his young daughter.

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Erin Madison at 406-791-1466. Follow her on Twitter @GFTrib_EMadison.

The 36th Annual Ice Breaker by the numbers

Total participants: 3,537

5-mile runners: 528

3-mile runners: 1,678

1-mile runners: 1,331