Domenick D'Amico (in red) hauled himself up the embankment above Bear Creek on Sunday in the Falls Series II race.

PHOTOS
Fall Series II, Gallery 1
Fall Series II and Kids' Race, Gallery 2
Fall Series II Kids Race, Gallery 3

VIDEO
Start of the Fall Series II
Amanda Ewing tears up the rope climb

Results here

It was nothing more than a clump of prairie grass, but it provided the hand-hold that runner Amanda Ewing need to pull herself through the infamous rope climb at Sunday's Fall Series II race in Bear Creek Park.
"The ropes aren't as bad as they look, but for some reason today I got a little stuck at the top of the climb," Ewing said.
Ewing was one of the fastest to reach the top of the 60-foot embankment, but she had to get creative to lift herself over the edge. The grass offered some purchase and the Colorado Running Company runner pounced on the trail and sprinted for the finish line. Ewing, 30, of Colorado Springs, covered the 4.5-mile distance in 36 minutes, 26 seconds.
"The ropes are challenging, but it makes it fun," she said. "These (Fall Series) races are all a blast to do."
About 380 runners took on the challenging cross country course - which included the rope climb and hay bale obstacle at the finish line - designed by Fall Series race director Larry Miller.
Alex Nichols (Inov-8/Colorado Running Company) won the men's race, in 28:20, while Pete Maksimow (28:58) and Justin Ricks (30:04) placed second and third respectively. The win gave Nichols, 26, of Colorado Springs, the series lead. He has a combined time of 51:34 after two races
Regina Hammond, 37, of Colorado Springs, finished second in 37:40 to capture the series lead. Nicole Rosa was third in 38:16.
But none of the women in the race could touch Ewing, who is in excellent condition. She plans to run the remaining Falls Series races. She'll be tough to beat.
Ewing clocked set a person best in the marathon earlier this month, clocking 3:03 at the Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis. Her previous best time was 3:14.
"Everything just came together that day," she said.
Ewing's coach, Colorado Running Company co-owner and store manager John O'Neil, adjusted her training plans with tempo runs following long runs. The results were obvious.
"We tried to run fast on tired legs," she said. "It made a huge difference."
She was surprised to see the 3:03 marathon finish. Ewing knew she had her personal best, and told herself to slow down and enjoy it. But her legs had other ideas.
"I ran the last mile in the exact same time that I ran the first," she said.
The next Fall Series race is set for Oct. 30 in Ute Valley Park. The race begins and ends on the Eagleview Middle School track, 1325 Vindicator.