ST. LOUIS — The balloon race results from last week show that the winners are as follows: Kurt Vitense with 1st place, followed by Walt Rudy in 2nd place, and Aaron Gebhart claimed 3rd place.
The 2023 Great Forest Park Balloon Race took place at Emerson Central Fields in Forest Park on September 15 for the glow event and September 16 for the race. The weekend attracted over 130,000 spectators for two days of outdoor entertainment.
Kurt Vitense flew the Raising Cane’s banner, Walt Rudy flew the STL Made banner, and Aaron Gebhart flew the Purina banner.
About the race:
In the race, 30 out of the 50 balloons took flight, while 20 remained tethered at Emerson Central Fields. Some balloons drifted towards Illinois or The Hill, while others performed low-altitude launches, with three balloons even landing back in the same field from which they had launched.
The Great Forest Park Balloon Race follows a Hare and Hound-style format, where the PNC Bank balloon, named “Bank on It,” leads as the Hare. The other balloons, known as Hounds, launch later in pursuit. The pilot who drops a bean bag closest to the Hare balloon’s set target is the winner.