RCC Run the Woods

03/30/2026

11/15/2025

Congratulations to Brad Waldron, of The Rusty Duck in Dexter, on being named the Iowa Restaurant Association's 2025 Rural Restaurateur of the Year! The Rusty Duck has been a long time sponsor of the RCC Run the Woods Race!

Brad Waldron didn’t buy a destination restaurant—he built one. In 2004, a friend tipped him to a little place down a road he’d never driven. The bar was covered in blue s**g carpet, the building needed everything, and the price was high. Brad countered, kept the heavy old flat-top (which he still uses today), and went to work.

Twenty-one years later, diners drive from hours away—and even from Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia—for steaks, burgers, and exacting, warm hospitality. Waldron is the Rusty Duck’s keeper of details. Now with his son by his side, he cuts his own steaks from fresh, choice boxed beef and grinds trimmings for hand-patted burgers.

In 2011, his business trajectory was set when he earned “Iowa’s Best Burger.” Later that year, he added Top Ten Tenderloin honors. The rush grew; the old school standards didn’t budge. Salads go out on chilled plates and hot food hits the table the moment the bell rings.

For building a rural institution on craft, discipline, and heart, the Iowa Restaurant Association and award sponsor the Iowa Egg Council present Brad Waldron of The Rusty Duck the 2025 Rural Restaurateur of the Year.

11/10/2025

Here are the race results from this weekend!

11/09/2025

Mark your calendar for next year!

11/08/2025

Huge congrats to our RCC Woods Woman and Woods Man: Allie Eggleston & Joshua Kettelkamp

11/08/2025

More photos from today’s race
11/8/2025

11/08/2025

Photo Dump from Today’s Race

11/08/2025

It’s time for some fun!

11/07/2025

The cannon goes off at 11:00am on Saturday!

11/04/2025

A big thank you to Earlham Echo, a longtime supporter of the RCC Run the Woods race! The Echo has been keeping our community informed and connected for years with stories that matter most right here at home. Their commitment to sharing local news and supporting community events like ours truly makes a difference.

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