above from Scott Rokis Photography
This is part 2 of a five part trilogy (yes, I know). A collective set of words and images from my 2016 set of ultra running events, that as of this writing will hopefully accumulate to more than 730 of racing miles. This part of the story took me to the San Juan Mountains and the Colorado 200 mile race.
Many of the photos used on this page that are not my own were taken from race websites or social media related to the races. Photos by professional photographers have been purchased in the digital form. If you find one of your own and would rather I don't use it or would like a photo credit given, please contact me directly. runrik @ yahoo.com
Chapter 2 - Colorado 200
The Long Drive
2,234 kilometres Vancouver to Harmels Ranch Resort outside of Gunnison Colorado. I stopped in Boise Idaho and Grand Junction Colorado on my way there. Over 21 hours driving time. A long way to go to run in the mountains.
Ominous looking clouds over the mountains as I approach Colorado from Utah.
Anxiety was high going into this race as I did not complete it in my first attempt last year. A big "DNF" (did not finish) was my only trophy for the time, effort and expense in 2015. I did not want this to happen again.
The weather forecast was going to be pretty much the same as I saw the day before the start: blue skies in the morning with hot sun, thunderclouds build over the early afternoon turning to thunder & lightning storms at high elevations nearly every afternoon. The trick would getting the timing right so not to be held up, or worse, stuck in the middle of a storm on a high pass or exposed peak.
The course is 201 miles with 39,850 feet of ascending and 39,850 feet of descending. The average elevation of the course is greater than 10,000 feet above sea level with the high point being at 12,431 feet and the low point at 8,320 feet.
The day before the race is filled with registration, medical checks, mandatory gear checks & meetings, handing over of dropbags and a lot of nervous chatter amongst runners. At the mandatory meetings, they cover general items like specific race rules (not all races are exactly the same), the race course in general and any minor changes or warnings about the trail they came across as they marking the course in the days leading to the race.
Two hundred miles is a long, long way to travel by foot. It is even a long way to just think of. Planning is done by section or groups of sections based on distances, type of aid available and if your own personal dropbags are at an aid station. I use three dropbags for this distance, where I planned to do shoe & sock changes and replenish carried supplies like food and batteries for lights. Two of the aid stations where I had my dropbags we traveled through more than once, giving me another opportunity to reload without having an addition dropbag. Mine were at Texas Creek (miles 50.8 & 73.5), Dorchester (mile 106.3) and Cement Creek (miles 161.5 and 172,2). Also a factor in dropbag locations were known major creek crossings. Course knowledge from having done most of the route the previous year was an advantage in selecting the dropbag locations.
Race Day: 8AM Start
The first 8.7 miles to Doctor Gulch aid station was on gravel road with an easy incline, climbing about 1700 feet over that distance. I topped up my water bottles and left quickly.
After the first aid station, we ran back down the same road for a mile or so before turning off onto the single track trail, and then started to climb.
John Neff photo
Huge thanks, not only to all the race volunteers, but to Mikey Sklar for pacing me through the last part of this race. I have run through three days and nights before alone, this race extended into uncharted territory, well into the fourth night of relentless forward motion and no sleep. It would have been a scary thing to do alone and likely would have ended in another DNF.
2016 Results
200 Mile Solo Results.
*11 of 16 starters finished for a finishing rate of 69%.
- 1 (tie) - Douglas Long & Travis McIntosh 71 hours 53 minutes
- 3- Sylvia Greer 80 hours 50 minutes (1st Place Female).
- 4- Enrique Maldonado 86 hours 45 minutes
- 5- LIgia Madrigal 90 hours 0 minutes (2nd Place Female).
- 6- Rick Arikado 90 hours 6 minutes
- 7- Simone Valentin Austin 93 hours 12 minutes (3rd Place Female)
- 8- Filip Boelen 94 hours 7 minutes
- 9- Andrea Lopez 95 hours 5 minutes (4th Place Female)
- 10- Alfonso Juarez 95 hours 26 minutes
- 11- Bruce Swanson 95 hours 35 minutes
Relay Results.
- 1- Team Hunters (David Long, Adam Parkison, Willie Roberson, Seth Wold) 59 hours 38 minutes.
- 2- Team RWB (Steve Acciarito, Gia Madole, Randy Morton, Emil Justin Gazda IV) 75 hours 2 minutes
- 3- Team Rugged Running (Sarah Black, Niccole Corradino, Kendra Rossini, Heidi Williams) 86 hours 42 minutes
The really long drive home
- Accumulated ascent = 61,327 feet (18,692 meters)
- Accumulated descent = 60,635 feet (18,482 meters)
- Accumulated distance raced = 301 miles / 484 kilometres
- Accumulated time racing = 122 hours 29 minutes
- Accumulated distance driven = 5582 miles / 8983 kilometres