A Great Starting Race for Trail Ultra Running
February 26, 2015Maybe you’ve been running marathons for years and are a little bored, or perhaps you’ve made your way into the ultra running trail scene, but haven’t quite been able to take the plunge into running your first 100 miler. Looking for just the right excitement to get you going? Then I have a race that might be just what you need!
Set in Colorado’s beautiful Rocky Mountains is a race called TransRockies™ Run. It’s only 120 miles (as compared to the length of other multi-stage ultras) over a period of six days with 20,000 feet of elevation gain, which makes it completely do-able for the beginner ultra runner. Great swag, friendly volunteers, a top quality race director (he’s Canadian!), killer scenery, and the most superb catering I’ve ever seen at a race. Okay, so you’re thinking, “This race sounds epic!” That’s because it is. Let me tell you why it’s worth every penny and why you should do it.
No, it’s not cheap, so to speak. However, compare it to some other multi-stage races and TransRockies™ Run is a complete bargain. It includes all your food, the most talented and professional medical team, an awesome bag as part of your swag that I use all the time when I travel to Colorado (the load-up-on-gear-while-in-CO bag!), heavily staffed aid stations, tents that are set up/broken down for you, a phenomenal course with stunning views, and a race director that puts on the most well organized event I have ever been a part of. By the end of the week, I could see where every dollar went and I felt satisfied that I got the most bang for my buck.
Beautiful Course
I was fully impressed by the course throughout the entire week. The climbing is no joke, so you must train for hills, but you’re generously rewarded with awe-inspiring vistas that will simply take your breath away every time you reach the top. The Colorado Rocky Mountains never fail to impress. Likewise, when one goes up, one must go down, so there’s a tremendous amount of downhill running that you’ll want to prepare your quads for. The daily course typically ends with downhill running, so you’ll be gleefully enjoying the downhills knowing you’re nearing the finish for the day. No uphill finishes at this race!
5 Star Support
The race never felt understaffed in any area, which gives racers more time to enjoy themselves than worrying about whether they’ll have enough to eat that evening. The volunteers were wonderful and helped me multiple times when I kept losing my stuff, and eventually gave me a hat to block out the sun when I officially lost my sunglasses for the third time. The medical team alone was unlike any medical team I have seen at a stage race of this size. They were incredibly observant, proactive, and professional. I was a racer who needed medical support, and they provided me top-notch care throughout the week, ensuring my successful finish. Not sure how to tape your feet or fix blisters? Don’t worry. They even have a tent with its own staff just to tend to blisters and taping, which is a rare sight at stage races.
The food provided at TransRockies™ Run is hands down the best you could possibly ask for. The menu caters to vegetarians, gluten sensitive runners, and vegans. There was always something for everyone. Oh, and their avocado dressing was to die for! There is an evening where grilled vegetables and Portobello mushrooms are offered on the menu, too.
Life Long Friendships
Let’s not forget one of the most important aspects of a race. What are the racers like? My first impression was, “Wow! I’ve never seen so many fit people together at the same time before.” There are some seriously fit runners at this race, and the combined experience of all the racers would blow your mind, but without the pretentiousness that might intimidate a rookie. The thing that makes stage races so much more fulfilling than your single day 50k race is that you have time to hang out with fellow racers and build life long friendships. The stages aren’t so long that you’ll be running into the evening so you’re left with plenty of down time to rest, socialize, and hang out with other runners. I absolutely loved that I could hang out with my friends and have a social life every day while at TransRockies™ Run.
So if you’re looking for a 5 star, well organized, exciting, challenging, fun race with manageable stage distances, fantastic food, unmatched medical support, and a experience you’ll never forget while making like-minded friends, then this is the stage race to add to your bucket list. As TransRockies™ Run boasts, this event is truly summer camp for trail runners!
To learn more about the race, visit the website of TransRockies™ Run .