Transcendent
Colorado’s TransRockies Run
While it’s not for the faint of heart and has attracted some of the toughest and most accomplished international trail runners, the TransRockies Run is also among the most welcoming and festive of races in North America.
Colorado has long been a mecca for endurance athletes offering high-altitude training, gorgeous terrain and sunny, mild weather year-round. Three hours southwest of Boulder is the small, unassuming Rocky Mountain town of Buena Vista. With its handful of hotels and restaurants, the unembellished town sits in contrast to its extraordinary landscape and views, making it an apt starting point for the trr, a journey that takes runners nearly 200 kilometres, while climbing 20,000 feet over highly technical terrain with little coverage from the elements. It’s a gruelling test of endurance, agility and mental toughness and yet, now in its 10th year, it’s a massive success.
Although there is a three-day option, the six-day traverse culminates in the posh resort town of Beaver Creek just outside of Vail and is sure to leave runners with a lifelong impression and an enriched sensibility.
Running through silver birch forests, over twisted rock paths, tall grass and aspen trees, through hot, open expanses and a knee-high alpine stream, you are certain to hit a wall, many times. Your lungs will ache, restricted in the thin mountain air. The sun will feel relentless in its bright assault, and you will wonder how it’s possible to feel such humidity despite being above the treeline. When the terrain seems impossible to navigate, you’ll turn a corner and it’ll get even harder. The reprieve of running downhill will quickly give way to the terror of losing your balance (or perhaps a tooth) on the loose rock or overgrown, obscured trail. At the finish line of the day’s segment, however, you’ll be f looded with a sense of accomplishment and a profound respect for the natural world.
Canadian and former national team marathoner Nicole Stevenson sums up why such a demanding event sells out every year. “TransRockies was exactly what I needed. The mountains provided perspective and an escape from life’s busyness. It’s perfect for anyone looking for an active adventure different from the norm.” Vancouver’s Deirdre Douglas calls the event the “best all-inclusive vacation for endurance junkies.”
Support Crew
The trr boasts an efficient and attentive support crew. Given the logistics, the aid stations are pretty spread out – about 10 to 13 kilometres apart, but sinewy and bright-eyed volunteers grab your pack and fill it with water while you scarf down whatever you can of the well-stocked offerings or apply Vaseline to the chafing on your back from your hydration pack. You’ll get to know the volunteers over the six days and you’ll realize they put in just as much work as you to get you to the finish line.
Dining
One of the many talked about highlights of trr is the attention race directors pay to food quality and quantity. Runners can be particular eaters, but the trr provides five-star spreads day in and day out. It’s not just the typical race fare of pasta, bagels and bananas, the catered menus include items such as grilled portobello mushrooms and local chicken breast with peach salsa, prime-rib, salmon and rosemary potatoes, and there are always gluten-free and vegan options as well. Dinners also double as nightly entertainment. There’s a slide show of the day’s highlights and a preview of what’s to come the following day. Race operations manager Kevin McDonald also delivers something of a stand-up act while handing out awards for the day’s top performances. His love of the event and positivity is absolutely infectious.
Sleeping
Fast-working volunteers ensure that tents are put up for runners every afternoon, taken down in the morning and transported to the next campsite along with the athletes’ duffel bags. (Runners simply drop those duffel bags near a designated truck before hitting the start line every morning.)
Although the mountain air is fresh, clean and invigorating, and the stars more like a dreamscape in their prominence, camping at the trr can be tough. The 300 or so tents are in close proximity, and light sleepers will require high-quality earplugs. But, this is definitely part of the experience – roughing it and running hard while sleep-deprived, is part of the epic undertaking. There are hotel options available, but what you gain in a good night’s sleep, you’ll lose in camp community. For New York ’s Malia Mason, feeling part of the group is central. She explains: “The courses were stunning, the staff incredibly upbeat and helpful, but perhaps most noteworthy was how quickly everyone developed a genuine camaraderie.”
Mile 120
The final finish at Beaver Creek is intense. In 2015, temperatures were close to 40 C, but running the final mile below a chairlift, six days of pounding echoing through every inch of my body was nothing short of exceptional. I was simultaneously destroyed and revitalized. I could see the Park Hyatt where the awards dinner would be that night and its promise of pampering luxury was a magnetic force, yet the mountain path buoyed me – seemed to rise up through my ankles and propel me onward. Spiritual, emotional, simply delusional from the heat and effort – whatever the reason for that felt-sense at the finish line it was profound, incredible and life-changing. If you’re ready to confront the very core of your being while earning some serious trail-running cred, then sign up and start training.