Trail love. Photo: Erin Bibeau Photography

Mother Nature threw us a few spring curveballs out there on Saturday, but She deterred nobody. A huge and sincere congratulations to everyone who came out to toe the line this weekend, from the seasoned veterans to the crazy first-timers who chose to make the Quad Rocker their virgin 50 miler.

We had some fast finishers on the trails and we had some great stories from the front of the pack to the back. Indeed our last 50 miler to the 25 mile turn posted perhaps the most impressive back 25 miles of anyone on the course. Oza Klanjsek was the only person who resisted the temptation of the post-race BBQ and actually upgraded to the full 50 … 25 miles and 6 hours 33 minutes into her race day.

The only view anyone had of Oza on the back 25. Photo: Milan Klanjsek.

All other 50 milers after her either dropped out or missed the cut offs. Oza not only finished but ran a negative split to pass 14 other runners and finish in 13:03:06. We haven’t checked all of the splits but we’re pretty sure no one runs a negative split on our course.

We’re also incredibly proud of our final 25 mile finishers Molly Watkins and Debra Powell. Molly decided early this year that after giving birth to her son Ewan she would challenge herself with the longest (and toughest) run of her life. Molly trained hard to get ready for the event, so all of us in the Fort Collins trail running community were super excited to see her get the job done, and she couldn’t have had a better trail companion than Deb Powell who stuck with her all day.

At the pointy end of the field, we had some fast times and exciting race action. In the women’s races we had two Boulder(area)’ites take top honors.

Kerry Bruxvoort rolling through the Arthur’s Meadow. Photo: Erin Bibeau Photography.

Kerry Bruxvoort ran uncontested the whole day, staying strong for a comfortable win and new course record (9:23). She was followed by Wyoming’s Becky Wheeler (9:42) in her first race back after a long injury lay-off, and rounding out the top three was Kris Klotzbach (10:15), finishing in exactly the same position as she did last year.

Silke Koester from Boulder was our 25 mile winner, looking smooth all morning in setting a new course record (4:20). She was followed by soon-to-be Fort Collins’ite Emily Warner (4:28) who ran all morning with her significant other Ryan Quinnelly as they checked out what will soon be their new backyard trails. Rounding out the top three was Nancy Citriglia from Winter Park.

Silke Koester. Photo: Erin Bibeau Photography

The men’s 50 mile field featured some seasoned mountain ultra vets, a two-time Olympian, and a U.S. Olympic Marathon alternate. Mike Aish showed his Olympic pedigree by leading out the race through the early going, making the turn in approximately 3:30, followed in short order by Josh Arthur, Ryan Burch and Paul Hamilton.

Josh Arthur getting it done in the 50 mile race. Photo: Chris Gerber.

Josh took the race by the scruff of the neck on the return 25, making it three wins out of three in his 2013 campaign (7:44). Watch out for Josh at Leadville this summer. Local runner Paul Hamilton wasn’t looking so hot at the turnaround, but somehow managed to rally for a really impressive second lap in his first stab at the distance, finishing just six minutes off the winning pace in second. Rounding out the top three was local favorite, last year’s winner, and still the course record holder, Ryan Burch (8:00). After a slight wrong turn early in the second lap, pre-race favorite Mike Aish faded to fourth (8:14).

Dane Mitchell came back this year to avenge his navigational mishap from 2012, posting a flawless and uncontested 25 mile win in a new course record time of 3:25. Andrew Catalano (3:40) and Andrew Bock (3:45) rounded out the top three in a finishing field of 176 25 mile runners.

There were 111 50 mile finishers, with approximately 61 calling it a day after 25 miles.

Dane Mitchell charging up the final climb in the 25 mile race. Photo: Erin Bibeau Photography

At 1:30 in the afternoon, we let loose the kids in the second annual Dirty Feet, Healthy Smiles one mile race. The kids all thoroughly enjoyed themselves before going back about the important business of rolling around in the mud.

The little Liddles making their parents proud. Photo: Shannon Price.

Of course, we couldn’t put on the kind of race we aspire to put on without the magnificent help of our sponsors and volunteers. We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to live in the kind of town where people don’t even need to be asked to volunteer because hanging outside at an aid station, marking or tearing down a course, or helping with any other number of necessary jobs is their idea of fun. To our volunteers, a MASSIVE thank you; you were easily the biggest source of compliments we had all day from our runners.

And of course a big thank you to our very generous sponsors. Both Pearl Izumi and Cornerstone Home Lending (Hunter Team) came through in a big way to support our little event, and we ask that you consider supporting them if you’re in the market for high-quality race apparel and shoes, or a home mortgage (see reverse side of your race bib for a generous offer from Cornerstone Home Lending: tell Jimmy we sent you).

Cat Speights gets it done in the 50. Photo: Photo: Erin Bibeau Photography

We’re also heavily indebted to our community sponsors, all of whom are linchpins in the local running community: Countryside Vet (Dr. Cat Speights), Justin Liddle DMD, and Colorado Physical Therapist Specialists. On-course nutrition was provided by First Endurance, and post-race schwag by Smith Optics, Highgear Altimeters, and Ultraspire Hydration. As always, Runners Roost Fort Collins came through in a big way with equipment, supplies and post race awards. We had beer from local brewery Pateros Creek, drinks from IZZE and the Bellevue Bean, and killer cookies and cinnamon rolls from Great Harvest Bread Co.

Thank you all.

The Roost was on site. Photo: Erin Bibeau Photography

Pateros Creek Brewing fuels the post-race party. Volunteers from Animal House Rescue staff the BBQ. Photo: Erin Bibeau Photography.

Arthur’s Aid. Larimer County Search and Rescue volunteers helped to staff our aid stations. Photo: Erin Bibeau Photography

Lindsay Martin having a little too much fun. Photo: Erin Bibeau

For more images from the day, please visit Erin Bibeau Photography. Digital images are available for download starting at 99 cents and print options are available too.

And a final note: if you left anything behind at the race, there is a good chance it is hanging out at Runners Roost in the lost and found pile. We also have one runner looking for a Polar GPS unit, so please email us if you found that.

Looking forward to seeing many of you in 2014 at the same place and approximately the same time. Or even better, we’d love to see you later in the summer at one of our shorter events. On August 31 we will be hosting the inaugural Black Squirrel Half Marathon in Lory State Park, followed October 6 by the sixth running of the Blue Sky Marathon, Fort Collins original and only Trail Marathon.

Be GNARful out there!

Mike Hinterberg leading the way under Arthur’s Rock. Photo: Erin Bibeau Photography

Packet pick up will be at Runners Roost on Friday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. The Roost is located at 2720 Council Tree Ave #112, just west of I-25 off the Harmony Rd exit. If you can, we ask that you come by Friday to pick up your race gear to help smooth race day parking and sign in. Pearl Izumi will be at packet pick up for anyone interested in demo’ing their new E:Motion shoe line.

Bib numbers will be distributed race morning beginning at 4:30 a.m until 5:20 a.m. Please keep bib numbers visible during the race, and the pull tag at the bottom intact. Those of you who can’t pick up packets Friday afternoon, EFS gel flasks will be distributed with your bibs in the morning.

The race will begin at 5:30 a.m. sharp, so we recommend you give yourself plenty of time to get your bib and do whatever it is you do to get ready to run 25/50 miles. Race packets, including T-shirts, will be available after you finish if you don’t pick up on Friday at The Roost.

Parking passes will be distributed at packet pick up on Friday or by parking volunteers at the entrance to the park in the morning. Lory Park will be open for parking at 4am. Carpools will be given priority parking close to the start at the Soldier Canyon trailhead. All others will be directed to the Timber trailhead parking area and down the main park road to loop left back towards the start on the Lodgepole Loop. Parking on Lodgepole will be on the right (east) side of the road. The earlier you get there, the closer to the start you’ll be parked. Directions and parking details here.

Horsetooth drop bags must be dropped off by 5:15 a.m. There will be a short pre-race briefing five minutes before the start. Bib numbers have been assigned on the entrant list if you want to pre-label your drop bag with name and race number. Horsetooth drop bags will be returned to the start/finish area by 5:00 pm. It is a 20 minute drive from Lory to Horsetooth if you need to pick up your drop bag before then.

Aid station fare is detailed here.

The Bellevue Bean Coffee Shop in Bellvue will be open from 6:00 a.m. if crews need to get food, coffee or tea after the start of the race. We will also have a (limited) supply of BB Coffee at the race start for runners and volunteers. The Bean is the most convenient stop for crews, spectators, and volunteers to get coffee, food, and wifi on race day. The shop is 3.5 miles from the race finish. Exit the park on 25G and turn north on 23 to the corner of Rist Canyon Rd in Bellvue.

Pateros Creek Brewery will be providing a special English Mild brew, ‘The 51st Mile,’ for the post-race BBQ. Please remember to bring an i.d. if you wish to partake. Runners will receive a meal ticket in their race packets. For those bringing family/friends who didn’t order extra meals when registering, food and brews will be available for $10 (cash). All proceeds will be donated to the Animal House Shelter along with race sponsorship funds from Countryside Vet. The race is also benefiting Larimer County Search and Rescue.

Lee Holiday and the Time Off will be playing at the post-race BBQ from 12:45.

In addition to the Pateros Creek recovery blend, First Endurance’s Ultragen recovery drink will be available post race, as will massage and PT help from Colorado Physical Therapists.

Since March we have had a 1,000 acre+ fire in Lory State Park and 5 feet of snow, including 2 feet of snow in the last week. The snow has melted out super quickly, and we expect – but are not guaranteeing – reasonably dry conditions for Saturday. There is rain in the forecast for this week, and the current forecast for Saturday shows a high of 60 and a chance of rain. Conditions should be great for running, but bring a layer or two for after the race.

Needless to say, the the last two months have been challenging for Lory State Park officials. We are incredibly thankful for all their hard work in getting the park reopened. Ten bridges on the lower valley trails burned out during the March fire, and thanks to the heavy snow since then, the parks have not yet had a chance to rebuild. This means we will have a very minor re-route of the course. Details as follows & updated on race website and on race map:

Runners will take the Lory Service Road all the way to the Arthurs Rock trailhead (mile 2) rather than hopping on the East Valley trail at Eltuck picnic area. From Arthurs, runners will run the West Valley Trail to Sawmill rather than the East Valley Trail. Additionally, in Horsetooth, some trail work on Sawmill has resulted in a slightly lengthened section of trail there. 50 mile finishers will return through Arthurs via the West Valley Trail, run the road to Eltuck and then finish on the East Valley Trail. The current loop comes in at about 26 miles, a quarter mile longer (give or take a quarter mile) than last year. We consider this year’s slightly altered route to be no faster or slower than last year’s course.

There will be an unmanned water drop at the intersection of Westridge and Timber on the 7 mile stretch between Arthurs aid and the Start/Finish.

Course markings will be pink ribbons, hung every 1/4 mile or so, with a run of three ribbons leading up to and beyond each turn. Flour markings on the ground will supplement at key intersections.

Activities for family and friends:

Trails are open to everyone to enjoy all day; however, crewing outside of designated areas is not allowed. There is a BMX bike park right by the start/finish area, so feel free to bring a bike for the kids. Trails are also open to bikes. The reservoir is just a short walk down from the start/finish area and there is a small cove ideal for paddling or submerging battered legs. There will be a half mile kids race (half (closed) road, half trail) beginning at 1:30 ish.

Crew access info is available here.

Early 25-mile finishers who want to shower before the post race can use the facilities at Horsetooth South Bay, located at the southern end of Horsetooth Reservoir off 38e by the Stout sign and shop. Showers are coin operated and cost $2. It is an approximately 15 minute drive to get there. Alternatively, a cold dunk in the reservoir is also available.

And, finally, if you have questions that can’t be answered here or on the race website, feel free to drop us a line and we’ll do our best to get back to you.

On behalf of Pete, myself (Nick) and our outstanding battalion of volunteers, we look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.

Cheers!

Gnar Runners Event Management

Management of the Blue Sky Marathon, now in its sixth year, has been transferred from Blue Sky Events to Gnar Runners, but the original mission remains: to raise funds for running- and outdoor-related beneficiaries, and to put on a race that showcases local Fort Collins trails and appeals to a broad section of the running community. For 2013, the race has received approval from Larimer County to expand the field to 275 runners. We have added an extra hour to the race cut-off, now eight hours, to give a broader range of runners adequate time to finish.

The new Black Squirrel Half Marathon will begin and end at Soldier Canyon in Lory State Park on August 31, and like the Blue Sky Marathon is designed to appeal to new and experienced trail runners alike. The course is a fun, single loop around the park, and like all Gnar Runner events will conclude with a post-race BBQ.  Registration will be capped at 350 runners.

A discount is available for the Blue Sky and Black Squirrel races for those who register for both at the same time. The early-bird registration fee for the Black and Blue Double is just $99.

We are especially pleased to announce that Colorado Physical Therapy Specialists is backing the Black and Blue Double as the top sponsor, and will be onsite after both races.

I’m sure most reading this already know that two weeks ago Lory State Park had a pretty major wildfire incident. Given that the Quad Rock Trail Races start and end in Lory and use the trails extensively, you’re probably wondering how the fire has impacted the event. The short answer, thankfully, is that it really hasn’t. We are not expecting to have to implement any kind of re-route, our start/finish area at Soldier Canyon is still intact and now that the fire is out, it appears to have largely been a grass and scrub fueled incident confined to the lower valley area of the park. So that’s the good news.

Training run

The not-so-good news. Footbridges, water bars and fencing in the valley and on the valley trails have largely been burned out. This means lots of grunt work before the park can re-open (see below if you want to help out), and the timeframe the park is looking at is about three weeks from now (3/28), which means that we will not have access to Lory State Park and its trails for our planned April 6 training run. However, the good folk at Larimer County Open Spaces have agreed to let us use the pavilions at the main Horsetooth Mountain trailhead for our meet-up and post-run barbeque, which means the training run will go ahead as planned on April 6th at 8:30 am, just from a different location.

The post-run BBQ is still planned for between 1:00 & 2:00 pm, and we will have samples of the new Pearl Izumi E:Motion line for people to try at that time. In addition, we will have Ultragen recovery drink available post run and some EFS Liquid Shot samples pre run. The coupon code on the sidebar of this website has been activated if people want to purchase First Endurance product from now until race day on May 11.

Parking at Horsetooth is first-come, first-serve and while the lot is large, if the weather is nice it fills up quick. If you plan on coming, we encourage you to carpool so that we’re not hogging a ton of spaces. For those that do not have an annual Larimer County Parks pass, parking is $6 per vehicle (regardless of residency). We will provide charcoal, burgers and veggie burgers; consider bringing something else to share. If you fancy a brew post-run, please make sure it is 3.2% or lower and in a can (per park rules). We will also have a donation jar at the BBQ for people who want to chip in for the cost of food supplies. All proceeds will be donated to restoration efforts at Lory.

As far as route options go, obviously people can run whatever they choose, but for organized options, we’ll run the Horsetooth section of the course as far as Loggers, cut back to Sawmill and then down to Stout to get back on course. One loop of that will put us in the 13-mile range, so obviously if you double down you’ll get a nice little marathon workout. Depending on demand, we may have a one-loop meet-up option.

Please email registration@gnarrunners.com to let us know if you plan on attending and if you’d like a later meet-up option for one loop. An idea of numbers would be very helpful, so please let us know! We’ll update the training page of the website with details as we have them.

Want to help out at Lory?

There are volunteer clean up days this Friday & Saturday March 29/30 starting at 9am at the Lory visitor center. If anyone wants to help, please RSVP to Mitch at mitchell.diede@state.co.us. There are 10 bridges in the park that will need to be rebuilt and Mitch will be recruiting smaller crews to help with the construction work. Please contact Mitch directly if you think you can help with any construction work, sourcing building materials, or just want to make a donation.

Thanks, and hope to see you April 6!

Samples of the new Pearl Izumi E:Motion trail shoes and ultra apparel line will be available for runners to test after the run. First Endurance EFS gel will be available at the start to sample on the run (please bring an empty gel flask as most of the EFS will be from refill jugs, although we may also have a limited number of EFS gel flasks). First Endurance Ultragen recovery drink will also be available after the run.

Details

Date: April 6^th
Start: 8:30am at the Soldier Canyon Trailhead at Lory State Park.
BBQ Potluck: 1:00pm – 4:00pm (please bring something to share or a few dollars to contribute for picnic area rental, BBQ supplies, food and other misc.) Only 3.2% beer is allowed in the park.
Fees: No registration is required. Runners are responsible for their own park entrance fee ($7 day use per car if you don’t already have an annual state park pass. Carpooling strongly recommended.)
Schwag: we sure hope so.

For further details, please visit the Training Page on the race website.

Local trail and ultrarunners Cat Speights, Justin Liddle and Terry Gebhardt have once again stepped up to show their support for the Fort Collins running community with sponsorship of the Quad Rock 25 & 50 mile races through their fantastic businesses.

Dr Catherine Speights is not only a highly accomplished distance runner, but the go-to small animal vet in the running community (and beyond). Her practice, Countryside Animal Hospital, specializes in personalized care of dogs and cats in a home-like setting. Funds from the Countryside sponsorship help support race beneficiary Animal House, which in turn provides volunteer support for the post-race BBQ. It’s a win-win, folks.

Justin Liddle (DMD) and his family moved to Fort Collins a few years ago from New Orleans in search of mountains, trails and a dental market. And they found them all. As an accredited prosthodontist, Justin will put your smile back together next time you take a major mouth-first digger into a solid piece of granite. Or, if you want some bridge work done, he can do that too.

Terry Gebhardt is the owner of Colorado Physical Therapy Specialists, a primary care provider for all your orthopedic needs. COLPTS specializes in sports injuries, neck and back pain, chronic pain, and women’s health. Ask any runner in town who puts them back together, and chances are Terry’s team will be first on the referral list.

Product support for the Quad Rock races come from a range of great companies.

First Endurance will be providing race fuel with EFS Liquid Shot gel flasks for every runner (refillable at all aid stations on course) and post-race recovery with Ultragen.

Overall and age group prizes will come in the form of packs, sunglasses, altimeter watches and running gift vouchers from four great companies: Ultraspire, Smith Optics, Highgear & Runners Roost Fort Collins.

And it wouldn’t be a celebration of trail and ultrarunning in Fort Collins without a craft brewer helping out with the post-race festivities, so we’re super stoked that Pateros Creek will be back at the BBQ offering up their special batch of “51st Mile English Mild.”

Please support our sponsors – they are all local to Fort Collins or the Mountain West. We couldn’t do this without their kind support.

The overall awards will distributed as follows:

1. Award + $350* + Sponsor Product + free 2013 entry
2. Award + $150* + Sponsor Product + free 2013 entry
3. Award + $100 Runners Roost Voucher + Sponsor Product + free 2013 entry

Course Record Bonus: $100
Course Record + Time Bonus: $200

To win the time bonus, winners must run under 7:30 (men) or 9:30 (women).

Age group awards (Open (under 40) & Masters)

1. Award + Pearl Izumi shoes
2. Award + Sponsor Product
3. Award + $25 Runners Roost Voucher

In the 25-mile race, prizes will be as follows:

Overall

1. Award + Pearl Izumi shoes + free 2013 entry
2. Award + Sponsor Product
3. Award + Sponsor Product

Age groups

1. Award + Pearl Izumi shoes
2. Award + $30 Runners Roost Fort Collins gift voucher
3. Award + $20 Runners Roost Fort Collins gift voucher

Sponsor Product will include: Smith sunglasses, Highgear altimeter watches, and Ultraspire packs.

All other finishers will receive an award for finishing. Other sponsor goodies will be raffled during the awards for each race.

The popular 2012 Pearl Izumi Quad Rock shirt modeled by Donnie at the Run Rabbit Run 100.

All entrants will receive a high quality form-fitted Pearl Izumi tech T-shirt in both men’s and women’s sizing. Runners will also have the chance to win Pearl Izumi shoes from the new E:Motion line (coming out in February), and enjoy discount opportunities on Pearl Izumi merchandise at the Runners Roost packet pick-up the Friday before the race.

The New Pearl Izumi E:Motion Trail M2

Co-race director, Nick Clark, has been run-testing the new Pearl Izumi E:Motion line for over a year now, and competed in a prototype pair of the Trail M2′s at the 2012 Leadville 100 – taking them to a hard-fought third place finish. The Trail M2 (midfoot support / cushion 2) is Nick’s personal favorite from the new trail line.

“The M2 offers perfect support for my slightly pronating foot strike, in addition to cloud-like cushioning for those long-haul runs, and just a beautiful toe-off for really fluid running. The shoe also holds the foot perfectly while still managing to offer tons of room in the toe box for great trail feel. And this all comes in a lightweight 9oz package.”

The New Pearl Izumi E:Motion Trail Racer - or - N1

Nick adds that, “for a faster, lighter and lower to the ground feel at shorter distance trail events, I’m also a huge fan of the Trail N1′s, which offer great traction, a slipper-like fit and fluidity like no other trail racer I’ve run in.”

We couldn’t be happier to be working with Pearl Izumi, a local company that shares our ideals of quality in performance, even in the Gnarliest of conditions and in the most demanding of locations.

This means that the 2nd annual Quad Rock will go ahead as planned on May 11, 2013.

We are in preliminary discussions with sponsors and vendors, but the event focus will be much the same as last year: great course, impeccable marking, great awards, great food, great music, and tons of fun for everyone.

Registration will open in December.

Backburn from Timber Trail

Scrub burn above Timber Trail in Lory

Looking west from Lory Westridge into part of the burn area in Redstone Canyon

Timber Trail Fireline

]]> http://gnarrunners.com/2012/10/high-park-fire-has-no-impact-on-quad-rock-course-2013-date-set/feed/ 0 http://gnarrunners.com/2012/05/innaugural-quad-rock-50-race-recap/ http://gnarrunners.com/2012/05/innaugural-quad-rock-50-race-recap/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 14:59:58 +0000 Pete http://gnarrunners.com/?p=588 Continue reading →]]>

The typical views of our prominent Horsetooth and Arthur’s rocks remained shrouded in mist on race day. (Photo by Eric Lee)

The sun didn’t shine, the ridge lines were lost in the mist and yet we still had a great day at the inaugural running of the Quad Rock 50.

A total of 219 runners toed the start line, with 125 in the 50 mile race and 94 in the 25 mile race. When it was all said and done, 99 runners finished the 50 miler and119 completed one loop for 25 miles, with 26 registered 50 milers calling it a day after one trip across the Fort Collins skyline.

In the men’s 25 mile race, Loveland resident Dan Goding came home with the win in a time of 3:33, after leader Dane Mitchell took a wrong turn at the three-way coming down off the Spring Creek trail. Just three minutes back in second was Scott Jaime in a strong showing for team Pearl iZumi, one of the race’s title sponsors. Zach Crandall rounded out the top three, just 30 seconds back of Jaime.

Ryan Burch leading the Quad Rock 50 Mile race. (Photo by Erin Bibeau)

With a 25-mile split that would have finished him fourth in the one lapper, Ryan Burch charged through the turnaround and headed out for his second – reversed – loop with almost the whole field to say ‘hi’ to on his way back up the Timber trail towards Arthurs Rock. The gap between Ryan and second place finisher Jim Rebenack was relatively small, but stayed essentially the same for most of the second loop, with Jim closing slightly to finish six minutes back of Burch. Jason Koop finished third with yet another strong run in his loaded 2012 season, and Patrick Stewart rounded out the sub-8 hour finishers.

Our first finisher in the women’s 25 mile race was Eliza Walthers in a time of 4:44, closely followed by Kelli Picon (4:47:26) and Jenn Malmberg (4:47:56). At the turn for the 50-mile race Jenny Pierce, a palladium miner from Livingstone Montana, had close to a ten-minute lead over local favorite Steph Lynn. The gap would stay close for most of the second lap, with Steph fighting some stomach demons, but gaming through as best she could to finish a quarter of an hour back of Jenny’s 9:51 winning time. Third across the line was Kristine Klotzbach from Parker, CO in her first 50 mile race, which she completed in its entirety with her husband Phil.

Just a week after winning the masters division of the Colorado Marathon, Cat Speights – owner of race sponsor Countryside Animal Hospital – came home for the masters win in the Quad Rock 50, a most impressive double. Ryan Philips from Sturgis, SD took home the master’s victory in the men’s race.

Despite the dank and cold conditions, runners huddled around the campfire post race to listen to the rhythm and blues of Lee Holiday and the Time Off, enjoy a special batch of “Mile 51 Mild” beer from Pateros Creek Brewing, eat food barbecued by volunteers from the Animal House Rescue – a race beneficiary – receive cowbell awards and prizes from race sponsors including Cornerstone Mortgage, Justin K Liddle DMD, Colorado Physical Therapy Specialists, Pearl iZumi, Smith Optics, Highgear, and Runners Roost.

The race of course could not have happened without the help of our amazing core of over 50 volunteers, drawn mainly from the ranks of Colorado trail runners from Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver, and even as far away as Colorado Springs. Of all the praise we received after the race, the most commonly heard comment was how great the volunteers were. You guys rocked. Thank you. And thank you also to all the runners who took part, the two park jurisdictions (Lory and Horsetooth), our kind sponsors and to Mother Nature for not raining us.

Our dedicated team of volunteers camped out in the mist on top of Towers Road. (Photo by Eric Lee.)

Maggie and Lindsay entertaining our 50 mile finishers at the last aid station with Tu point Tu miles to go. (Photo by Eric Lee)