And They're Off!
Close to 300 runners from all over the world start the third edition of the Gore-Tex TransRockies Run on Aug. 22 in the historic mountain town of Buena Vista, Colo. Approximately 120 two-person teams were setting out on the six-day, 113-mile course from Buena Vista to Beaver Creek.
Mountain Majesties
With majestic, 14,197-foot Mt. Princeton in the background, Heidi Dietrich (No. 039) runs just behind teammate Ly Caroline on Day 1 of the TransRockies six-day run. Rachel Pettengill (No. 147) is on a co-ed team with Gary Whittington.
Railroad Grade
The homestretch of the first day’s 20.4-mile running leg finished on a flat dirt road where the Colorado Midland Railway once ran on its way from Colorado Springs to Aspen. The railroad operated from the 1880s to about 1920, but the tunnels and many railroad ties remain.
Aloha!
This intrepid group of volunteers man an aid station every day on the course. Known as the Luau Aid Station, Marty Kirkland, Karen Stone, Andrea Weckherlin, Andy Weckherlin and Joe Edgecombe dress up in Hawaiian-themed costumes and give out pink plastic hula girls and plastic leis.
There's Always Hope
The 14-mile run section of Day 2 starts with a steep climb up and over the top of 12,600-foot Hope Pass. A day earlier, some 600 runners crossed over Hope Pass as part of the Leadville Trail 100.
Down the Other Side
Once over the top of Hope Pass, runners are greeted with a view of Twin Lakes and the rolling terrain to the city of Leadville, the highest incorporated city in the U.S. But from the top, runners still have 9 miles to go to finish that day’s stage.
Ghost Resort
On the last stretch of Day 2, runners pass through the preserved ghost town of Interlaken on the southern shores of Twin Lakes. The resort thrived from the late 1880s to the mid-1920s, when mining boomed in the area.
Tent City
Every night, runners sleep in tents provided and set up by race organizers. All runners are also provided meals and had the opportunity for massages, sports medicine assistance and ice baths.
Where's My Stuff?
Every day, race organizers transported a small village of equipment, tents, gear and every athlete’s personal belongings to the next campsite. Here former Olympic trials competitor Melody Fairchild looks for her duffel amid a sea of bags.
Front of the Pack
Max King (left) and Andy Martin staked a 7-minute lead on the 20.4-mile first day and still held the lead after Day 4. Here, they’re with three-day Run3 individual runner-up Tim Surface as they head toward an aid station at Ski Cooper ski resort near Leadville on Day 3.
Fast and First
Justin Ricks cruises to the finish line on the third and final day of the 159-mile Run3 event for solo runners. Ricks, a 31-minute 10K runner from Pueblo, Colo., is hoping to qualify for the 2012 Olympic trials marathon.
Anna Frost
Kiwi Anna Frost blew away the women’s field in the Run3 event, covering the 59 miles in a cumulative 8 hours, 32 minutes—48:16 ahead of 2nd place. Frost also placed third at the Pikes Peak Ascent the day before the Run3 began and is heading to the World Mountain Running Championships next.
Cold Soak
Runners found a cold pond to soak their legs after the third day of running. That night runners slept at Camp Hale, the historic site where the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division trained for battle during World War II.
For a Cause
Karl Robohm (left) talks with Dean Karnazes after the 24-mile leg on Day 3. Robohm and running partner Bill Graf are running as Team Livestrong and raising money for Lance Armstrong’s cancer research foundation. Karnazes was running the six-day race with a different partner every day.
Two Canadians
Canadian running pals Carolyn Hawes (left) and Liz Vanderkruk celebrate after finishing the 24-mile run in 4:42 on Day 3. They live and train in Invermere, B.C., and have done several marathons together.
Portable Ice Bath
Ted Russell relaxes in an iCoolsport ice bath after running 24 miles on Day 3. The bath’s cool temperature is provided by a lightweight portable “chiller” that sets the temperature to a chilly 50 degrees.
Mission Accomplished
Glenn Wakefield, a 45-year-old runner from Park City, Utah, finishes the third day of the Run3 event with a smile. He took 14th in the open men’s division of the Run3, finishing with a cumulative time of 12:55:36.
Go Ducks!
Can you tell Denise Bourassa and Ken Sinclair are huge Oregon track and field fans? They used to live in Eugene but now they’ve moved to Boise, Idaho. They were sitting in third place in the 80+ Mixed division through Day 4.
Women's Leaders
Danielle DeGuire and Amlie Fournier cross a creek during the 24-mile run on Day 3. The pair, wearing the pink leaders’ tops, held a slight lead in the women’s open category through Day 4.
Silent Crossing
A solitary runner crosses a mountain stream on a makeshift bridge near the end of the 24-mile section that ended at Camp Hale. For complete results and more information about this year’s Gore-Tex TransRockies Run and Run3, go to transrockies.com.