Goretex Trans Rockies Run
Steady Pace at Altitude Pays Off
Fredrik Ölmqvist / 19.09.2007
Happily we have got used to the high elevation by now as the altitude at Leadville is 3089m (10,134 ft). Getting here for the participants of the Gore-Tex TransRockies Run became a long struggle, totalling 39.4 km with 900m of ascent.
The start at Camp Hale at 8 am was pretty cold, after a clear night. The sunshine and the bright yellow aspens made up for the sore legs and feet. It was a beautiful day and we truly enjoyed the trails. Me and my team mate Elinor started off quite slowly, knowing we were about to run more than 4 hours. She didn’t want to be towed until the second checkpoint, at 20.5 km, 1h 40 mins into the race. I guess it was a wise decision, as it turned out.
Soon after that we passed the third team in the mixed class, only to be caught up later on at a water crossing. Elinor insisted on taking off her shoes and socks, not wanting to risk blisters. (Myself I’m slowing us down at times having to stop to take pebbles out my shoes.) But we felt strong and pulled away on the long last stretch of 10 km on paved road, and managed to get a podium place again, crossing the finish line in Leadville after 4h 15min, just five minutes or so after the second team, NW Nike ACG. Adam Chase and Michelle Barton in Team Running Times again won the mixed category (which is the biggest with 17 teams), 20 minutes ahead of us. At the finish all the runners received a Timex watch with digital a compass.
There are a lot of gifts and prizes. Every night the top three teams are awarded prizes like sunglasses, running packs, watches. So, even if you aren’t fighting for first place and the prize money you are still motivated to put in a strong performance for every stage. Mentioning prize money, in the mixed category the 1st team will be awarded US$3450; the 2nd team: US$1882 and the 3rd team will get US$941 to split.
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