Transrockies Run
Day 2 - Across Hope Pass
News Release / 11.08.2016
After a successful Stage 1, sore legs were sinking in this morning but motivation was a high as the TransRockies runners set forth for Stage 2 - Vicksburg to Twin Lakes, 13.2 miles, 3,400 vertical feet.
The morning brought crisp mountain air, blue skies, and lots of coffee and food as runners fueled up for the day. Beginning at 6:45am, runners loaded the buses and traveled 30 minutes down the bumpy dirt road to Vicksburg where the TransRockies arch was set and ready for the 8:30am start.
Today's stage was very different than yesterday's course - more climbing and less heat. Although runners had lower mileage today, they faced the added challenge of elevation and altitude as they climbed 3,400 feet up, topping off at beautiful Hope Pass (12,508). The climb to the summit of Hope Pass is one of the most difficult parts of the TransRockies course, yet the most rewarding view and ascent of the week. The technical terrain of loose rocks, boulders and switchbacks gave runners a real taste of Colorado's trail running. Luckily Colorado's storms did not impact the day, allowing runners to see the beautiful and clear panoramic views of Colorado. After Hope Pass the hard part was over and runners continued down the 3,000-foot decent, finishing at Twin Lakes.
By mid morning the cheering around the finishing arch grew louder as teammates David Laney and Ryan Ghelfi (GU) came rounding the corner in first place with a time of 2:02:12. Less than 30 seconds after was Max King (Salomon) and in third place were teammates Martin Gaffuri and Yoann Stuck with a time of 2:06:15. For the rest of the morning and afternoon the finish area was the spot to hang out. Runners continued to cheer in the finishers, snacked of recovery foods, and took trips to soak their bodies in the ice-cold Twin Lake Reservoir.
Tomorrow, runners begin Stage 3 of the TransRockies RUN6 and RUN3 as they depart from Leadville and head to Nova Guides Camp, 24 miles away and 2,700 feet of elevation gain. For those participants in the RUN3 - tomorrow will be their final day, but with clear skies in the forecast and beautiful scenery they will be sure to end on a high note. Best of luck to all runners and have a great time out there tomorrow!
You can find the days results at http://zone4.ca/results/6bb7660c-5e8d-11e6-a92c-003018c04ae6
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