Ultra Santa Fe Tests Ultra-Endurance Athletes and the Uphill Inclined

By Ultra Santa Fe, August 30, 2017

Anxious runners start their race in the dark on a chilly fall morning, many heading off into the dark for more than 12 hours on the trail. The scene is lit with the orange glow of mercury vapor lights flooding the grass in front of the lodge at Ski Santa Fe.  The runners’ headlamps are bright white lights bobbing into the darkness down the trail.  It will be at least an hour before the sun starts to brighten the eastern horizon.  The start of the second Ultra Santa Fe begins on Saturday, September 2.

These people are seasoned trail runners; the added challenge of darkness enhances the adventure of a trail ultra-marathon.  At the inaugural Ultra in 2016 more than 200 runners came from 14 states and 2 countries to run on the trails in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe County open space and Santa Fe’s Dale Ball trail system, more are expected this year.  Santa Fe is fast becoming a trail destination.

Trail running and ultra-marathoning are growing in popularity as more people discover the adrenaline fueled dash down single track trails dodging rocks and trees and skirting precipitous drops and the monumental feat of running all day long.  Runners carry much of what they need on their backs in specially designed packs.  Hydration bladders firmly anchored in these packs carry up to 2 liters of water.  Using a hose that snakes from the backpack to the racers’ mouth runners’ drink on the fly.

There are aid stations along the way.  These aid stations have food and water that runners can use to re-supply for the next leg of their race.  The aid stations are between 8 and 13 miles apart and can take 2-3 hours to get from one to the next.  Ultra  Santa Fe is one of the most difficult ultramarathons because of the significant climbing.  Fifty mile racers will climb around 14,000 feet as they navigate the rugged course.  The winner of the inaugural 50 mile race completed the course an hour faster than second place, finishing in 11 hours and 56 minutes.

Like 2016, the 2017 Ultra uses many of the popular trails above Santa Fe, starting and finishing at the host Ski Santa Fe.  Racers cover either 50 miles, 50 kilometers (31 miles), 13 miles or one mile straight up two black diamond ski runs.  All routes use some of the most popular trails Santa Fe has to offer.

Most of the trails are within the boundaries of the Santa Fe National Forest, one of these, the Winsor National Recreation trail is like the spine of the courses.  The courses connect and diverge from this trail adding side loops to aid stations.  Fifty mile and fifty kilometer racers climb up this trial from very close to the bottom and trailhead near the village of Tesuque. Then they scramble to enjoy the Bear Wallow/Borrego triangle and another aid station at this trailhead.

The three longer distance races follow the steep and rocky Rio En Medio trail from Ski Santa Fe along a rushing creek. Half marathon racers turn off quickly onto the Winsor National Recreation trail and head for the Big Tesuque trail and campground where they will find their first aid station. This first bit of Winsor trail funnels runners through mixed conifer forest where the fresh “piney” smell and gravity help runners reach that euphoric state before the long climb  back up to the top of the mountain. The hour or longer climb is what builds the huge sense of satisfaction after the race is over for the half marathoners.

A very popular race is the Uphill Mile.  This test of aerobic capacity and leg strength ascends two Black Diamond ski slopes starting at the lodge and finishing at the top of the quad chairlift.  Racers can take the chairlift down after their battle with gravity.  The winner of the inaugural event in 2016 flashed to the top in just over 16 minutes a sure test of mental toughness and physical ability for sure.  Many people competed in this event while waiting for their friends or family to complete the longer distances.

This year runners hit the trails on September 2, Labor Day weekend.  There will be chairlift rides, live music, a beer garden and food available for spectators at La Casa Lodge at Ski Santa Fe.  Trail maps and more information can be found at www.ultrasantafe.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @ultrasantafe.

Many of the trails on the Ultra Santa Fe race courses are open and usable today because of hours of volunteer labor.  Remote sections of the Borrego, Rio En Medio and Viejo trails were cleared by Ultra Santa Fe and Santa Fe Fat Tire Society volunteers packing in chain saws and hand tools to make the long neglected trails useable for everyone.

If you go:

Saturday September 2, 2017

50 mile start 4 am

50 KM start 7 am

13 mile start 10 am

Uphill Mile start at noon, with a free chairlift ride down.

Start and finish are at La Casa Lodge at Ski Santa Fe.  There will be food and beverages, live music and chairlift rides.  First finishers should be starting to arrive around noon.