[Editor's note: Barb Dutrow is a CSR member with numerous marathons, mountain runs and ultras under her belt. Most notably, she was on one of only 14 teams to successfully complete the 1996 500 km Eco-Challenge Adventure Race.]
For all of you ultramarathoners, this is the race for you!
The Colorado Relay, a 170 mile event, starting in Idaho Springs, CO (30 miles east of Denver) and ending in Glenwood Springs, CO. Teams can consist 5 ultra runners which run a single leg 30-37 miles or teams of 10 where each runner runs a 10K during a three cycle rotation.
Seventy-one teams began the relay, put on by Colorado Outward Bound, with ultra teams from NM, WI and CO. Team High Five, consisted of Barb Dutrow, and New Mexicans Carl Gable, Tom Garrison, Kris Kern and Slate Stern, with support crew Marianne Martinez.
The race began at 5am, Sept. 15 with Leadville 100 mile veteran, Kris Kern taking on the steep hill climbs. After a 12 mile warmup, Kris entered 6 miles of brutal switchbacks leading up to Guanella Pass about daybreak. He held a blistering pace, dropping the other ultra runners, as he climbed nearly 5000' through the aspen covered mountains, in peak colors, to top out at 11,800'. A long descent followed. He covered his 37 mile leg in 6:20, setting the team up for a great time. Tom Garrison, another ultramarathoner and Leadville veteran, took on the high elevation, trail section. He began by ascending to Kenosah Pass at an elevation of 10,000' before beginning the very difficult Colorado Trail section. Climbing through trees and switchbacks, without support, and at elevations above 10,000' he run up and over Georgia Pass (ca. 12,000') and then down into the Swan River Valley. After 32 miles and 6:43 of running in low oxygen air, he handed off to Carl Gable in Breckenridge. Carl followed the Blue River Bikeway, coming dangerously close to Copper Mountain ski area. A hilly warmup began his ascent over the final pass in the race, Vail Pass at 10,600'. A steep, and fast, descent followed as he made his way to the city of Vail, elevation 8400'. It is now nearing midnight, temperatures are dropping and it is cold! Slate Stern, wanting to practice his all night running skills, took the relay through the night under a nearly full moon. Running along a bikeway, negotiating traffic circles in Vail, he began the gradual decline as he ran along the Colorado River. After 5:29 of running 30 miles in total darkness but under awesome moonlight, he handed off to Barb Dutrow in Eagle. Fortunately these fast times set the team sufficiently far ahead that Barb didn't need to worry about a sprint to the finish (initially talked about in the pre-race psyching out event), though she tried. Barb's relay leg continued the gradual descent. Just after daybreak, the course veered onto yet another Colorado (cement) bike path winding through the spectacular scenery of Glenwood Canyon, floored by the Colorado River. Her pavement pounding ended 33 miles and 4:50 later. She ran into Glenwood Springs and was joined by the team as they ran across the finish line together at 9:28am on the 16th, for a total running time of 28 hours and 28 minutes.
Team High Five won the Ultra division and cut 4 hours 32 minutes off the course record! A great time was had by all.