It’s all in the Details
Many say it was the marshmallows. Others cite the abundant massage tables. For sure, the semi-trailer full of hot showers was a top pick. Even the nightly slide show and video are frequently mentioned as highlights.
What is certain is that - despite differences in specific favorite perks at the GORE-TEX TransRockies Run - the runners in this unique event found an array of lavish touches that transcend other events.
There is one contemporary to the TransRockies Run, and it’s called the TransRockies Challenge, the epic mountain bike race that drew over 600 riders to Canada last month for its sixth iteration.
The same people run both events, as well as the TransAlpine Run and the TransAlp mountain bike race, and the depth of Canadian and German event management shows in the little amenities that create not only a series of cool runs each day, but an entire race experience that generates a real sense of community.
Barb Dutrow, who with Carl Gable form Team Santa Fe/Varsity Sports, said, “The organization was awesome. The attention to detail was like nothing I’ve ever seen, because they provide weird little perks. Like, on day two, they provided hot chocolate with marshmallows at the start line, because it was cold. Who does that?”
Mountain bikers at the TransRockies Challenge are accustomed to the tent village that is at the core of the appeal of the TransRockies Run, but ultra-runners are new to this game. But there is something so primal and welcoming about an evening campfire ringed with comfy chairs that it became a natural draw from the first night. Add in some acoustic guitars and hot chocolate, and every night becomes a kumbaya night.
During a conference call months prior to the race, GORE-TEX public relations dynamo Cynthia Amon added her own idea of luxury, “What about the foot baths, who’s going to provide those?” The dead silence that followed meant that Cynthia had to go it alone in sourcing the foot baths, which turned out to be as popular as they were iconoclastic.
The dedicated effort at creating comity paid off on the trail. Laura Thomas, of the Canmore-based Team Peerless Energy, said it was the other racers who made the event special. “The race was way better than I imagined it would be. The other teams were amazing; we all cheered each other and even helped each other out during the stages. We shared water and encouragement the entire way.”
Even with all the ingredients in place, few races get off the ground without an array of volunteers and staff who help in ways seen and unseen. Ross Moody of Austin, Texas, owns a second home in Aspen - and the race finish landed just one block away. He cites Amon as one of the biggest motivators to the outstanding finish he enjoyed with teammate Paul Salazar. “We had finished third two days in a row in our division, but last night I was soaking my feet in the foot bath and said to Cynthia that there was no way we could repeat; I was just too shelled. But she totally motivated me and I remembered that encouragement all day today.”
The service didn’t end when the race did. Susan Murphy of Team PS Adidas summed up the go-the-extra-mile aspect of the entire event, “I was walking into the hotel after the finish today, and a volunteer ran up and grabbed my duffel bag. He insisted on carrying it and said ‘You’ve run all week, I can’t stand to see you shlepping your bag around.’”
This kind of service isn’t easy to pull off, and it isn’t typical. But it’s what makes the GORE-TEX TransRockies the GORE-TEX TransRockies. Prior to this week, there wasn’t anything like it in the U.S., and as we sign off from Aspen, Colorado, we encourage all runners and active travelers to check it out for yourselves.
See you next summer.
