GORE-TEX (TM) TransRockies Challenge

Stage 4
Leadville, CO to Chapman Campground
28.3 miles/2994 ft climbing

2007 TransRockies Run Results »

The penultimate stage of the 2007 GORE-TEX TransRockies Challenge is the one for the superlatives—longest, highest, most remote. With clear blue skies and the snowcapped 14,421 foot peak of Mount Massive looming over the racecourse, most of the racers would argue that Stage 4 was also the most beautiful of the event so far.

Leaving from Turquoise Lake just outside Leadville, racers headed uphill for the first ten miles, reaching a maximum altitude of 12,000 feet at the top of Hagerman Pass on the Continental Divide. The climb was grinding and relentless, with loose boulders and rocks, making it unrunnable for all but the strongest teams. The second consecutive long day of running took its toll throughout the field and many more teams opted for a tow system on the descent as well as the climb to balance the workload and get to the finish line.

As they have since the start of the event. Eric and Kyle Skaggs of Team Montrail took off early on the climb distancing the rest of the competition and crossing the top of Hagerman Pass with a 5 minute lead over Team Gore-Tex Vortex who weren’t able to follow the long-legged pace of the Skaggs on the descent as they stretched their lead to over 15 minutes by the finish where they crossed the line in a time of 3:44:18, once again finishing ahead of all fastest finishing time projections.

In the Masters Division, the Run with GORE-TEX duo of John Dimeo and Robert Steele broke through for their first stage win after three days of knocking on the door. They came across the line in a time of 4:11:23 to snag the glory and close their deficit in the overall classification to 8:50 behind the Flying Monkeys who gutted through a tough day to finish second in 4:15:32. With the 18 mile Basalt to Aspen leg remaining, first place overall is still up for grabs in this category.

With stage and team racing being new concepts in running, teams are developing race tactics as they go along—some adapted from adventure racing and some by trial and error as the days go along. Though the top few placings have been steady, the standings are shaking up as teams who have conserved energy start to surge forward in the later stages and those who burned their matches early in the event pay the price.

The campground at Chapman is a pristine and appropriate setting for the last night of the inaugural GORE-TEX(TM) TransRockies Challenge, ringed by low wooded hills with fall colours beginning to turn. With one shorter stage left to go, the energy and smiles are running through the campsite with the promise of the ultimate finish line in Aspen, the finisher’s t-shirt and the big party to follow.

Stage 5 Preview
Basalt to Aspen
18.25 miles/2200 feet climbing

The route of the final stage follows the valley south and west from Basalt to Koch Park in the tony resort of Aspen. The rolling urban trail rolls while climbing steadily to a finishing altitude of 7950 ft meaning that the runners still have to climb 2200 feet and run over 18 miles before they get the exclusive t-shirt.