By HPRS RD John Lacroix

There is a lot of push and pull working as a full-time race director. There are tremendous victories, and gut punching failures. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that few runners will never know about. I’ve been told often that success is when the house is burning down and no one even noticed. 95% of the work in putting on a race is done in the months, weeks, and final days leading up to the event. The work isn’t typically on race weekend, it’s leading up. I’ve often said that, once I say “Go” the work is done and now it’s all about putting out fires. Every now and then, those fires rage like wildfire behind the scenes and this year’s Franklin Mountains Trail Runs was one of those times.

Behind The Scenes

My original game plan was to hit the road for El Paso, from Denver, on Tuesday afternoon. It’s January so naturally there is the risk of a snowstorm preventing my departure and that’s exactly what happened. In the days leading up to the event, I moved departure from Tuesday afternoon to early Wednesday morning, then ultimately to Thursday due to the storm’s timing. I spent Wednesday at home shoveling the 8+ inches of snow that fell Tuesday into Wednesday. I finally pushed off for El Paso at 4:30am on Thursday Morning.. arriving at 4pm the same day. After unhooking the trailer I continued pre-race prep now a day delayed, and well into the night.

We set up camp at the start/finish line in Franklin Mountains State Park. I feel like it was unseasonably cold for El Paso, with nighttime temps dipping down into the 20s. I had my 0˚ sleeping bag with me, but that wasn’t enough to allow restful sleep on ANY of the nights. While I was able to lay down and rest, I wouldn’t say that the sleep was restful. I laid up every night with my brain feeling like an out of control freight train of information, hoping I didn’t forget everything or that everyone is okay. Not sleeping adds to ones level of exhaustion as you can imagine.

On Friday we started the King and Queen of the Mountain event at 7am. I got course markers off and running at 8am. Around 9am I went into town to continue preparing for the remaining races of the weekend which includes filling water jugs, filling propane tanks, shopping for food at Costco, and transporting course markers around the course. Upon my return to FMSP in the morning with a truck full of water, I noticed two fire trucks and an ambulance driving up and down the park road like they were looking for something. I stopped the EMT and asked if they “were looking for a runner?” They were…   

We unloaded the water from my truck as quickly as possible. I got my volunteer Lauren ready to go for a Search and Rescue mission. We drove to Sneed’s Cory Trailhead and immediately met with the fire chief and his crew. I was informed that a runner in our event called 911 because he was lost, but they think they have him located and traveling in the right direction. This runner showed up to the event 30-minutes late because he “didn’t know where the start was,” so he started late. He reached the summit of the mountain then began his decent. Other runners mentioned seeing him near the top, wearing the wrong clothes for the weather, no food or water on him, and stumbling. Naturally.. when you deprive yourself of the basics, you tend to make poor decisions. Instead of heading back the way he came, down the west side of the mountain, he continued down the east. Once he realized he made a mistake, instead of climbing back up and over the mountain… he called 911.

The runner told 911 that he was lost. He was on a trail, heading downhill. I wouldn’t call it lost, but would call it “not being where I’m supposed to be.” Thanks to technology, we were able to get a pin of the runner’s GPS coordinates. The fire department was able to describe to him a safe way to descend the East side of the mountain where he later ran into a few hikers. He walked out with those hikers, and they gave him a ride back to his car. Fire out.

The 50-Mile race for this event is the only event that started outside of the Tom May’s Unit of Franklin Mountains State Park. It started in the south at McKelligon Canyon. We wanted to have 50-mile runners park at the finish line and transport them in a motor coach to the start line. This way their vehicles would be at the finish for whenever they are done. I spent $800 for a motor coach, and it never showed up. The 50-milers all parked where they were asked, and we used vehicles to transport them the half mile from where they parked to where the bus would pick them up. They were now standing out in the cold at 3:45am with no bus. After speaking with the bus company, we had to spring into action. We had two HPRS Staff vehicles, and 3 other vehicles of runner’s families who were there to support. We put the 50-milers into these vehicles and drove them to the start ourselves arriving at 4:30am. Fire out.

While traveling back to FMSP, I saw emergency vehicles on Transmountain Highway. I would later learn that there was a traffic stop, and one of the passengers of the vehicle fled the stop. This passenger was a wanted fugitive, and he was running from the authorities. He fled off the highway and down onto where the 50-mile runners were now traveling through. Yes.. there was a fugitive on the run on the 50-mile course during the race. Next thing you know there are choppers overhead, flying very low to the ground, as they conducted a manhunt. Federal authorities arrived at the Lost Dog aid station, surprised to see our aid station. They asked what was going on and were told that a trail race was taking place. They answered with “F*Ck… everyone is running?!”

Federal authorities even profiled one of our runners because he was wearing a poncho hoody. They stopped him mid race for questioning, ensuring that he wasn’t the fugitive disguising himself by running in the race. While I’ve never seen anyone run an ultra wearing a poncho, I also don’t know where a fugitive would have found one out on the course and threw it on. It is to my understand that the fugitive was later captured. Fire out.

Also on Saturday I had a runner send me a direct message asking where packet-pick-up was. She stated having been in the state park to pick up her packet at 2pm Friday, even though packet pick-up was between 4 and 7pm. She said she went and looked around and no one was there, even though we were at the start/finish (where pick-up is) sorting aid station items from the trailer and we never saw her. I respectfully told her where and when she could pick up her stuff and this is how that conversation went…

Then we had a runner in the 50-mile who couldn’t figure out how to navigate the course. He ended up rage quitting the race at the 50k mark, returned to the start finish line, and decided it was a good time to read us the riot act about how poor a job we did in executing the race. In his opinion it was the worst marked course in the history of trail and ultra running. I asked him which of the tools provided him did he use to help navigate the course (the answer was none). Because I dare transfer ownership of the situation over to him, he now wanted to engage in a fist fight.

Here is what all runners were provided:
• The course was marked by volunteers using florescent pink ribbons, and laminated signs with arrows at critical junctions where multiple courses intersected.
• We provided runners with a pdf of the maps which they could download, print, and use. You could also print these maps, then transfer the routes on to a map you may buy at REI or pick up at the start park visitors center.
• GPX files of the course you can download, then upload to your watch.
• GaiaGPS app for live tracking of yourself EVEN WHEN THERE IS NO CELL SERVICE
• CalTopo app for live tracking of yourself EVEN WHEN THERE IS NO CELL SERVICE. Seeing as the runner was in the 50-mile.. we could also live track him on our end. This is free of charge, and the runner did not follow the instructions to set it up… claiming his wife’s phone had no service. Again.. using the app to navigate works even without service.

The runner didn’t use ANY of these, and instead blamed us for a terrible race experience.

We had various runners fall on both Saturday and Sunday. Some broke their face, we saw two broken fingers, we pulled about 35+ cactus thorns from a runner’s butt. I dug gravel out of a runner’s knee and shin. I couldn’t help the runner who had the tip of a yucca break off in her wrist because of how invasive the surgery would be. We had more blood, open wounds, and human pin cushions at this one race than any other in our history combined.

This weekend ended up being the 2^nd largest race we have ever directed at HPRS. 270 runners showed up to run with us at The Franklin Mountains Trail Runs. Races spanned three days. We got a later start, still made the 900-mile trek, hosted a great event, then drove 900 miles home. A lot goes on behind the scenes. Normally the work is indeed done once I say “Go,” but the Franklins threw every curveball it had at us this weekend. It was trial by fire to make this race happen, to ensure everyone got home safely. Just a friendly reminder that you never know what the race directors are going through to make an event happen. Not everything is their fault or within their control.

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Again, I have some people to thank for helping us achieve the success that this past weekend’s event truly was.

First and foremost, THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO.

THANK YOU. These words seem so trite considering the amount of time and energy you pump into this event with us. I said it leading into the race, and again at the race, “I direct 15 races, this being the only one not in Colorado. The El Paso community supports us in ways that no other town ever has for the 77 other events I have directed in my career.” I know this sounds like a knock to our home state of Colorado. It’s not. It’s simply stating a fact that El Paso’s support is second to none. They support us in spreading the word, by signing up, by bringing family and friends to volunteer, by helping us obtain permits, and so much more. Thank you for being the shining example of what rallying around an event can and should look like.

MARK WANCHO

Mark is an El Paso local who is passionate about the local trails and supporting local mountain bike and trail running events to ensure they are a huge success for his community. Mark has regularly organized group runs on the course to help locals train for running in the FMTR. He helped us mark countless miles of trail, did trail work to ensure safe passage, helps us make connections in the community so we can obtain proper permits, works with us in ensuring timely clean-up, and helps be our “boots on the ground” liaison with our land managers. He is a diamond in the rough and I hope the people of El Paso appreciate Mark’s efforts as much as we do.

Franklin Mountains State Park, Texas State Parks, and Cesar Mendez

Cesar is the park manager for Franklin Mountains State Park, and it is obvious that he loves this event. Cesar even ran and finished the 50k one year, and the Lone Star 100k another. Without his leadership, Franklin Mountains State Park would not be what it is today, and this event would never happen. It is his passion for, and leadership in, the park that allows us to host this event. We thank him for his guidance, willingness, and being our connection for permitting through Texas State Parks. Thank you to him, Texas State Parks, and the entire FMSP staff.

Borderlands Mountain Bike Association

The ultras don’t happen without BMBA. They man the Bowen’s/Roundhouse Aid Station on the East side of the mountain. They mark all of the trails from West Aid to Bowen’s, and up to North Franklin Peak, and sweep them for us too. We are proud to partner with this awesome organization and donate a modest amount of money to them every year to help them in their own mission and vision for El Paso trails. We’ll also be helping them make some signs this year so that all locals know who cares for the Roundhouse area of the park.

Team RWB El Paso Chapter

Team RWB is a vital piece to the success of this event. They give us the most volunteers of any group in the local area, they bring dozens of runners to the event, and it’s their spirit and camaraderie that adds to the “feel” of the event. We are proud to partner with this military organization and providing soldiers a reason to get off base, and do something for themselves, as they have done so much selflessly for our nation. We cannot get this event off the ground with the help of Team RWB.

The “HPRS A-Team”

I can’t do this one alone and I had to request a little help from my closest HPRS friends. Emily Royal has the unfortunate position as my wife, but also volunteers her time as HPRS’ assistant race director. She fills in the many gaps I am more poorly equipped to handle during long events like this, does a tremendous job in ensuring that questions are answered, and all runners are accounted for. Miguel Isaza is on our Advisory Board and I requested his assistance in helping us achieve a bi-lingual race experience for our Spanish speaking friends. He also worked countless hours at the Pavilion and did a lot of the heavy lifting of race supplies. Lauren Swigart, worked my same time schedule all week long, but handled a number of the roles that I can’t cover while managing the other aspects of the weekend. Her tireless effort did not go unnoticed. Then the rest of the Colorado crew who lent a hand: Stephen Wilfong-Oliphant, Michelle Wilfong-Oliphant, Jason Moore, RJ Bunch, Anne-Marie Schmidt and Larry Schmidt. Thanks for making it feel “more like home” gang.