By HPRS Race Director John Lacroix
I wanted to take a moment to highlight our core values and mission at HPRS as well as talk about how those core values are extended across our Colorado borders to other states we may host a race in.
Since creating The Human Potential Running Series, I’ve made it an integral part of our mission to not only respect the communities we recreate in, but to give back to them as well.
Here in Colorado we’ve adopted ~11 miles of USFS Trail within the South Park Ranger District. We also conduct trail work in the South Platte Ranger District. This year alone our volunteer man hours via trail work surpasses 600. We raise money for Jefferson County Outdoors through registration of both the Sawmill Trail Runs, and the Tommyknocker 12-Hour & Mine Shaft Half. I also am a member of the Outside 285 Steering Committee as the trail running representative working to help create a 10-year plan for recreational trail opportunities throughout the highway 285 corridor.
It is a requirement of entry into the Silverheels 100, Sangre de Cristo 100, and Sangre de Cristo 200-Mile that runners complete 8-hours of volunteer trail work, or buy-out of the requirement with a $150 donation to one of our benefactors. In Fairplay, the Silverheels 100 is the largest fundraiser of the year for 2-Mile Inc, a 501©3 organization that benefits the South Park Rec Center. This year alone we raised over $3600 for 2-Mile High Inc and we are proud to work beside them. In Westcliffe, we now raise funds for Altitude Community Fitness, the areas regional recreation center, through similar efforts.
BUILDING RESPECT LOCALLY
We design our races with the utmost respect for our runners, local residents, businesses and local and federal land management agencies. Our goal is to enhance the trail running community in the towns we host events in and to create a positive experience for all involved.
We’re not the first race series to cross borders in our sport. Aravaipa, Mad Moose, Everlong Endurance, Rainshadow, Trail Racing Over Texas, Go Beyond Racing, and many more… have all crossed borders in their efforts to serve the ultrarunning community at large. We also won’t be the last entity to cross borders in hosting races in other states. Our sport, while a niche community, is a collective community that knows no borders.
So as we created the Razorback Running Revival in Arkansas, we knew we had to continue our mission to give back. So how does that happen when we’re travelling so far from our home base to put on a quality event?
Last year we provided space at our finish line for the Ozark Highlands Trail Association to set up an information table. They also volunteered for us at the Old Locke Aid Station locale and had a great time. To show our appreciation we offered to travel to Arkansas in the spring to conduct a trail work day alongside the OHTA, though we know COVID-19 had different plans for us all. Instead, we donated $500 to the OHTA and plan to do so again this year on top of any trail work we are hopefully able to do.
We also host our event at Lake Fort Smith State Park. We pay a fee for the use of their facilities, which some may argue is “the cost of doing business.” Respectfully, regardless of what the fee represents, it still supports Arkansas State Parks, which we are proud to do. Lake Fort Smith State Park requires payment of 20% of our races revenue to host our event at their site. While we could find other suitable locations to host our event in the area, we choose to support this wonderful state park. Providing them with 20% of our revenue locks them in as the most expensive permit we acquire throughout our entire calendar of events.
Trust us when we tell you, we know how it feels when a corporate entity comes into your community and makes a big splash. We are not a corporate entity. We are a small business owned by an ultrarunner who also wants to give back to the Arkansas community of ultras, not be a scorn on it. We do in fact do our part to give back to the local trails and community. We will travel to Arkansas specifically to conduct trail work when Covid-19 allows. This has always been our plan and intention. Yes, we are a for profit entity, but trust me when I tell you that there is considerable expense with hosting our Arkansas race, and our profit margin is minimal. Honestly, it’s just an awful lot of fun for us to be somewhere else for a change.
For now, while signing up for the Razorback Running Revival, you have the option to donate to The Ozark Highlands Trail Association during the registration process on RunSignup.com. We have a goal to raise $1000 for them this year and we ask any registering runners who wish to thank this amazing organization for their work on this stunning trail, to please give thanks through a small donation. We’ll continue to add our own donation to the fund appropriately.
If you have any constructive ideas on how else way may be able to give back to the Arkansas community while in town hosting the Revival, we’re all ears. We’d love to work alongside you in bettering the ultra community as a whole.