Colorado based trail and ultra-marathon series hosts their full calendar of events in 2020, zero cancellations, despite Covid-19 pandemic.
Arvada, CO –
On Saturday December 12th Colorado’s Human Potential Running Series (HPRS) successfully hosted their final event of 2020 in Golden, CO. Even though the participation limit for their Sawmill Trail Runs was reduced from 200 to 75 runners, it marked the completion of hosting their full schedule of events in 2020 despite the challenges presented by Covid-19. They now stand alone as the only major race series in the World to not cancel a single event despite the ongoing pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the running scene especially hard this year as mass participation events all across the world were cancelled. Many events in the trail running scene were held thanks to their traditionally small participation numbers in the hundreds, as compared to tens of thousands who may show up for road races. In Colorado, 68% of all trail races of a marathon or longer in distance were cancelled in 2020. Of the Colorado races that were held, nearly half belong to HPRS. In a landscape where it is predicted that only 60% of all races will return post pandemic, hosting their full calendar is no small feat.
HPRS owner and Race Director John Lacroix states, “I’m a race director, not a race canceller, and I felt an obligation to provide our community with the services they signed up for. We found a way to conduct our events with health and safety in mind, and the year ended up being a huge success. In a sport where quitting isn’t the desired option, we decided to move through the collectively traumatic experience in that one direction we runners know, Forward.”
On May 6th, HPRS was the first major race series to release a black and white Social Reintegration Strategy that outlined their safe return to racing as soon as conditions allowed. Their robust plan included implementing temperature checks, a participant Covid-19 waiver, special wrist bands to identify runners who passed health and safety protocols, wave starts, requiring face masks for all volunteers, social distancing measures, curtailed pre and post-race festivities, and virtual pre-race meetings. HPRS also required runners to be masked at the start/finish line, within all aid stations, and while passing others on the course.
Many runners have expressed profound appreciation for HPRS’ efforts to continue to host their events with a focus on health and Safety. Sanami Fottral, a runner from San Antonio Texas who attended the 2020 Sangre de Cristo Ultras said, “Thank you for making it safe to participate!!! The Sangre de Cristo’s felt totally safe despite so many people and had a really fun vibe!!!” The Sangre de Cristo Ultras ended up being one of HPRS’ most attended events of all time. There were no reports of any runner contracting Covid-19 through participating in HPRS’ 2020 Events.
On July 11th HPRS was the first trail series in Colorado to return from Covid-19 with their Silverheels 100-Mile and Last Call 50-Mile Endurance Runs held annually in Fairplay, CO. They hosted the first official post-Covid 200-Miler in The United States during September’s Sangre de Cristo Ultras. In November they hosted the only post-Covid ultra in the state of Arkansas. As the last runner crossed the finish line on December 12th’s Sawmill Trail Runs, HPRS had done what many thought unthinkable; hosted their entire schedule of 11 events and matched their 2020 series-wide registration numbers with 2019.
The Human Potential Running Series was established in 2014. It is the largest series of ultras in Colorado, and the 4th largest ultra-series in The United States. They host 11 events that span the entire calendar year in Colorado and Arkansas. For more information about their series of events, please visit www.HumanPotentialRunning.com
From HPRS Owner and Race Director John Lacroix:
As the Covid-19 pandemic began to unfold during the late winter/early spring of 2020, my first inclination was to NOT PANIC. I accepted that the road ahead would be challenging, perhaps scary, and in many ways necessary. I chose to not sit idly by while I waited to see what happens. I chose to not quit, something I have asked countless runners to also do over the years. My highest of hopes was to be able to submit the above press release come December, and it is bittersweet that I am even able to do so. I chose to get to work, immediately, to figure out how to move FORWARD.
What we were able to accomplish this year is nothing shy of tremendous, a collectively herculean effort that took our entire community of runners to accomplish. This isn’t the result of a single race director with unmatched tenacity and determination to move forward in the face of adversity; it’s the result of more than 1500 runners and near 225 volunteers. It’s also the result of the hard work of the entire HPRS Board or Directors, who met monthly, to continue discussing ways forward.
Over the years I’ve endured many a naysayer telling me how HPRS will never make it or never be successful. I’ve been publicly shamed and embarrassed. I’ve been told who I need to be, how I need to behave, what to say and what not to say. Yet as the life we once knew prior to Covid-19 came crashing down around us to create a collectively traumatic experience, those voices fell silent other than to ask “How come his races get to happen when others don’t?” Hard work and a dedication to my people, that’s how. I set lofty goals for HPRS each year, goals that many would consider as Big Hair Audacious ones. Goals that if I were to listen to the keyboard warriors among us, would never be attained.
In 2020, I not only directed my Colorado record 50th endurance event ever, I even got to run in one of my own events for the first time ever as well. Despite the pandemic, we met all of our goals in 2020. We held our full series of races becoming the only major series in the world to do so. Thanks to our two new virtual series’, and the newly designed Fat Ass Series, we exceeded our 2019 registration numbers with an 11% increase. To some these numbers may seem small and inconsequential, but a quick look at the numbers for all other races held in Colorado in 2020 shows a very different landscape; one where it looks as though most everyone else had 50-60% of their normal participation compared to 2019. Numbers we don’t achieve if we continue to let the have-nots have a say in the way we press on.
As I write this post I am struck by the differing emotions that churn inside of me. Am I supposed to be happy? Am I supposed to be celebrating in this moment of triumph, celebrating the hard work and determination of myself and an entire community that we built? Or should I feel all of the other emotions: Sad, worried, angry, and concerned that we even forged ahead at all?
We are living through unprecedented times where we have little to unite over. We question the validity of our elections and democracy as a whole. We scorn each other for making our own adult choices to wear a mask or not. We struggle with continued racial injustice. We have embraced “cancel culture” to the point that even in our niche sport, we find reasons to divide, embarrass and insult. We can’t even seem to leave each other alone to respectfully decide one simple question for ourselves; to run or not.
So when I sit back and consider this collective dumpster fire of a year we’ve all endured, I guess the emotion I have chosen is the emotion to celebrate. Why? Because we maintained our purpose as an organization, and provided purpose for so many runners in our community. We came together to move FORWARD, together. We cared for each other, we respected each other, we supported each other. More than 1500 runners, near 225 volunteers, and not one single report of Covid-19 being contracted at any of our events. I’ve said it a few times this year.. hosting events in this climate is a privilege and not a right, and we did it because we choose to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, for ourselves. We can race, and we should race, especially in Colorado where we encourage safely enjoying “The Vast, Great Outdoors.”
It was March when I contacted all of our land managers for the entire year and started conversations around their level of comfort with us hosting our events, how we could support them and their local communities with their economic recovery, how could we respect the health and safety of their local constituents and other trail users, and how could we continue to give back through trail work efforts. We put together a solid plan that was not only the first to appear in black and white officially, but became the standard for our sport. We held 6 successful trail work days in two states, amounting to over 1000 man hours of volunteer service to the trails… during a global pandemic through which many others chose to give up and wait it out.
As we rescheduled a few events early on, we knew the right thing to do would be to take care of our community of runners in the face of their adversity. Despite the many highlighted facts from other RDs about the financial ramifications of refunds, deferrals, and credits; we found a way to start out with 75% credits towards a future race before growing that number to 100% credits. We found a way to not only continue to serve our community, but to maintain the fiscal responsibility required of any race organization. We wanted to support you, not insult you or your intelligence. We wanted you to come back when you felt it was safe to do so. We celebrate because we showcased not only what could be done for a community of runners, but what should be done for a community of runners.
This was the first year I assembled an Advisory Board at HPRS, a group of trusted and regular runners to advise me on the many difficult and sensitive decisions that must be made in running a business. I relied on the help of an incredibly talented and dedicated group of women at the outset, before welcoming a few more men to the fray. We have collectively had the best interest of not only the business, but PEOPLE in our hearts and minds throughout. Remembering that HPRS has always been, and will always be, a PEOPLE OVER PROFIT race series. Those are the roots we were built on, and the roots we’ll continue to water.
So.. thank YOU. Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for following our protocols and protecting one another during these uncertain and strange times. Thank you for supporting one another and continuing to be an amazing community. Thanks to those volunteers who gave back despite the risks involved with doing so. Thank you to our advisory board for keeping us all focused and moving forward. Thank you to our land managers to allowing us the chance. Thank you to all of you. We ARE The Human Potential Running Series, the ONLY series to host em all in 2020.
With Love and Hope for our future,
John Lacroix
HPRS Owner/RD