By HPRS Race Director John Lacroix
The COVID-19 Pandemic has certainly altered the running event landscape as we knew it. We still don’t yet know the long term affects COVID will have on the event space. The Endurance Coalition has speculated that near 80% of all events will soon terminate to exist. Recently, Spartan Races announced the cancellation of their remaining United States events, while their closest competitor, Tough Mudder, switched their events to virtual obstacle course racing… which has to be an interesting concept. It certainly is a whole new world in the endurance landscape and the purpose of this article is to look at the Colorado Trail Marathon & Ultra scene.
Ultras & Timed Events
According to my knowledge, there were 77 Ultra distance races scheduled in Colorado from March 1st through December 31st 2020. Of those, 68% (53) of them have been cancelled. Three races were postponed and still scheduled to happen on their new date. Fourteen of them remain on as originally scheduled, with a few of those still remaining uncertain due to permitting issues. Since March 1st, 10 events have happened, most of which took place over the last month.
Trail Marathons
In the marathon space there were 19 races scheduled in Colorado from March 1st through December 31st 2020. Of those 68% (13) of them have been cancelled. One was postponed (Run Through Time) and is still scheduled to happen on its new date. Only two have been held (South Park and Silverton Alpine, with three remaining as originally scheduled (Longview, Blue Sky, Pikes Peak).
Collectively
Put it all together and there are 95 trail races of marathon distance or longer. Sixty-Six of them have been cancelled accounting for a 70% cancellation rate. Four races from the spring were postponed to later dates and are still scheduled to occur on their new dates. Fourteen races are still on as originally scheduled, with thirteen having already happened since March 1st.
Of the events being held, some management companies are eliminating their longer distances:
Mad Moose eliminated the 50-Mile at Pike’s Peak Ultra, and their Bears Ears 50-Mile in Utah.
Maverick Sports Promotions is still holding their Breck Crest event, though they’re sticking with a half marathon and 10k. They’ll mark their course, allow runners to run their race on Saturday or Sunday, then submit their results via Strava. While the course will be marked, there will be no aid stations, no start/finish line, and no support. Seemingly virtual.
Other events that are being held are also being forced to alter their normal logistics. The Aspen Power of Four held their 50k and 25k on separate days, with the 50k on Saturday and 25k on Sunday. The Grand Traverse is running, but not traversing. They’ve organized a loop course in Garfield County ONLY.
As I’ve said all along, Every race management company is different and every race is different. Every state, county, state park, city, town, Forest Service District, etc.. they’re ALL different. Yes, some races are lucky to still be on, and a lot of that depends on a races track record of responsibility, considerations for the local infrastructure and population, and logistics required to make it happen. Yet runners continue to crucify both those who have to cancel, and those who choose to proceed. There is no better time than now to learn to be cordial and friendly to your race director, they hold the keys to your opportunities for fun in the future.
Race Directing is certainly different than it was pre-COVID. The job is generally more challenging, with far more hoops to jump through to secure permits, and a host of new logistical challenges. There is speculation throughout the sport that mass-start running events could now be a thing of the past. This could very well be the moment where ultra returns to mostly low key, community focused, events. If this is true, expect the landscape to change even further, as race management companies move on from producing events due to a decrease in revenue potentials. Pointedly speaking, it will be interesting to see what races return in 2021, and who returns to put them on.
The Human Potential Running Series has successfully produced the Silverheels 100-Mile, Last Call 50-Mile, and the Sheep Mountain 50-Mile and 50k Endurance Runs. We also hosted the rescheduled South Park Trail Marathon & Half. We’re looking forward to hosting our remaining schedule of events in 2020 and becoming the largest trail and ultra series in the nation to host all of their events in the COVID-19 era. We hope you’ll join us in your return to running.
DATA
CANCELLED RACES
| RACE NAME | MANAGED BY | STATUS |
| Golden Gate Dirty 30 | Dirty 30 Running | Cancelled |
| Silverton Dirty 100k | Dirty 30 Running | Cancelled |
| Silverton 60k | Dirty 30 Running | Cancelled |
| TR Festival 50k | Gemini Adventures | Cancelled |
| TR Festival Marathon | Gemini Adventures | Cancelled |
| Lincoln Mountain 6-Hour | StrideMob | Cancelled |
| Collegiate Peaks 50-Mile | Collegiate Peaks | Cancelled |
| Collegiate Peaks Marathon | Collegiate Peaks | Cancelled |
| Leadville Marathon | Lifetime Race Series | Cancelled |
| Leadville Silver Rush 50 | Lifetime Race Series | Cancelled |
| Leadville 100-Mile | Lifetime Race Series | Cancelled |
| Continental Divide 50k | Steamboat Springs RS | Cancelled |
| North Fork 50K | Bear Chase Races LLC | Cancelled |
| North Fork 50 Mile | Bear Chase Races LLC | Cancelled |
| Cheyenne Mountain 50K | Pikes Peak Road Runners | Cancelled |
| Falcon 50 Mile | Falcon 50 | Cancelled |
| Falcon Marathon | Falcon 50 | Cancelled |
| Ouray 100 | Ever Run Racing LLC | Cancelled |
| Ouray 50 | Ever Run Racing LLC | Cancelled |
| Grand Mesa 50 Mile | Best Slope Events | Cancelled |
| Grand Mesa 55k | Best Slope Events | Cancelled |
| Telluride Mountain 38-Mile | Telluride Mountain Run | Cancelled |
| Telluride Mountain 22-Mile | Telluride Mountain Run | Cancelled |
| Hardrock 100 | Hardrock 100 | Cancelled |
| Lake City 50 Mile | San Juan Solstice | Cancelled |
| Rattler Trail Race 50k | Mad Moose Events | Cancelled |
| Valkyrie 50k | Mad Moose Events | Cancelled |
| Valkyrie Marathon | Mad Moose Events | Cancelled |
| Mueller Marathon | Mad Moose Events | Cancelled |
| Pikes Peak Ultra 50 Mile | Mad Moose Events | Cancelled |
| Runs With Scissors 50k | Runs with Scissors | Cancelled |
| Runs with Scissors Marathon | Runs with Scissors | Cancelled |
| 10k x 5k | Treeline Racing | Cancelled |
| 24-Hours of Palmer Lake | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Happy Camper 100 Mile | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Happy Camper 50 Mile | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Happy Camper Marathon | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Kickers for Kids 100-Mile | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Kickers for Kids 100k | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Kickers for Kids 50 Mile | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Kickers for Kids 50k | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Kickers for Kids Marathon | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Lincoln Mountain Fun Run 6 Hr | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Lincoln Mountain Fun Run 12 Hr | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Bear Creek Fun Run 10-Hr | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Fox Run 50-Mile | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Fox Run Marathon | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Castlewood Canyon 10-Hour | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Castlewood Canyon 6-Hour | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Castlewood Canyon Marathon | Sasquatch Running Co | Cancelled |
| Estes Epic 55k | RaceCo.org | Cancelled |
| High Lonesome 100 | High Lonesome 100 | Cancelled |
| Ouray Backyard Ultra | Sky Pilots | Cancelled |
| Mace’s Hideout 100-Mile | Tempest Adventures | Cancelled |
| Dinosaur 100-Mile | Epic Adventures | Cancelled |
| Devil On The Divide 50K | Clear Creek Rec Dist | Cancelled |
| Breck Crest Marathon | Maverick Sports Promotions | Cancelled |
| Aspen Backcountry Marathon | City of Aspen | Cancelled |
| Crested Butte 100k | Mad Moose Events | Cancelled |
| Crested Butte 53 Mile | Mad Moose Events | Cancelled |
| Crested Butte 55k | Mad Moose Events | Cancelled |
| Run Rabbit Run 50 | Run Rabbit Run | Cancelled |
| Run Rabbit Run 100 | Run Rabbit Run | Cancelled |
| Sage Burner 50K | Mad Moose Events | Cancelled |
| Bear Chase 50K | Bear Chase Races LLC | Cancelled |
| Bear Chase 50 Mile | Bear Chase Races LLC | Cancelled |
| Bear Chase 100K | Bear Chase Races LLC | Cancelled |
POSTPONED RACES
| RACE NAME | MANAGED BY | STATUS |
| Quad Rock 50 | Gnar Runners | 15-Aug |
| Quad Rock 25 | Gnar Runners | 15-Aug |
| Greenland Trail 50K | Colorado Runner Mag | 30-Aug |
| Tommyknocker 12-Hour | Human Potential | 3-Oct |
| Run Through Time Marathon | Run Through Time | 11-Oct |
UPCOMING RACES AS SCHEDULED (Subject To Change)
| RACE NAME | MANAGED BY | STATUS |
| Pikes Peak Marathon | Pikes Peak Marathon Inc | 23-Aug |
| Elk Mountain Traverse – 40 | Crested Butte Nordic | 5-Sep |
| Sangre de Cristo 200-Mile | Human Potential | 15-Sep |
| Sangre de Cristo 100-Mile | Human Potential | 19-Sep |
| Sangre de Cristo 100k | Human Potential | 19-Sep |
| Sangre de Cristo 50mi | Human Potential | 19-Sep |
| Sangre de Cristo 50k | Human Potential | 19-Sep |
| Snow Mountain Ranch 50k | Endurance Race Series | 19-Sep |
| Ridgeline Trail 50k | City of Castle Rock | 3-Oct |
| Long View Marathon | Gnar Runners | 4-Oct |
| Indian Creek 50mi | Human Potential | 17-Oct |
| Indian Creek 50K | Human Potential | 17-Oct |
| Blue Sky Marathon | Gnar Runners | 17-Oct |
| Sawmill Trail Runs | Human Potential | 12-Dec |
RACES HELD SINCE MARCH 1ST
| RACE NAME | PROMOTER | STATUS |
| Silverheels 100 | Human Potential | Held |
| Last Call 50 Mile | Human Potential | Held |
| Sheep Mountain 50 Mile | Human Potential | Held |
| Sheep Mountain 50k | Human Potential | Held |
| South Park Marathon | Human Potential | Held |
| Never Summer 100k | Gnar Runners | Held |
| Never Summer 60k | Gnar Runners | Held |
| Chase the Moon | Bear Chase Races LLC | Held |
| Power of Four 50K | Aspen/Snowmass | Held |
| Silverton Alpine 50K | Aravaipa | Held |
| Silverton Alpine 26.2 | Aravaipa | Held |
| Pikes Peak 50k | Mad Moose Events | Held |
NOTE: Since it’s original posting, this article has been updated to reflect additional cancelled events and updated statistics due to those changes.