Special Addition Wyoming - Run with the Horses Marathon & Half

I promise I will post another LA trail run soon, but after running this grueling and beautiful race last weekend, I felt compelled to share it here as well.

View from Wild Horse Canyon Road

In a Nutshell

• Trail surface: 4 miles of pavement, the rest was dirt road & gravel
•  Bathrooms/water: the race was well supported with porta potties, water, and snacks. If you do this run on your own, there are bathrooms at Expedition Island. Water you should bring.
•  Dogs: Must be leashed. Very exposed, and in August, very HOT

Routes:

For both the marathon and half, it was an out and back course. The race started at Expedition Island in Green River, Wyoming. The sun had just barely broken over the horizon when my friend and I arrived to pick up our packets and race numbers. The air was cool but had a promise of extreme heat, or maybe that was just the race director’s dire sounding warnings as we lined up at the start. We were warned of rattlesnakes, heat, no trees, no shade, and that traffic would not be stopped along the route. And with those words of encouragement echoing in our ears, we started the race!

Wild Horse Canyon

The first two miles wound through town with several police officers directing traffic to let us pass. At the edge of town we took a right on White Mountain Road. After less than a mile, the pavement petered out and the road became Wild Horse Canyon Road. From then til the turn around, it was up, up, up. The starting elevation was 6,500 feet and I could certainly feel the lack of oxygen as we climbed. The scenery, however, more than made up for the lead feeling in my legs.

The road wound through canyons and then opened onto a high plateaus with incredible views of the Painted Gorge that Green River is famous for. The bluffs indeed were streaked with color and illuminated beautifully in the early morning light. I snapped a few photos with my phone and kept moving.

Look closely - can you spot 2 horses?

The miles crept by, and the runners spread out along the road. Mile 3 went past, then 4, and finally 5. I was finally starting to feel ok, probably because the course had flattened out a bit. At the 5 mile rest stop, a race volunteer alerted us to the wild horse herd that had begun to come over a far ridge. The horses camouflaged so well with the grasslands, it took a moment to see them, but sure enough, two wild horses were eating their breakfast alongside the road.

Another mile and half and it was my turn around. My friend was going for the full marathon, but I was only in it for the half. I gave her a hug of encouragement and we parted ways. The second half of the race was pretty much all downhill, and I picked up my pace a bit. I was surprised at how steep the hills were that we’d run up!

This was his 400th Marathon!

Around mile 8 or 9, I saw a super badass guy running in a horsesuit with a sign that read ‘400^th Marathon’ – wow, talk about encouragement. Speaking of, everyone was incredibly friendly and because it was an out and back course, there were a lot of “good job!” and “keep it up!” from nearly everyone I passed on the way back.

I cruised all the way back into town, the miles ticking by. With a mile and half to go, my hair elastic snapped and I was forced to steal a pink course ribbon to secure my ponytail for the final mile back to Expedition Island. Even so, I ended up with 2:22 and an age group win. Not too bad.

If  You Go:

This race is fun, it’s beautiful, and it’s a community event. The chamber of commerce puts a ton of work into making the race a good experience for everyone. Despite the easy-going atmosphere, it is challenging course. Do train at elevation to prepare! If you're thinking about running this event next year, here's the race website: http://www.runwiththehorsesmarathon.com/