Well, I’m well behind schedule on my goal of a monthly blog on 2025 given that it is mid-September and this is only Entry #6, but summer is a busy time of year for DRC. With the completion of the Thirsty 13 on August 26, we wrapped up our summer race season, and that made me think about the work our race directors put into these events, with the purpose of this blog to pull back to the curtain on what goes into making these events happen as I assume most folks reading this blog run races at least occasionally.
An Exercise In TRust
More than anything else, race directing requires trust that others will come through for you. For the Vallecito Heavy Half Marathon, the DRC race that I direct, I rely on probably at least 100 other people to complete their respective tasks described below.
Permitting
Vallecito requires permits from the Forest Service, Pine River Irrigation District, and La Plata County. Although I prepare the applications, I rely on staff of these agencies to provide the permits, which is why I usually start working on these in January for a race that happens in May. Fortunately, the staff at these agencies have been super helpful over the years and all permits have been received with no snags. The permits also require that I provide insurance coverage, so I need that from the rep at our insurance company.
Sponsors
I set the price of the race based on sponsorships I expect to receive, but haven’t yet received when registration opens. Without the sponsor donations, I’d have to raise the price of the race by at least $50 per runner to provide the same experience, which is why your race shirt has all of those logos on the back. The race lost a couple sponsors this year, but fortunately we gained a new sponsor and received increased contributions from some existing ones. One sponsor lost was trash pick up, and as a result the race went cupless, which I think is better anyway. Please remember the local businesses (such as the Weminuche Grill and Rocky Mountain General Store) that support our races.
Vendors
A race director is also dependent on folks to deliver and/or provide the services the race pays for. This includes the timing company, race day swag, professional photography, graphic design for logos/posters, and for Vallecito, a band that did their own set up outside in an area with no stage (shout out to the One Heart Orchestra). A critical vendor is the porta-potty delivery, setup and haul away. At a DRC race several years ago the vendor was late and there were no porta-potties at the start line. We now use a different vendor.
The One Heart Orchestra at the Vallecito Finish Line
Volunteers
The most humbling part of putting on the race to me is the amazing support of the volunteers. At Vallecito I had over 50 different folks help with the race and all were at the right place on time doing their job. I even had to turn away a few people that wanted to help because all roles were full.
What Race Participants Can Do
The main thing runners can do is be aware that they are one of many participants and think about their actions in that context. What if every runner showed up at the last minute of race morning for packet pickup? What if every participant had a vehicle following them cheering them on? Speaking of people following you on the race, unless you have arranged for your mom to follow you around that day to pick up your trash, don’t leave it on the course or anywhere it shouldn’t be. Also, be patient with your race director immediately before and after the race, which is a busy time.
So Why Do We Do It?
Make no mistake, putting on a good race is a lot of work and stress. I think there are two main reasons we do this. The first is that most race directors love running great races themselves (I just ran and had an amazing time at the Imogen Pass Run last week). As such, putting on a great race is a way to give back to the sport and community that gives us so much joy. The other reason is similar to why we enjoy running in the first place: We simply enjoy doing hard things. But when the runners start crossing that finish line, the most comparable feeling I can think of is when I finish a great race myself and know the hard work put in, whether it be the miles of training, or hours of emails were worth it.
The author kicking off the 2025 Vallecito Heavy Half Marathon
Support DRC Races
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss the other great races the Club puts on and the great work of our other race directors. In 2025, there are more race options than ever before. Like many of our members, I enjoy traveling to locales I haven’t run before to run a race. That being said, I still love running and being involved in our local races. In addition to just being great community events, since DRC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, none of our races have a profit motive. It’s how we are able to keep race registrations cheaper than comparable races (with DRC members getting an additional discount) with proceeds going to good causes.
NARROW GAUGE RACES
The Narrow Gauge 10-Mile Run is the longest continuously run road race in Colorado as it’s been around since 1978. At 10 miles, it’s accessible to most runners, even if you rode the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic the day before and did the Narrow Horse 1500m swim two days before (to complete the unofficial Durango Memorial Day Triathlon). Longtime DRC member (and DRC sponsor through his business - Victory Wellness Massage Therapy), Victor Ruggiero took over as race director. Any freshman race director has a lot to navigate, but unfortunately for Victor, soon after he agreed to be the race director, the City of Durango announced the closure of the River Trail from the Double Tree to Santa Rita Park, which was most of the course. Victor did a ton of recon to find a suitable replacement course, which was so good that it will likely remain the course in future years. Thanks in part to Victor’s energy in promoting the event, the race sold out and was able to generate over $7,000 of revenue, all of which was donated to the Ft Lewis College Cross Country Team, the Durango High School Track and Cross Country Teams, the Liberty School, and Animas High School.
Kennebec Mountain Run
At 15 miles, with over 3,000 feet of climbing and a high point over 12,000 feet, the Kennebec Mountain Run is the most challenging race that DRC officially puts on. With stunning beauty and a chill vibe (think Imogene Pass, but with 150 instead of 1,500 participants), it's also my personal favorite race, having run it 5 times now. This race is also a result of DRC’s long-standing partnership with La Plata Search and Rescue. SAR personnel volunteer their time to be located throughout the course to provide aid, if needed. Although final accounting is not done for 2025, in 2024 the race was able to donate $4,000 to SAR. Unfortunately, for the first time that I’m aware of, the race did not sell out this year, so the donation will likely be lower than in 2024. Former DRC president Brendan Trimboli has served as the RD for the last 4 years, and next year former DRC Vice President Robert Marks will take over as RD. Rob will need volunteer help and most importantly, let’s get to selling this thing out again. Also, although not required, it’s highly encouraged to run the race before participating in the post-Kennebec 15 mile bicycle pub crawl to complete one of the more epic days in Durango.
The Crew in front of the Durango Running Company - Stop No. 2 of the 2025 Kennebec Bicycle Pub Crawl
Thirsty 13
The final DRC race of the summer is also our biggest participation-wise, the Thirsty 13. A point-to-point downhill road half marathon from Hesperus to Ska Brewing is a race accessible to all abilities and great for a personal half marathon PR, even at Durango’s elevation. This race partners with the San Juan Brewfest, which takes place later that afternoon (discount provided for those that sign up for both) to benefit Team Up (formerly United Way of Southwest Colorado). Showing up at the brewfest with your race shirt is a local tradition. The Thirsty 13 also donates a portion of race proceeds to a bus driver appreciation fund created by the race and the Durango Running Club. This fund is used to recognize all the bus drivers and the great work they do to get our kids to school safely each day. DRC Vice President Matthew Krichman is the race director and founder of the event. Matthew is the best RD around and pretty much everything I know about race directing I learned from him. Per usual I picked up the course upon the races completion and it was great seeing so many of the runners at the Brewfest afterwards.
San Juan Softie
Lastly, I want to give a shout out to the recently completed San Juan Softie, which is directed by DRC member Joe Storc, and has a board composed entirely of DRC members, specifically, Anya Kuznetsova, Liz Haubert, Tony Cisceros, and Mike Kubicek. Countless other DRC members volunteer their time to make this race happen. This is truly a grass-roots ultra marathon. It’s not a qualifier for other races. You don’t earn stones, points, or tickets. In other words, it’s not part of the ultra-industrial complex. It’s just for people that want to run 100 miles in the spectacular San Juan Mountains with no other agendas. DRC is proud to sponsor this race and congratulations to all the runners that attempted this race.
DCR Member Dylan Netter on the course of the San Juan Softie