The TransRockies Run
Team Skaggs is running away again!
Kyle Skaggs, fresh off his win at Wasatch, and his brother mule Kyle have a 12 minute lead after the first day of racing at the Trans-Rockies 5 day stage race. Go to transrockies.com to check it out. A rare race in the U.S. Not only does it last 5 days and runs a total of 110 miles, but WOW! there actually is prize money! Somewhere in the $3000-$5000 range for the winners, and a $20,000 purse should have attracted the 150 teams allowed to race. There are only about 40 teams in this year’s inaugural event. It might be a low-key sport, but having a real prize purse usually brings the competition. We thank all the sponsors at Trans-Rockies for throwing down the cash…love to see it. Check tomorrow for the next update and see if Kyle and Erik can run away with it again. -Wahsatchspeedgoat
September 18th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Awesome! Those class-act dudes are setting the bar super high right from the start. I love it. Go Skaggs!
September 18th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
where did you see the prize money info? i scoured the site and couldn’t find anything…
September 18th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
is 50mi too short? i’m in the bay area and have seen some press for the north face endurance challenge san francisco, $10,000 for top man and woman in the 50mi race, basically takes place on the miwok 100k course (but shorter)
http://www.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/cha_overview.html
September 18th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
wish this race had fit better with my schedule… i wanted to check it out but i didn’t really have a team mate or the time to fit it in. maybe next year. i was thinking that it wouldn’t work for me next year either because i’m hoping to run the wasatch but obviously, as kyle skaggs is showing that’s no reason not to do it.
September 19th, 2007 at 6:24 am
Now the Skagg boyz just need to come up with a more original team name, get a little creative.
Here are some good ones from a distance team race up here in the Northwoods each year.
*Scrambled Leggs and Achin’
* How Long Is Yours?
* No Kamikazies Till The Race Is Over
* We Want Beer
* Hot & Old
slay the Bear, and enjoy that beautiful country.
* Village Idiots Plus 6
September 19th, 2007 at 6:25 am
Now the Skagg boyz just need to come up with a more original team name, get a little creative.
Here are some good ones from a distance team race up here in the Northwoods each year.
*Scrambled Leggs and Achin’
* How Long Is Yours?
* No Kamikazies Till The Race Is Over
* We Want Beer
* Hot & Old
* Village Idiots Plus 6
slay the Bear, and enjoy that beautiful country.
September 20th, 2007 at 7:20 am
Prize money is listed in the website and is hard to link to, but it’s on there. The total purse was 20,000 bucks. The web listed some formula on how the money would be divided, figuring that out is the real challenge. I spoke with the RD a long time ago and he mentioned 3000-5000 to the winners. Only 3 categories for $20,000, really they should each recieve $3000, making it $6000 for the winning team. The RD should make Kyle and Erik run backwards the last 5 miles and see if they can get caught! -Karl
September 20th, 2007 at 10:23 am
Somebody asked about the prize purse for The North Face Endurance Challenge Championship event. It’s a 50-miler (50K, Half Marathon, and 10K events also available, but no prize moolah). The course starts and finishes in Rodeo Valley (Marin County, gorgeous views, rolling climbs, a lot like Miwok, etc.).
The prize purse is $20K. The winning female and male each get $10K. Yes, it’s winner take all.
There seems to be a little confusion on whether it’s necessary to qualify for the Championship. The short answer: NO. Male and female winners of the three regional events leading up to the championship each received $1,000 and a trip to the San Francisco event.
FYI, there’s one remaining regional event. It’s in Seattle in a few weeks.
Info’s at http://www.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge. There are course maps, rules, etc.
- Garett
September 21st, 2007 at 7:31 am
Looks like it’ll be Ulli vs. Matt. Why would anyone else even want to run it? Noone can race with Carpenter, they might as well just give him the check and tell him to go run up Pikes Peak instead, however, I would love to see a mystery man win it! Hopefully noone will have to register for the 20 buck chump change the USATF requires. I think we were talking prize money for the Trans-Rockies. -Wahsatchspeedgoat
September 21st, 2007 at 10:44 am
Neither one of them has registered yet. I was able to check the sign-up sheet. Even if it’s a two-horse race, which I seriously doubt it will be, how cool to watch those two go head-to-head?!?!?
I have not yet heard about the women’s race. I have no idea who might show. Nikki and Kami, I imagine.
What’s your thinking on this, Karl? That is, Winner-take-all versus a more spread-out purse?
- GG
September 21st, 2007 at 11:33 am
should always be a winner take all and I do mean all. 2nd gets nothing and likes it. To the rich goes the spoils. Purses always sounds big, as in golf or NASCAR, that is until you realize that it gets spread out through the mass. 10million all of a sudden becomes 100,000$ to the winner. But hell, I’d be happy with a cold beer and a hand shake.
Carpenter and Uli will smoke everyone if they are in it, more than likely. Will make a lot of other high quality runners feel very humbled that’s for sure.
~ take it sleasy
September 21st, 2007 at 1:03 pm
matt has told me he will be running…it’d be great if Uli was in the race, too. i’ve entertained the thought of running…we’ll see…
September 21st, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Ultrarunning? Purses? Huh?
Brennen
September 21st, 2007 at 1:23 pm
I only heard through the grapevine that Matt and Ulli will be running. I am sure each one of them knows the other is either thinking or is plannning on it. At least they have it on their minds now.
As far as prize money and winner take all… I think it should go 5 deep for overall and 2 deep for only the classic age groups. 0-39 or 40 and over. All other age groups get killer merchandise. If “winner takes all” is the prize, I think it would NOT inspire competition. I knew of the North Face Challenge and was interested but when I heard of these two other guys running, why would I spend my hard earned cash on all the travel? Let’s not forget there are at least 10 guys in the S.F. area that could beat me anyway. I’m not saying I would have a chance to win. If there are prizes 5 deep, I would consider going so I could pay for my trip…maybe. Ultimately, though, the winner should make at least twice what second gets and so on. Still a real incentive to win and competition off the 1st place runner can still be real competitive to the finish. With 5 miles to go and the second place runner is 10 minutes back, would he chase the leader…probably not. It’s really all mumbo jumbo. -Karlynm68
September 21st, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Karl,
I agree. Prize money should not be winner take all. I would be out in SF in a heartbeat if TNF took it’s $10K and gave $5k to the winner, and then $2500, $1500, $750, $250 down to 5th place. Like you said, your field will ultimately be deeper because even if Matt or Uli trounces everyone there’s still a shot for some cash, plus incentive to run hard at the end. But, i’m still at a stage in my career where i’m not willing to concede victory to anyone…Matt is human…anyone can have a bad (or really good) day (reference, LT100 2004).
-tony
September 21st, 2007 at 7:44 pm
I’d settle for a “purse” the gnawgahide on my wallet is getting quite thin. Would’nt expect cash in it either.
If it was an all purse for first, it would be right up my alley. A spill yer guts out race. You may just have one of those great days and surprise everyone. “March madness style” Win or go home. Although I would agree with Karl in the fact that if one would have to fly and pay for the trip, expenses, etc… that would definitely have to be considered, as this sport is definitely not a “payout”, monetarily speaking and rightly so, in many respects. If history or the present tells us anything, that is $$$ can really taint a great sport. Done cleanly it can bring awesome competition.
~ take it sleasy
September 21st, 2007 at 8:57 pm
This is awesome! Now we just need a 100 miler with this kind of incentive…Karl, Scott, Tony, Kyle, Hal, etc…That would be fun! And, oh yeah, Karl, I especially like your traditional age-groups, 0-39 and 40 and over. I hit the big 40 on Tuesday and, I must admit, it hurts a little.
AJW
September 25th, 2007 at 7:06 am
The only thing that hurts me most is my aching bones….until I start running!
September 26th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
It would be very cool to just be in a race with Matt and Uli. If nothing else you could look back on it and say they both pushed each other to a monumental effort, or blew up like Valmir and Mattheus at Sunmart 5 years ago!?
I’ll be there, shot at 10,000…..are you kidding me!
Hoping for rain and cold temps……..
September 27th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
It sounds like 1993 with Ricardo Mejia and Matt Carpenter at Pikes Peak. It was an honor to race them. Could the Rogue Valley Runner pay for my travel to SF? I’ll be at the Bear chasing the Rogue Runner.
September 28th, 2007 at 9:13 am
TransRockies format encouraged participation and competion in every classification. Every classification became a race in itself. It was nice bringing home a little prize $$.