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At TPU - it’s still the Wild Wild West…5th Annual TPU2019 awaits new course record and offers $10k prize purse!

In TPU’s young life, the finishes have been dramatic and epic simply because of the titanic effort it requires to run across the Chihuahuan Desert in Big Bend Ranch for six days, not so much because of tight competition.

The biggest exception was the men’s division in 2016, when Marine veteran Thomas Karlick, running to benefit returning warriors with PTSD, had a moral incentive to win. But Eric and Paul Chan, Canadian brothers on a mission to break the world record for running the most deserts in a single year, made Karlick work hard for his victory. The final stage was a nail-biter, and Karlick won by a mere 4 minutes, an eyelash of time in a 6-day race. Read the full TPU2016 race report in UltraRunning magazine, or the Chan’s personal blog to learn why they called TPU - “The Most Hostile Desert‘ stage race in their world record year.

Wins in other years were fairly clear before the final stage of the race even began. Runners like the local, Texas winner in 2016, Thomas Mullins, 2017 winner, Leadville finisher Adam Harmon, and the 2018 champion, veteran ultra runner and Ironman Demétrio Fernandez, led their years unstintingly from the first stage.

Harmon holds the male course record, in 35 hours, 17 minutes. On the female side, the record set in the inaugural year by Cheryl Tulkoff and Molly Troy, 40 hours, 45 minutes, has not yet been broken.

In 2019, the fifth-anniversary race will encourage competition with a short but technical course change and substantial cash prizes for first, second and third in the 6-stage, male and female divisions.  A sponsorship by the City of Alpine and other regional supporters have made possible a $10,000 prize purse for the 6-stage race, with $3000, $1500 and $500 available for 1st-3rd in the male and female fields.

Prize money in ultra running is a new phenomenon, as the sport has only recently gained popular attention. Some of the larger ultras with prize money attract deep competitive fields, but at Trans-Pecos Ultra, it’s still the Wild, Wild West. A small, intimate race which has mainly received regional, rather than national attention, offers a chance for less-known (or unknown) ultra runners to claim a prize.

Finishing “in the money” at TPU requires a slightly different set of skills than most ultra races, since it is a 165 mile, multi-day race. Pacing is crucial, as are recovery routines each evening and long-term nutrition. The challenge at TPU is not altitude, sand dunes or long climbs, but loose rock and constant rolling hills, hostile desert flora, and the sheer lack of shade with extreme southern exposure for a week.

Plus, at TPU, there’s not a burger and fries waiting at the end of the day’s run. In a self-supported stage race, athletes carry their own nutrition and gear throughout the week.  Since it’s all riding on your back, you’re more likely to have freeze-dried lasagna or a protein shake for your post-race meal. So careful planning is necessary to get maximum nutrition and comfort from minimum weight in your pack.

In addition to nutrition, some of the unique challenges of TPU are the dry desert climate and flora (cactus, javelina, occasional heat waves even in the late fall) as well as the endurance required for a week-long race.

TPU gives participants every opportunity to do well in this unique format, with blogs on every aspect of preparation and execution, like:

• Food planning
• Running Packs
• Sleeping bags and pads

There are lots of reasons to come out to Discover the Chihuahauan Desert in Big Bend Ranch and run TPU! See the Top Ten at http://trans-pecosultra.com/top-ten-reasons-tpu/ In addition, there are the UTMB points and the $10,000 PRIZE PURSE!

See all the many resources on our website at http://trans-pecosultra.com, email Race Director Chris Herrera at [email protected] or talk one-on-one to him at 432.294.5284

Looking for a unique Valentines gift for your beloved (or maybe yourself)? A gift of adventure, self-discovery, challenge, reflection, a tribe of friends and a peace you can’t find in crowds or cities. A multi-stage race like Trans-Pecos Ultra is exactly that.

This month we’ve got a special 14% discount and new interviews to encourage you or a loved one to make the leap into multi-day events.

I talked to some new and some experienced multi-day athletes to find out how they think about the barriers of multi-day events. It comes down to 3 main obstacles: time, money and training. Read below and get your 14% discount code too!

Meet my panel of multi-day veterans:

Rani Freeman - Trans-Pecos Ultra 2018 Finisher, Ironman

Vincent Antunez –Four Desert Series, Marathon des Sables, and Grand-to-Grand (4x), founder of Trail Toes

Gina Fiorini - Vol State, El Camino de Santiago, El Camino de Lavaca (3x)

David Elsbernd – Marathon des Sables, Moab 240, Western States 100

Nicole Berglund - El Camino De Lavaca

John T. Sharp - Infinitus 888K, Event Director of El Camino de Lavaca (3x), Vol State, and El Camino de Santiago

Question: What makes multi-day races worth the time and money you spend?  In other words, what is the reward to you? Why would you pick a stage race to spend your vacation time and budget on, rather than a trip to Hawaii, say or Club Med?

Nicole: I look forward to the challenge of pushing myself into a new accomplishment. it’s a reward similar to running any other distance race its just longer. you do it for the same reasons. you challenge yourself to complete the training to be in the best shape to complete the task like you would any other race. 

Rani: A multi-day event to me is the opportunity to push my body a far as I can and still survive (with a smile). That is my reward.  And of course, the experiences along the event provide memories that are also a reward. Location is probably the biggest factor in my event location. I am a lover of the Big Bend area, so TPU was a natural choice.

Gina: The thing I value about multi-day events is the adventure and people I meet along the way. It is not likely you would stop and chat with someone running a marathon, but multi-day events move at a slower pace and often lead to the formation of strong bonds with strangers. I enjoy the mental challenge as well. Over-coming difficult patches throughout the race makes me feel like I have accomplished something bigger than myself.

Vincent: I’m not a big beach guy, and being alone in the words, on a trail, or climbing a mountain are far more interesting and compelling to me.  There is something about the challenge associated with the distances that draws me.

John: A sense of accomplishing something, while not working. I mean to say, I have never been one to sit around, so I could not sit on a cruise ship or anything like that.  I like to look back and say, “I took off 3 weeks and walked across Spain.” 

David: I’m not an emotional guy, but the first time I ran across the finish line for the iconic Western States Endurance Run, an incredible emotion gripped me, and tears sprang to my eyes.  And that was just a short practice run a month before the real race!  Since then I’ve done a stage race and other epic ultramarathons.  There’s been sacrifice and suffering, time and money to squander, but it’s all been worth it.  These races make me feel very much alive.  But why suffer, why not go to Hawaii or Club Med?  Don’t get me wrong, that would be lots of fun.  But Hawaii or Club Med can never give me what an ultra event gives me.  Hawaii or Club Med can never tap into something as very deep and personal as the experience of a stage race or other really long event, an experience that always gets woven into my soul and is mine forever.

Question: Do you need to be an uberathlete to consider a stage race? What would you say to someone who is a back- or middle-of-the-pack’er if they said that stage races are completely beyond their athletic abilities?

Vincent: I am an old fat guy and by no way an uber-ultra athlete. I do more walking then running and I have completed every stage race I have done, the most recent at the age of 58. 
I think if you can run a marathon, you can do a stage race; you just have to learn to prep food and be prepared to live in dirty clothes for a week. 
Stage races are all about the prep you do before the event and the better prepared the more enjoyable they are.

John: No, not really.  You’ll be fine.  Keep Walking.  

Gina: No. You do not need to be an uber athlete at all. I am a back-of-the-pack runner, and have completed several multi-day events. I enjoy these much more than fast-paced events.

Nicole: Many of the daily distance requirements for multi-day events are achievable for someone who is already running races regularly. Sometimes it’s just great to push yourself into the unknown to see if it’s possible. You might surprise yourself. 

Rani: There is nothing beyond a person’s athletic ability if they train to the point of event distance. Plain and simple. There are those that are very competitive and the rest of us that simply want to experience and finish within the time limit. Do the training and you will be able to complete the task!

David: I say all the time, most people could finish these events, with just a little determination and willingness to train.  Me, I quit junior high football after 3 days.  My high school basketball tryout was a failure, and the track coach just ignored me until I finally went away.  I was the prototypical un-athletic nerd, without a shred of talent, and saddled with a distinctly unimpressive aerobic engine.  Then at age 45, I was embarrassed I could not keep up with my daughter during a hike, and vowed to get in shape.  I had one thing going for me.  I have always had a strong desire to see what is around the next bend of the river or over the next ridge. 

If you’re not afraid of a little sweat and dirt, you can do a stage race!  Mental attitude, flexibility, problem solving and a sense of adventure and excitement are far more important than athletic ability.  Those high school jocks who would choose me last for any pickup games would be astounded that I can now race distances that are unfathomable to them.  What they don’t know is that our bodies were designed to be endurance engines - our ancestors could run down and kill a deer.  So yes, even if you are a back-of-the-pack runner, you can run a stage race. It’s in your genes!

Convinced? Explore our website or call Race Director, Chris Herrera at 432.294.5284 anytime. Read our archive of blog posts about training, gear, nutrition and motivation. Then register yourself or your beloved for the adventure of a lifetime, and get 14% off for Valentine’s Day!

Use code VALENTINES19 to save 14% on registration between Feb 7 and 14. Happy Valentine’s Day from TPU. Best gift ever.

TPU is unique among ultras and stage races, which might make you wonder… who first thought of it?  Like cheese… it’s a great idea, but who first thought to bite into curdled milk??

Let me introduce you to the people who thought going out into one of the most remote areas on the continent, with all your gear for a week’s running loaded on your back, was a great idea!

First up, the “father” of TPU, Race Director Chris Herrera. Chris was a seeker for many years before he founded TPU, and in many ways, TPU has brought him home to find himself.

With a doctorate in health sciences, he worked overseas as a researcher for years, before soul-searching revealed he wanted to direct his own life rather than be directed by others.

“In late 2013, I finally understood my own unhappiness with my chosen life path so I quit my job and decided to take a year to travel and pursue a new lifestyle and career, ” says Chris about his decision to repatriate home after 7+ years living and working overseas.

In this self-directed gap year, Chris traveled throughout the Middle East, Europe and South America in pursuit of adventure and personal discovery. Finally with the stage-race idea in mind, Chris came home to Texas and scoured the state for the right place to share with the world.

When you grow up in Texas, you hear about Big Bend, usually in mystical, dreamy tones, even if you’ve never been there. When he first arrived to explore the area its appeal hit immediately, and TPU was hatched, along with a move to Alpine, the town that is the “Gateway to Big Bend.”

Now a permanent resident of the Big Bend area, with an Assistant Professorship at Sul Ross State University, a house and his first child on the way, Chris is home in a way he never could have anticipated.

Looking forward to the fifth anniversary year of TPU, Chris believes that the race is on the cusp of growth. It has remained small in its formative years, allowing the team to fine-tune all the moving parts of ushering a group through a truly remote wilderness area. 

“The fifth anniversary year is already bigger and better than ever before, but most importantly we will commit to maintaining our “tribe vibe” and personalized support to racers”.  Read more of the TPU backstory…

Introducing another key player… Dr. Aaron Reilly, the medical director for TPU since its inception. A race as remote as TPU simply could not happen without a crack medical team.

As director of Wilderness and Austere Medicine at the University of New Mexico, Aaron brings specialized expertise and a team of medics that enrich the whole TPU experience.

There is a medic at every aid station on the TPU course, and medics sag the back of the course.  Every stage, every mile.

“The medical team starts prepping several months before the race, covering logistics, medical topics, communications, treatment and evacuation plans, medical supplies, etc. For the medical team, it’s not just a week long race. It’s the culmination of several months of prep,” says Aaron.

This year, the medics gave nightly presentations in the medical tent for anyone interested in foot care, sports nutrition, prevention of musculo-skeletal injuries and more. 

You might think that racers who’d just run 26 miles in the desert would not be able to sit still for a lecture, but the tent packed a rollicking crowd every night for these trainings.

Several of the medics return regularly every year, but Aaron also recruits new fellows from his program at UNM. It’s a learning experience for the medical team, who learn about the stage ultra environment, as well as the physical and mental struggle that the runners go through.

Aaron’s most valued part of the TPU experience is the people. “Absolutely the people. Every year, I look forward to getting back down to Alpine, and hanging out with the TPU Tribe family.”

And finally, April McAnally, assistant (to the) race director. Every successful organization has an April, the one who does a million backstage jobs that go unnoticed except for the smooth public picture that emerges as a result.

As Chris came into the Big Bend area with his notion of a stage race, what should Alpine have waiting for him but someone with experience organizing races for North Face… April! Pretty amazing when you consider how tiny Alpine is and what a specialized niche race directing is. What stands out about TPU for April is the remote vastness of the location.

“Each year, I send an email to participants and volunteers trying to explain the remoteness of the state park. It’s this remoteness that creates the amazing bonds between people,and promotes self-reflection.”

From the beginning, April has been involved in press releases, website updates, newsletters, marketing and advertising. She is the other end of the emails to volunteers and participants and handles back-end logistics like hotels, meals and apparel.

April also believes that TPU is about to hit a growth spurt.  She has seen the attention given to fine detail every year that has made the race a smooth operation, giving VIP treatment to every participant.

“I’m excited for the future of TPU. I think TPU is going to have such an impact on educating people about not only Big Bend but giving them a reason to push themselves to do something that seems impossibly crazy.”

Come join us in 2019 for our fifth anniversary blowout year.  It’s your chance to experience suspended time, remote beauty, a professionally- produced race and a whole new tribe of friends.

New for TPU2019

• Two race options
• $10,000 Prize Purse
• Up to 6 UTMB Points
• 100% Registration Fee Protector from Alliance
• Limited Entry!

For questions about Big Bend or TPU, contact the race director, Chris Herrera at hello{at}trans-pecosultra.com or call 432.294.5284