The Wildland 52 is a 52 kilometer trail race in the Jemez mountains in Northern New Mexico. The course will feature over 8,000′ of elevation gain and 6,500′ of elevation loss. Much of the elevation change is in condensed sections, so there is much runnable terrain in between. The course …
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The Wildland 52 is a 52 kilometer trail race in the Jemez mountains in Northern New Mexico.
The course will feature over 8,000′ of elevation gain and 6,500′ of elevation loss. Much of the elevation change is in condensed sections, so there is much runnable terrain in between. The course varies from dirt roads, faint two track, established single track, dozer lines, primitive trail, and “no-trail”. Some areas the track is well defined, others will be flagged and the line you take is “runner’s choice”. While 50% of the course will be on maintained single track, dirt or gravel or rocky roads (not necessarily smooth) so you can open up that stride a bit; the other 50% is rugged, unimproved, steep and very technical, requiring your full attention and grit.
The course was intended to help display the rigors of wildland firefighting; regardless of the terrain, obstacles, physical discomfort or conditions, they must contain that fire. Often, they will use roads as containment lines, but will have to link those barriers, cutting containment lines straight up the steepest sections by hand. The routes they choose is not the easiest, but the most effective and often the most direct. Dozer lines may be cut as wide breaks, and while at times wildland fire trucks may be driven up them, most often crews will hike these lines, carrying between 35 and 90 pounds and dragging hundreds of feet of hose with them.
VERTICAL CHALLENGE: A minimum of $30.00 of each entry will be donated to the Eric Marsh Foundation. Last year the course was just over 9 miles with 3,300′ of gain; I do have another, steeper but shorter course in mind however and will have the course finalized by June. The snow is melting so I will be heading out to map the routes in the next few weeks. Much of the Vertical K course will not be cleared so be prepared to scramble over plenty of deadfall and bushwack through mountain locust!
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