If you liked summer camp, you’ll love this race
"I signed up for the race but came back for the sense of belonging," Emilie Mann says of the TransRockies Run
The 2022 Under Armour TransRockies Run (TRR) just finished, and I have friends already marking it as a must-do on their calendars for next year. Whether you’re a repeat competitor or a trail newbie, you’ll want to secure your spot in this ‘summer camp for big kids’ as soon as possible.
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TRR is a multi-day point-to-point trail running race held in Colorado, from Buena Vista to Beaver Creek. The course website boasts that it “traverses wild and fantastic scenery while building camaraderie and overcoming adversity.” Teams and solo runners can sign up for either 3-day (100K) or 6-day (200K) options.
Canadians Emilie Mann and Arden Young took the podium as the first women’s team in the 6-day event.
We caught up with Kelowna-based Mann, 29, to get her take on the race.
What attracted you to TRR, and how is it different from other team races?
As a team, you still run the entire distance together (120 miles and 20,000 ft over the six days). You need to finish together and pass through aid stations together, or else you get time penalties. Arden and I raced last year and this year as a team, and won for the women’s open category each time.
What’s your favourite part about the TRR?
My favourite part is hard to narrow down–the views, epic Colorado trails, and the community is massive. From volunteers to race directors to racers, everyone is doing what they love.
The friendships you develop go way deeper than what you’d create in just a single-day event. I signed up for the race, but definitely came back for the sense of belonging. Free beer is cool too!
Any hard parts?
A 6-day stage race is daunting! But racing in Colorado with close to 400 people all with the same big beautiful goal is pretty amazing.
Would you recommend it for less-experienced athletes as well as pros like yourself?
TRR is accessible for all speeds of runners. There’s the option of ‘dawn patrol,’ where you start earlier than everyone else–non-competitive, but it helps you beat time cut-offs. It’s also really fun for speedy, competitive runners looking to push themselves. People from all around the world show up.
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What’s next for you on the running scene?
I’m hoping to run Freaky Creeky in B.C., as it’s the qualifier for Canadian mountain and trail running champs, and Arden is off to CCC (UTMB) in Chamonix, France, Aug. 26.
For more information on TRR or to register for next year, head to their website here.
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