The Troutman: the trail and fishing race you didn’t know you needed

Have you ever been out on a trail run, passed by a nice, cool pond, and thought “I’d like to kick back, cast a line and catch a fish”? Now you can, and you’ll get a cool new belt buckle when you do. The Troutman is the trail running and fishing combination (a.k.a. flyathon) you didn’t know you needed, and as a bonus, the challenge ends with a mandatory cold beer. Interested? Read on for more details.

What’s a flyathon?

A flyathon is a multi-sport event consisting of three parts: trail running, fly fishing and drinking craft beer. It was started by the Colorado organization Running Rivers, who decided that putting these three activities together, which are often done separately, makes them even more enjoyable.

“Simply put, many of the best and most beautiful places to fish are way back in the woods, and the quickest way to get back to these remote places to maximize fishing time is to trail run,” they say on their website. “And once you have run back from that mountain lake or stream (or while you are there…), all of that effort is rewarded with high quality, local craft beer.”

Still confused? The formula is this: run to a designated fishing spot, catch a fish, run back, drink beer.

The organization hosts multiple flyathons throughout the Colorado wilderness, and the majority of the funds raised at each event go toward river and trail improvement projects. Less of a competition and more of a fun community event, each flyathon is designed to promote responsible fishing practices and trail habits.

The Troutman Team Challenge

Most flyathons are relatively short (seven to 16 kilometres). The Troutman, on the other hand, is a much more substantial challenge. There is no set route, but there are a number of rules for participants to complete the challenge correctly:

1)  Run at least a trail marathon (42 kilometres or more)
2)  The route must have an elevation gain of more than 3,000 vertical feet (915m)
3)  You must catch four different trout species
4)  Participants must wash the entire adventure down with a craft beer greater than 12% ABV
5)  All steps must be completed within 12 hours

This is a team challenge, which means participants must be in groups of at least two. There are a number of reasons for this, the first being safety. The second is to make it easier for participants to document their challenge so, as the organizers put it, they “don’t have to call bulls**t on you.”

Participants can complete the challenge anywhere in Colorado. Don’t live in Colorado? There may be hope for you yet — all you have to do is email the organizers so you can work out appropriate fish and beer details.

Very few people have ever managed to become a Troutman/woman, but if you do manage to complete the challenge, a one-of-a-kind Troutman buckle will be mailed directly to you as a prize. Your name will also get put on their website, so, as the organizers say, “other flyathletes can know what a crazy SOB you are.”

Does this sound like the dream-come-true you never knew you had? Check out the Running Rivers website for more details.