What is Day of the Dead (Legs)?
The event runs 8:00 am - 6:00 pm sharp. You have 10 hours to complete as many repeats as you can. There will be finisher awards for everyone who sticks it out for 10 hours, and one extra special award for the self-identifying male, female, and non-binary runner who climbs the most! You must be back at home base before 6:00:00pm for the lap to count.
You must sign in when you get there and sign out after you are finished. If you leave the course, you must let a race director (Julie or Dustin) know. This is part of our responsibility to make sure everyone is safe and accounted for on the mountain.
HOW DOES THIS EVENT WORK?
The Whitewash climb is a gnarly, technical climb with 500' of gain in approximately 0.5 miles. Each out-and-back is 0.5 miles up, 0.5 miles down, or 1 mile (ish) total. At the top, you will see a turnaround at the 500' mark. There is nothing to grab, no bib punch, no person to check in with. Each time you summit, run around the turnaround object (behind it) and head back down to the start/finish. Check in with a volunteer, who will count the lap for you.
Each lap = 500' climbed.
CREW
Crew is welcome! Hang out, hike, bring dogs (to basecamp only! No dogs on the trail due to the narrowness and steepness), set up basecamp (our permit is for participant numbers only) - the open space is open to the public. Bring something to share if you like. The picnic table at the bottom is the start/finish of every lap, so you can re-supply every mile. The picnic table is a 0.1 mile easy jaunt from the base of the hill.
BUT MY WATCH SAYS...
We don't care what your Strava shows. Gain will only be counted by laps. We will measure 500' as accurately as possible in advance. It won't be perfect. GPS stuff never is.
IS IT MARKED?
The trail will be flagged, but there is no mandatory course up or down. Whatever way you go, always stay on a trail (there are several ways up Whitewash, some straight up and some following switchbacks).
Note: part of trail running etiquette is staying on pre-existing trails.
DO I HAVE TO STAY FOR 10 HOURS?
If you want a finishers award you must stay for the entire time. The purpose is to come challenge yourself and work hard for the entire 10 hours. You are welcome to come and go as you please, but awards will not be given out until 6 PM - no exceptions. To succeed at Day of the Dead (Legs) is to kill your legs for 10 hours. Everyone who stays the whole time leaves with an award for successfully completing the commitment and challenge.
WHAT ABOUT BATHROOMS?
There are no established bathrooms at this trailhead, unfortunately. Plan accordingly. You may absolutely leave the course at any time and come back. We are trying to arrange for port-a-potties, but no promises at this point.
We can't wait!
What is Avidya Running?
Avidya is a sanskrit word meaning 'ignorance.' At its core, Avidya Running is an exploration into the dark places of our own ignorance using endurance running as our light. If we confuse mundane life to be the only reality, we remain ignorant of a truer reality. We believe our ignorance is the root of much of our suffering. We put on endurance events to explore the reality of concepts like egos, attachments, aversions, and our identities. We recognize that a community of strong, humble, hardworking people who are also interested in these questions makes a family. Avidya Running is a new race company. We have been hosting free events in New Mexico for the past few years with a mission and vision to host premier endurance events, and we have a lot of bad ideas in the horizon.
avidyarunning@gmail.com
Dustin & Julie Sandquist
Who should do this?
Everyone and no one. It is truly a terrible idea.
As with most terrible ideas, the more the merrier! If you can climb a hill, you can run this event. Anyone willing to donate sweat to the trail is welcome to run/hike with us; this event is accessible and inclusive because the challenge is you vs. you. You don't have to keep up with anyone, beat anyone, or hit our goal - set your own goal. This event is about each runner spending 10 hours battling Whitewash, but with lots of friends and treats to help.
Come out and get uncomfortable. The things that don't challenge you won't change you, either.
What to Bring and Expect
This event requires steely determination. Additionally, trekking poles, personal food and drink choices (you will return to home base after every 1-mile hill repeat with access to your belongings, cooler, etc.), good trail shoes, and sun protection will be helpful. The temperatures can swing wildly, especially with wind or direct sun.
*We will provide a full aid station with snacks, some sort of hydration fuel, and water.
*Donuts in the morning and Pizza for lunch!
Please plan accordingly if you have dietary restrictions, allergies, or other needs. We will do our best to provide a variety of options, but we do not want to be responsible for anyone suffering due to lack of fueling properly. You will suffer enough with the climbing.
Parking
Come early so you can park and have time to walk to the start; this event does not start at a parking lot. The event begins precisely at 8:00 am. You may get dropped off at the Menaul Trailhead parking lot (take Menaul Road all the way to the mountain; there is a parking lot at the end, which is the closest spot to our event). Or, if you are parking all day, there is free public parking on the residential roads surrounding the parking lot. Please do not park in the parking lot. The lot has a gate and will only be open from 7 am to 7 pm, and we have more runners than can fit anyway. You can park on Menaul Rd, tons of convenient nearby residential off-shoots from Menaul, Monte Largo, Rebonito Road, or at Indian School trailhead and enjoy your warm-up walk. We are not the only ones using the open space, so give hikers and bikers room to enjoy the Saturday trails too.
Avidya Community
Join our growing community!
We have a new Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/avidyarunning/
We love memes and pics on IG @avidyarunning #avidyarunning #avidyarunningco
Note: We are excited to host volunteer and trailwork opportunities in the future. It is one of our core values to show appreciation and inspire others to respect and preserve the mountains we enjoy, so look forward to additional opportunities to connect and give back!
If social media isn't your thing, you can join our newsletter at avidyarunningcom.wordpress.com (AVIDYARUNNING.COM after Sept. 1st, when our domain transfer is complete).
Race Rules
Refunds: If you need or choose to withdraw from the event for any reason, you will get a 50% refund up to Oct 1st. After that, no refunds are issued. Please do not ask for an exception. Recognize that you are agreeing to our rules and policies by registering for our event.
Cancellations: In the unlikely event of catastrophe or natural disaster, and we are unable to put on the race due to forces outside of our control or the safety of runners, we will refund 50% and split the loss 50/50. If the weather is just bad, plan to run. We love bad weather.
Injury or illness: Same refund policy listed above.
Pregnancy: Email us directly. We do not currently have a deferral option but are happy to work with you individually and find a solution.
Military: Email us directly. We do not currently have a deferral option but are happy to work with you individually and find a solution.
Bib transfer: You may use UltraSignup to transfer your bib to someone else until Oct. 1st. You may not bandit our races. You may not give your bib to someone else and let them run in your name. You must transfer the bib officially, or you jeopardize running with Avidya in the future (we need to accurately know who is on our courses and who we are responsible for at all times, zero exceptions). There is no same-day bib transfer option available. Plan ahead.
Finisher Awards: These are not participation awards, they are finisher awards. A finisher is any runner who has completed 10 hours of repeats from 8:00 am - 6:00 pm. Awards will not be given out prior to the event's conclusion (but the ceremony will be short and sweet because gates lock at 7:00 pm).
Late/early start: The laps that count are 8:00 am - 6:00 pm. You must have completed the lap and returned to the start line by 6:00 pm for it to count. Avidya Running staff tallies all laps. It is your responsibility to check in with a volunteer for each of your laps to ensure it was tallied properly (failing to check in forfeits the lap).
Dogs: Allowed at basecamp, not allowed on course.
Litter: Do not do it. If you see a flyaway wrapper or accidental GU tab, pick it up. We are all responsible for the cleanliness of the trail. We will have trash available.
Volunteers
We will need a little help! Email us: avidyarunning@gmail.com
Event's current local time: 12:55 PM MT
