Ouray – In another time and another place – like the middle of Telluride in the middle of winter – the sign would have been cause for celebration.
Instead it was a sad reminder of what might have been last Saturday for more than 1,000 runners. About 6 miles up the road from Ouray on the Imogene Pass Run that really wasn’t, the sign read:
Telluride Closed/Powder Day.
For the first time in the 33-year history of the Ouray-to-Telluride endurance test, weather prompted race officials to shorten the race and route it back to Ouray instead of continuing over the 13,120-foot pass.
About 4 inches of snow fell on the pass Friday, causing race officials to worry about slippery footing and hypothermia. In a controversial decision that sparked derision and outright rebellion, the board of directors voted 4-3 Friday afternoon to turn runners around well below Imogene Pass. Runners found out Friday evening when they checked in.
“Instead of being the Imogene Pass Run this time, I guess we’ll call it the Imogene Bypass,” race founder Rick Trujillo said.
The traditional Imogene Pass run covers 17.1 miles with a 10-mile, 5,310-foot climb to the pass, followed by a 4,300-foot descent into Telluride. Runners this year covered 15.25 miles with a climb of about 2,500 feet.
The pass wasn’t the only thing dividing the two Victorian mining towns last weekend.
“The Telluride side has a mentality that’s totally different than the Ouray side,” said Trujillo, who sprinkled his orientation speech to runners with sarcasm for the decision. “We were voted down by the Telluride side.”
Carl Schwenk of Ridgway was one of the board members in favor of running the race via its traditional route.
“Our argument was that this is a mountain race, and the people who come to do it are prepared to battle the elements,” said Schwenk, who broke two bones in his right hand after a fall while running the descent of the Pikes Peak Marathon last month. “It’s a test, a physical test, and people like this enjoy the test.”
Those in favor of eliminating the pass feared mountain rescue personnel and EMTs might be overwhelmed.
“Eight years ago it got really cold, there was a lot of hypothermia, and we couldn’t take care of as many people who needed the help,” co-race director Lori Syme said. “There’s probably 80 percent of these people who are ready to do this, but the 20 percent, we can’t take care of (them) if something goes wrong.”
An estimated 40 to 45 renegades ignored race officials and continued to Telluride on their own. On the pass they were met by fog, which deteriorated into white-out conditions, and a San Miguel sheriff’s deputy hailed as an “angel of mercy” by one bandit.
Bryan Dayton of Boulder, who finished the official race in sixth (1 hour, 46 minutes, 18 seconds) was one of many disappointed runners.
“We live in Colorado, so dealing with natural things like this is (normal),” Dayton said. “I think if people are well-warned and you can take your own gear with you, I don’t think there would have been a problem.”
