Mountain running, an anti-sport with anti-athletes

Mountain running in Park City. Photo: Courtesy of the PCSS Mountain Running Club

PARK CITY, Utah. — Media can be a dichotomy. Whether people approve or disapprove of a story, for the most part, when asked to be a participant to voice their approval or disapproval, people are interested in participating. Not these people. Mountain runners are different. Mountain runners merely want to be left alone to do their thing. Thus, acquiring the requisite elements of an article (a quote and a picture) took an extra measure of persuasion this time and after pleading and pestering for their participation, some mountain distance runners simply respectfully declined, citing that they just enjoy running for the peace it provides.

Not craving a spotlight on their own athletic endeavors nor achievements, the only way I could talk the people in this article into letting me publish their names and likenesses was to ensure them that the gist of this was literally to raise awareness about others, which, in turn, raises funds that support even more people as well. In so doing, they provided facts about how others can become a mountain runner via registering for a new event through Park City Ski and Snowboard (PCSS) called the Fall Trail Series, benefiting local youth athletes. Click here to register.

Three rather reluctant media participants are coaches of the new nonprofit Park City Program, Liz Stephen, Adam Loomis, and Pete Stoughton.

Three-time Olympian Liz Stephen is a cross-country ski legend who is the head coach of the year-round PCSS Cross-Country Skiing Competition Team.

World Championship’s nordic combined athlete Adam Loomis is the head coach of the year-round PCSS Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined Competition Team. Loomis, today, came in second place in the Snowbird Cirque Series race which has an elevation gain of 3,566 feet of verticle. So far this year he’s also raced in the Timp Trail Marathon, where he was also second and the Scout Mountain 50 miler, which he won.

Pete Stoughton, Programs Director at the Christian Center of Park City has done every race in Park City, including the Miner Man which is every bike and trail race in Park City over the course of a year which included the North Face Endurance Series 15 miles point to point. One week it even involved three races on the same weekend totaling 300 miles. Nontraditional races produce nontraditional results where often, there aren’t even enough entrants to fill up a podium so when these aforementioned athletes place in first as Stoughton did in that one, it’s truly saying something.

Stoughton said, “We want families to do other amazing sports in the community like mountain biking and cross-country and skimo, but we’ve partnered with all those teams to provide one day a week a little more challenging exercise opportunity for people to work on mountain running for which Park City, geographically, is particularly well suited.” 

These three strive to turn on Park City community members of all ages and abilities to the low-impact, high-fun of mountain running.

17-year-old Zach Selsman placed third in the Cirque Series. Selzman has trained under both Stephen and Loomis as a PCSS nordic combined athlete.

Park City locals have a new Wednesday evening Trail Running Series which supports local youth ski programs. Open to all abilities, including hikers, ages 9 and older. Distances range from 4 miles to 6 miles. Points are awarded at each event to go toward Series awards. Food trucks and swag at each event.

DATES

• Sept 22 Iron Bill’s to Moose Puddle
• Sept 29, Yeti’s to Moose Puddle
• October 6 Moose puddle to Legacy
• October 20th. Ski Jump Stair challenge

EVENT DETAILS

• Start times: 5:30-6 pm
• Ages: 9 and older
• Ability: All abilities
• Cost:
  • Adults: $30 before August 31st, $35 after
  • 18 and younger: $20 before August 31st, $25 after

The Mountain Running program is separate. It successfully started over the summer and will begin taking registrations again in the spring for next summer. PCSS’s Mountain Running program is designed to develop endurance, speed, technique, and technical skills to enhance moving fast in the mountains. They train locally on Park City’s trail networks as well as race in regional mountain running races.