Race Day: What to Wear and What to Eat & Drink
2024 Update: it looks to be a sunny day that will start cold at daybreak, warming to ideal racing temperatures but staying chilly.
What to Pack
Many of you are coming from low altitude locations, so it may be better to overpack for a weekend at high altitude. At this writing, we can't anticipate the specific weather, but it looks to be cold early in the morning, warming to perfect running weather. We recommend that you pack enough clothes to have layers available for any type of weather. When in doubt, please choose safety over performance.
If it is cold: If race day is chilly (or worse), you should probably wear layers. Many runners like a synthetic undergarment that wicks away moisture. Be sure to have headwear of some sort, either a beanie-type hat that covers your ears, a headband that covers your ears, or at least a brimmed cap to keep your skull warm and keep sunshine at bay. You may want to consider running tights and a wind jacket that guards against a cold breeze. The race shirt is a technical-blend long-sleeve, but we recommend that you bring clothes you have worn in the past.
If it is hot: If race day dawns warm and sunny, please be sure to have a hat with a brim. You may wish to wear sunscreen, but much of the course is shaded by the various pine, fir, spruce, and juniper trees. On a hot day, be sure to stay hydrated with water and drinks that contain salt and electrolytes.
If it is wet: If it is raining, sleeting, or snowing, you would be well-served wearing layers and a performance jacket that keeps moisture from leaking onto your skin and fends off the wind.
Recommended Footwear: As you can see in the photos way below, much of the course is on pretty rugged terrain, with rocks, roots, and hard-packed and soft dirt. Personally, we like knobby-soled trail shoes for such terrain, but you know your feet better than we do so perhaps pack a couple of pairs and decide on race day which is best for you.
What to Eat and Drink
We will have aid stations at approximately Miles 3, 7.5, and 11.5, with water at every stop. We are planning on having Skratch products on hand as well.
Having said that, please bring your own fuel as you need. We recommend water or sports drinks that have electrolytes and sodium, with whatever snacks you will find helpful.
This race takes place at high altitude, so please be sure to hydrate in the days before traveling to Northern Arizona – and be sure to hydrate in the 24 hours before the race. We recommend drinking not just water but sports drinks and/or fruit drinks to ensure that you have sodium, sugars, and electrolytes in your system. (As you can tell, we want to guard against hyponatremia on race day, which can be caused by taking in too much water for the system to handle.)
Common advice is to ensure that you nourish yourself with complex carbohydrates, healthy proteins, and healthy fats (while some suggest that you ensure bringing in additional iron when running at altitude). You know your GI tract better than we do, so we will leave it to you to ensure that you have the fuels that you need. For example, one of our athletes brings sushi with him on long runs, but that may not work for all of you . . .
