Kendall Mtn. Run (Silverton Style)

                                                                        Word Count:  986

     With its revival in 1978, the Kendall Mountain Run has built up quite a tradition and reputation. “Kendall” as it’s affectionately referred to by certain masochistic types, is a foot race which entails an ascent and decent of Kendall Mountain, overlooking the town of Silverton. Beginning in front of the Grand Imperial Hotel, and ending at the town hall, the course follows a steep jeep road that winds its way up the mountain, ending on the backside, and within three hundred and fifty feet of the summit. From there, runners are required to do their best mountain goat imitation minus the bleating, and scramble to the summit. Touch a Shepard’s staff at the top, and then descend in a mad scramble back down the mountain and into town.

     The modern day version of the race is predated by an earlier rendering of the dash up the mountain during Silverton’s pioneering days, August 1908 to be precise. At that time, a casual conversation between a Silverton saloon owner, named Jack Slattery, and a man named Charlie Worden took place. The conversation drifted to mountain climbing, and Worden mentioned to Slattery that he knew a man that could ascend and decent the mountain in an hour and a half. A $200 bet between the two men was wagered, and word soon spread throughout Silverton sporting circles. Additional bets were placed, and on the morning of Monday, August 24^th, the conquest was set. Worden chose as his man to achieve the feat, Neil McQuieg, a miner who worked at the Frank Hough Mine, situated high on Engineer Mountain above Animas Forks. McQuieg,, 53 years old at the time and a man of small build and stature, started straight up the face of the mountain at 10:45 a.m. Reaching the summit in one hour, seven minutes and 40 seconds. An amazing athletic even by today’s standards, and truly superhuman at that time. Despite getting lost twice during the descent, McQuieg still managed to blast his way back into town in one hour, thirty one minutes, and forty two seconds.

     Slattery had technically won the bet, but those present at the time raved about the fact that they’d just witnessed the setting of remarkable athletic record. As the saying goes, “records are made to be broken”, and this one was no exception. On Labor Day of that year, in response to heavy betting on his claim that he could better McQuieg’s time, Myron McWright, a twenty one year old Scotch Canadian miner, tackled the mountain in 1:27:25, bettering the record by over four minutes. McWright wasn’t happy enough with his time, and four days later attempted to break his own record.

     Conjecture has it that McWright tried to set a new record on a rainy Friday afternoon in response to a wager of $60. Being a spur-of-the-moment decision, McWright tried to pull off the feat under highly adverse conditions. Snow falling above timberline, nightfall fast approaching, and McWright in a slightly inebriated state from his saloon socializing.

     Inevitably, McWright’s attempt to cheat the devil backfired on him when he failed to return to town by 8 p.m.. A rescue party was organized, and an all-night search resulted in the finding of McWright’s body just below the summit. On the way down he apparently tripped and fell over a cliff, striking his head on a rock, and was killed by either early September exposure to the elements, or the fall itself.

     This tragic turn of events led to the sport of running up and down Kendall Mountain taking a sixty-six year hiatus. No doubt curiosity and temptation got the better of some athletes, and attempts to break the record may have taken place during the intervening years, but historical records are sketchy or non-existent.

     Finally in October of 1974, Rick Trujillo of Ouray, one of the most famous modern-day mountain runners in this (or any other part of the world), attempted to break the records of McQuieg and McWright. Using a route that closely followed that of those two, Trujillo shattered the record, completing the trip in 1:23:07. Trujillo’s full frontal assault of the mountain still stands to this day. The modern day annual race does not go up the front face, but follows the steep jeep road, which winds its way around the mountain.

     The current version of the race should be credited to attorney and running enthusiast, Bill Corwin. Inspired by the feats of Trujillo, and his own experiences, Corwin originated the idea for an annual foot race up the mountain in 1978. The first year it was held, the Kendall Mountain Run-to no one’s surprise- was won by Trujillo in 1:40:01. The modern day course record is held by Sheldon Larsen, a lightning quick ascent and decent of 1:35:07.

     In the thirty-three years the modern day race has been run, a number of unique features make it stand out.  The sheer beauty of the course itself is a notable characteristic, with stunning views of the backside basin of the mountain as competitors catch the early morning sunlight during their climb up the mountain. Additionally, mountain wildflowers matching every color in the rainbow can also be found in gaudy profusion during the climb up and back down.

     The 350 ft. scramble to the summit also adds to the uniqueness of the race.

     Once the runner has crossed the finish line in town, a BBQ picnic awaits them post-race. The Kendall BBQ lunch was first established in the mid 80’s, and continues to the present. Definitely a big incentive for many runners to get down the mountain as fast as possible, so they can get to all those goodies at the finish line.

     Whenever this author is asked if he’ll ever run the Hardrock 100, he always gives the same pat answer. “No, I think I’ll stick to the easy stuff like Kendall.” Hardly.