Total Distance: 160 km
Stages: A short prologue on The Island of the Sun and then 4 stages.
Terrain: trekking trails and dirt paths within the Cordillera Real
(route elevations of between 2800 - 5100 meters)
2 categories:
Self-Sufficient Stage Run: (A prologue and then 4 stages for total of 160km for runners, trekkers and expeditioners. There will be 3 set mountain camps.
Non-Stop Ultra Run: Teams of 2 (160 k for ultra runners, mountain runners, fast packers, sky runners and true runners. They will have one drop box about 1/2 the way on route for re-supply) Runners will need to carry some essential items for safety and will have limited race support on course as they attempt to be the fastest to the finish line at the mountain village of Sorata.
There will be one safety time cut off at camp 2. If a team fails to make the cutoff they can elect to be transported to the finish or remain in camp 2 and wait for the stage race (about a day behind) and join the stage race to experience the rest of the route unranked. (each non-stop team will be responsible for packing their drop box with required or recommended items. Weight and size restrictions for drop boxes will be provided in your race info kit upon registration.)
A mandatory gear/packing list will be emailed to each registered competitor and also available in the secure competitor log in area of the website. Mandatory gear and packing list for those in the stage run will be slightly different from what is required for those in the non-stop ultra run. We will also list recommended items and reliable brands here.
The daily stage distances and overall distance may not seem as challenging as longer stage runs at first glance. Don’t be fooled. This is a TCC Adventures event and anyone who has run at elevation can attest that acclimatizing to these heights takes time and presents a set of challenges that will test your resolve on every level. Carrying a pack with even minimal supplies will slow you down while your lungs labor to draw in more oxygen and your legs feel unnaturally heavy…and that’s just what you’ll feel at the prologue.
- You would be hard pressed to find a more challenging race in this hemisphere or a more epic adventure anywhere. Put it on your race calendar for 2010 if you’re finally ready for racing in the skies. -
Start : Thursday Sept 09, 2010
Prologue - Island of the Sun, Lake Titicaca (8 km)
Race Stage 1 - Potosi – Lake Chari Khota (28 km)
Race Stage 2 - Lake Chari Khota – Estancia Lloco Loconi (55 km)
Race Stage 3 - Estancia Lloco Loconi – Cocoyo (38 km)
Race Stage 4 - Cocoyo - Sorata (FINISH LINE) (30 km)
Backdrop:
The longest chain of mountains on the planet lies along the western edge of South America like an immense dragon - its tail falling into the freezing Antarctic Ocean, its head breathing fire 5,000 miles north. The Andes, home to the highest points outside the Himalayas, are remarkable not only for their volcanoes and their jagged peaks, the spines of the dragon's back; the niches they shelter are a world of extremes and hidden secrets.
The Andes can be both vibrantly alive and terribly desolate. They shelter the driest place on Earth, the Atacama Desert, where in places it has never rained. But farther north is also the wettest place on the planet - the cloud forest of Lloro, Colombia, which absorbs an astounding 40 feet of rainfall a year. And in between, on the wide plateau called Altiplano, lie poisonous, caustic salt lakes.
The Andes are relatively young compared to the Himalayas and are still growing. In the last century they've risen hundreds of feet in some places, pushed skyward as the sliding mass of South America crashes into solid rock under the Pacific Ocean. An Andes peak may yet top Mount Everest and a “True Runner” may yet be found. Only time will tell.
Details:
A little more about the Chasqui and the notion of a “True Runner”:
As with many indigenous cultures in North, Central and South America, long distance runners were used in the service of communicating throughout their lands.
But by far the greatest pre-Columbian road system ran over 2,500 miles from northern Ecuador to southern Chile. The coastal stretch covered some 1,100 miles, and featured molded curbing, retaining walls where they cut through hills, and fruit trees along the shoulder. Wrinkling along the spine of the Andes, the highland road was narrower and more engineered with causeways and culverts. From both highways arteries branched east, north, and south to connect the Inca capital with the "Four Quarters of the World."
The Inca highway carried the most institutionalized of all runner organizations, the Chasqui - meaning "to exchange”
Chasquis trained rigorously, carrying memorized messages and could guarantee one-day delivery for every 140 miles of road. They worked using a relay system that allowed them to convey messages over very long distances within a short period of time. Tambos, or relay stations, were constructed at key points along the road system, often consisting of a small shelter with food and water. Chasquis would start at one tambo and run to the next tambo where another rested chasqui was waiting to then carry the message to the next tambo. Through the chasqui system a message could be delivered from Cusco to Quito within a week, actually less time than it takes to deliver mail between those cities today!
“Although this was their work and not a recreation, you have to believe that these were individuals who excelled at running from an early age. They trained and focused “and competed” for a higher status in an honorable profession. They lived for running and honored it in a way few could possibly understand. They were “true” to running during their time spent on this world.
Their prowess and dedication were beyond impressive. We salute them and those of you who will be running in their footsteps in September, 2010, perhaps hearing the whispers of ancients carried upon the wind along the way.” - Tim Holmstrom
Have questions? Give us a call at (203) 353-1608 or email info@incarun.com |
