7/12, Canmore, AB

The RD of the Clackamas River Runoff, scheduled for July 12 in Estacada, Oregon, sustained an unfortunate personal injury and was thus unable to hold the event as scheduled.

In addition, the RD of the Canmore Challenge in Alberta, Canada, was very sorry to announce that he too, had to cancel his event, originally scheduled for September 20.

The next Mountain Cup event is the Peak Challenge, July 19 in Vancouver, BC, followed by the Squaw Mountain Run in Squaw Valley, CA on August 2.

This reminds us how fortunate we are for the huge efforts put in by race directors, and how much we depend on their volunteer efforts for our sport.

We wish them both well, and for their events to resume in 2009.

http://mountainrunning.com/mc/venues.php

7/20, Vail, CO

The La Sportiva Vail Trail Series continues Sunday with two events: a Half Marathon and a Hillclimb. Both start at Gold Peak and finish on top of the mountain at Eagles Nest. Both are a beautiful respite from the summer heat!

The La Sportiva Berry Picker is especially notable, because it has also been designated as one of two (the other was Mount Washington) "Selection Races" for the Teva US Mountain Running Team. This is the Team that will represent the US at the World Trophy Race in Crans Montana, Switzerland, on September 14.

For a complete discussion of what this means and what to expect, go to: http://mountainrunningblog.com

The top two Women, top Male, and top Junior will automatically be put on the Team, so this is a key event.

For everyone else: don't worry; both are really fun courses, with an opportunity to see some of the top US mountain runners a bonus.

BERRY PICKER: 4.3 miles long, gains 2,459' ("straight up the mountain"), average grade of 12%, 90% single track.

HALF MARATHON: 14.5 miles, tops out at 11,653' for a gain of 4,020', average grade 7%, 50/50 single track and dirt access road.

Can register at active.com, or at event starting 6:30 AM at Gold Peak; both races start at 8 AM.

http://vailrec.com/running.cfm

7/26, Snowbird, UT

Karl Meltzer designed this course and he's proud of it! Tons of vert, good location, and should be excellent camaraderie as the tribe comes out to run with each other.

Anita Ortiz skipped a free trip to White River, the 50 mile National Championships, in order to do this instead. "It's more my style", she said. "Lot's of steep climbing."

As of 7/17 entries are still open.

http://karlmeltzer.com/?page_id=61

7/30, North America

Sponsored by La Sportiva, the Trail Runner Trophy Series is the world’s largest off-road running series, encompassing 121 races held between March 1 to September 30. Kicking off this year’s series on March 1 are the Foot Pursuit 5k in Valparasio, Indiana, Old Peublo 50-Mile Endurance Run in Sonoita, Arizona, and Seneca Creek Greenway Trail Marathon and 50K in Damascus, Maryland.

Throughout the series, over 20,000 trail runners will earn points for completing races and bonus points for winning age-group or overall categories. Runners clash in two divisions: (1) marathon and shorter and (2) ultramarathon (races longer than 26.2 miles).

Trophy Series participants can earn credits towards mountain-running shoes from La Sportiva and a chance to become an honorary member of the La Sportiva Mountain Running Team. This person will receive four pairs of La Sportiva mountain-running shoes and a team apparel package including socks, headlamp, singlet, t-shirt, shorts, warm-up jacket and headwear. “La Sportiva makes footwear specifically designed for the kind of the obstacles and terrain found in Trophy Series races, so this partnership is a great fit,” says team manager, Buzz Burrell.

The top male and female finishers in each age group are awarded prize packages containing products from Original Buff, Trigger Point Therapy, Amphipod, Gore-Tex, Suunto, Pro-Tec Athletics, Moeben Sleeves, GU Energy Gel, GlacierGel, Injinji, Julbo, PowerSox, La Sportiva and Kahtoola. The season’s male and female Trail Runners of the Year in the marathon-and-under and ultramarathon categories will be featured in Trail Runner’s January/February 2009 issue.

Monthly updated Trophy Series points standings, a list of Trophy Series races, press releases, race reports, profiles of past winners and details about the prizes and promotions available only to Trophy Series participants can be found www.trailrunnermag.com.

http://www.trailrunnermag.com

8/2, Eldora Ski Area, CO

Tired of weekend traffic on I-70? The La Sportiva Eldora Trail 10km is the closest major trail race to Boulder! Located just up the canyon at the Eldora Ski Area, it's the same course designed by Darrin Eisman, which has been enjoyed by runners for the past three years. Held of the rolling forested trails of the Nordic Center, this race is perfect for all level of runner, and indeed, it attracts some of the best in the country along with people just wanting to enjoy a good run. Runners can park right at the Start line, be served breakfast immediately after, and are home by 11 am!

One can register at active.com now or at the race itself.

http://digdeepsports.com/lasportivaeldora10k.html

8/4, Oregon

From Rich Bolt, Series Director -

The inaugural Oregon Mountain Running Series (OMRS) kicks off on June 7 in Jacksonville with the Granite Man Mountain Run. Sponsored by La Sportiva and sanctioned by USATF, this series is designed to promote competition in shorter distance trail races with hilly courses.

Oregon has long been home to first class trail / ultra runners with names like Sean Meissner, William Emerson & Meghan Arbogast. Well known trail ultra races in the state include the MacDonald Forest 50k and the Where's Waldo 100k.

The OMRS is designed to put some well established and challenging shorter trail races on the map and see which runners "rule the roost" at the top of the mountain. Run for 31 years, the Mt. Ashland Hillclimb Run features 5600' of climbing over 13 miles giving it more continuous vertical than almost any other race in the USA. The Sunrise to Summit outside Bend may be the shortest race in the series at just 3 miles, but with 2600' of vertical, it's a monster challenge with a big, rewarding view from the summit of Mt. Bachelor. Held in scenic Jacksonville, the Granite Man Mountain Run is just one of 7 races well organized by the experienced folks at Rogue Multi-Sport. Capping off the series will be the Northwest Mountain Running Championships run on the slopes of Oregon's biggest pile of rocks - Mt. Hood.

At the end of the series who will be the kings and queens of the mountains? So far this year we've seen first class performances from Andy Martin of Bend who won the Peterson Ridge Rumble 30k in April. Andy also won several big West Coast marathons this spring and ran the US Olympic Marathon Trials last Fall in a blazing time of 2:26. What about Kami Semick from Bend, will she show up at the shorter mountain series races? Kami won the Peterson Ridge Rumble 60k and has been a top finisher at the famous Western States 100 Miler.

Top runners in the Oregon Mountain Running Series races will be competing for more that bragging rights. Men's and women's winners in each race who are USATF members will get a free pair of shoes from La Sportiva. USATF Oregon is sanctioning the series races and supporting grass-roots advocacy for mountain, ultra & trail runners and race directors. USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.

http://www.usatf-oregon.org/node/322

8/9, Vail, Colorado

Vail, Colorado – Colorado’s premier trail running series offers new additions this year yet continues some of the traditions that has made the series a success during the past ten years.

“We strive to have the best race series in Colorado by providing great courses and excellent organization. Going into our second decade of racing, we have a revamped series which will attract new participants to the start line alongside the runners who support the series year after year,” said race director Joel Rabinowitz.

The series, title sponsored by La Sportiva, runs June through September and includes events from 5 miles to just over the half marathon distance.

“Vail is the perfect location for trail running, so La Sportiva is naturally very excited to help make exciting and fun trail racing available. Vail has always done a great job, and as a world-class resort, people can come from all over the country for the entire weekend, or they can drive up from the Front Range for a refreshing summer day in the mountains. Each of these races is very scenic, they make excellent use of the beautiful natural terrain, all of which fits in perfectly with La Sportiva's 50-year old heritage as the pre-eminent manufacturer of mountain footwear,” says Buzz Burrell, spokesperson for La Sportiva.

Rabinowitz and his staff at Vail Recreation District partner with Beaver Creek Resorts this year to host the first event in the series on June 21 in Beaver Creek. This evening trail race, the La Sportiva Beaver Creek Summer Solstice, will celebrate the summer solstice. The course details will be announced in February.

Second in the series is the 32nd running of the La Sportiva Vail HillClimb on July 6. This 7.5 mile route boasts 2200 vertical ascent from the base of Vail Mountain to the summit and is the largest event in the series and a favorite of locals and visitors alike.

On July 20 runners can choose to race either a 5 mile uphill route with the La Sportiva Berry Picker or the La Sportiva HalfMarathon which is actually a bit longer than a half marathon at just over 14 miles. The Berry Picker also serves as a selection race for the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team where the top male finisher, the top two female finishers, and the top junior male will all earn spots on this year’s team. Both events will start at Golden Peak Children’s Center.

The fourth event, the La Sportiva 10k at 10,000 Feet will be held on August 10. Runners will take a ride up the Eagle Bahn Gondola for the start of the race at the summit of Vail Mountain. The entire race is above 9,000 feet of elevation with the high points above 10,000 feet.

The final race of the series is the La Sportiva Evergold 10k on September 7. The race starts behind Golden Peak Children’s Center located at the base of Vail Mountain, and traverses the mountain on some of the most beautiful trails at a time of year when the colors are sure to include golden, and bright yellows from the Aspen trees.

Registration opens in mid-January and can be handled online at www.active.com, or by downloading an entry form at www.vailrec.com which can be faxed, or mailed to Vail Recreation District. Runners may also register onsite at the VRD offices. If you are a past series participant you will receive a postcard in the mail reminding you of the race dates and registration details or you may pick up an entry at any running specialty store along the Front Range. You may register for one event, two events, or for the entire series. Register for the entire five-race series by June 8 for $115. Individual race entry is $25 or $35 on race day.

Vail Recreation District provides well marked routes, accurate and timely results, commemorative T-shirts, and great prizes which are presented to overall and age group winners of each event with series prizes awarded after the final event to runners who compete in and finish at least four events. Prizes include certificates for La Sportiva trail running shoes, high value items such as sunglasses, headlamps, technical T-shirts, and other great gear. Raffle prize drawings will be held at each race awards ceremony featuring products from area merchants and national companies. Last year’s series boasted more than 1100 participants with 15 runners completing at least four races in the series.

http://www.vailrec.com