Race Day Details - Oct 1, 2016

BigT, October 1, 2016
Twenty-seven hrs...

The final race preparations are in various states of completion for this year's 32nd annual event. Weather looks first-rate for this Saturday and the aspen colors have set. Carpool and/or arrive early to minimize the inevitable parking congestion!

As always, there will be race day registration from 8-845am. All of you last minute fence-stradlers should make the drive up to Aspen Vista and join the race. Striders Club Members will pay the full registration fee on Saturday morning (discounts ended with online registration Thursday evening). As a result of several requests, there will be a walking/hiking division again this year. The start time for this group will be moved back to 8am. Expect race morning to be busy and if there are any lingering questions of what to expect, please refer to our helpful primer on this topic:
 - What to Prepare for on Race Day - Big Tesuque Trail Run.

This year's event includes runners from several nearby states, including; Tulsa OK, Window Rock AZ, El Paso TX, Paonia CO; and over a dozen cities and towns here in New Mexico, including; Socorro, Las Cruces, Taos, Dulce, Sapello, Montezuma, El Rito, as well as several nearby locales (Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Edgewood, Sandia Park, Placitas, Los Alamos, Las Vegas, Espanola, Los Ranchos, Tesuque Pueblo). Will see you all at the trailhead this Saturday morning.


Related Links:
 - Video Flyover of the Course
 - Big Tesuque TR 2015 - Results
 - What to Prepare for on Race Day

Registration is Now Open - Big T 2016

This year's race date is scheduled for Saturday October 1st. Online registration is now active over at Newmexicosportsonline as well as Active.com (we prefer the local guys). Race flyers will also be available at The Running Hub or Alpine Sports here in Santa Fe or can be downloaded via the little icon to the left there (<<<<) and mailed in to the club P.O. Box. Completed registrations can also be dropped off with either of our friends over at The Hub or Alpine Sports. The run benefits WINGS of America, which received $2,000 from the the Striders via the Big Tesuque Trail Run in each of the last two years. 

Registration fees are $30 this year, early registrations from Striders club members are $25 before race day (with promo code). Shirt designs haven't been finalized, but we'll post an image when it comes together. 

Time to get out and get your paces in, stretch those legs out, and get comfortable with a HR of 165 bpm. Fall is just around the corner. 

Race Day Details - Oct 3, 2015

The final race preparations are in various states of completion for this year's 31st annual event. Weather looks first-rate for this Saturday and the smoke from this week's forest service prescribed burns has dissipated.

Registration has been strong once again for this weekend's event, we hope to exceed last year's total of 151 finishers. As always, there will be race day registration from 8-845am. All of you last minute fence-stradlers should make the drive up to Aspen Vista and join the race. Striders Club Members will pay the full registration fee on Saturday morning (so register today!). As a result of several requests, there will be a walking/hiking division this year. The start time for this group will be moved back to 8am. Expect race morning to be busy and if there are any lingering questions of what to expect, please refer to our helpful primer on this topic:
 - What to Prepare for on Race Day - Big Tesuque Trail Run.

Seems entirely appropriate to announce that we have two runners traveling from New Zealand to make this year's event. They will not be disappointed. We will also have representation from four other states, with runners from; Seattle WA, Window Rock AZ, Midland TX, Fort Collins CO; and over a dozen cities and towns here in New Mexico, including; Clovis, Socorro, Roswell, Las Cruces, Taos, Montezuma, El Rito, as well as several nearby locales (Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Edgewood, Sandia Park, Placitas, Los Alamos, Las Vegas, Guadalupita, Espanola, Tesuque Pueblo). Will see you all this Saturday morning.


Related Links:
 - Video Flyover of the Course
 - Big Tesuque TR 2014 - Results and Analysis
 - What to Prepare for on Race Day

Registration is Now Open - Big T 2015

This year's race date is scheduled for Saturday October 3rd. Online registration is now active over at Newmexicosportsonline and Active.com. Race flyers are also available at The Running Hub or Alpine Sports here in Santa Fe or can be downloaded via the little icon to the left there (<<<<) and mailed in to the club P.O. Box or dropped off with either of our friends over at The Hub or Alpine Sports. The run benefits WINGS of America, which received $2,000 in each of the last two years. 

Registration fees are $30, early registrations from Striders club members are $25 before October 2nd (with promo code). Shirt designs haven't been finalized, but we'll post an image when it comes together. 

Time to get out and get your paces in, stretch those legs out, and get comfortable with a HR of 165 bpm. Fall is just around the corner. 

Race Planning for Big T 2014

Our race date of Saturday October 4th has been set and permitted by the good folks at the Santa Fe National Forest.

Online registration at NewMexicoSportsOnline.com ought to be going live later today is now live, manual registration is available via flyers currently being distributed around town, (or download here). $25 general registration, $22 for Striders club members.

Get fired up.

Saturday's a Go! - Government or no Government

We've been fielding a few questions about the Government shutdown and how it affects the National Forests, in particular the Santa Fe National Forest. In a general sense we really don't know, but specific to this weekend's race our only casualties are the permanent bathrooms at the trailhead. They'll be locked, so we've made plans to truck a couple portables up there for everyone. Problem solved.

What else should be pondered and planned for as race day draws near? We just happen to have a handy list right here:

 - What to Prepare for on Race Day

Point of Recognition for our Financial Backers

We've updated our Race Sponsor page. Aside from our volunteers and race director these are the folks that make Big T tick, year after year, in many cases for the last twenty years - not a typo. Before we can recognize our new overall and age-group champions on Saturday let's recognize the businesses that lend their support in getting us to race day in good shape.

Cowbells and a big thanks to our sponsors below.

And of course to the race beneficiary, WINGS of America

Race Registration is Building Steadily

A quick report on registration:
Year-to-date we have registrants from 13 cities and 4 states. Only one country just yet (the US), but we do have an entry from outside the Continental US, and that would be Alaska. From the looks of it, we're ahead of last year's trends. The race generally fills a third of all entries in the final week of online registration, then another third in-person on race day.

Below is a nifty report from the backend of our results database that shows participation by city and state for the last thirteen races. In 2012 we had runners representing 23 different cities/towns and 5 states. The largest of course being Santa Fe and Albuquerque. We don't seem to draw well from Rio Rancho for some reason but this could be our year. Las Vegas and Taos are tough draws but they have more of a drive-time to overcome.

On a side note - one can just make out the small course extension on the summit that was instituted in 2010. Average times bump 3-4 minutes from 2009 and prior years. I've found that the added hundred meters on top that now stretch to summit edge (and back), takes me an extra 90sec to cover. It's worth it for the fine view.

Our tech cred on full display - Thirteen years of BigT participation and finishing time data

If you're a club member, sign up early and receive your club discount (only $22!). Get into The Running Hub and drop off your registration flyer (they have extras on hand), or register online at either Active.com or our new listing at newmexicosportsonline if you prefer the local business route.

Registration is Now Open - Big T 2013

Online registration has been setup over at Active.com. Flyers are now available at The Running Hub here in Santa Fe or can be downloaded with that little icon to the left there (<<<<) and mailed in or dropped off with our friends over at The Hub.

Nothing of note has changed from prior year although we expect an even larger turnout than we had for last year's event. Registration fees are unchanged at $25, Striders members receive $3 off. Shirt designs haven't been finalized just yet, but we'll post an image when it comes together.

Remember that access to Aspen Vista is currently closed, but Atalaya remains open during the current trail closures. There's 1,600 feet of vertical there if you begin at the St. John's College trailhead. More if you run laps. Get some.

Pre-Race Update

Wilderness Gate and aspens at the group run this
morning.   photo by Max Mujynya

One week and counting. The weather is looking fine, the mountains are looking fine. Online race registration eclipsed our previous high on Friday. Continued registration will be ongoing both online and in person at The Running Hub until Friday at noon, then of course on race day until ~8:45am.

We've keyed in a few more year's of results to the database. We now have searchable results and age group records back to 1994 (missing years 96-97). So, sixteen of the race's twenty-seven years. Gettin' there. Slowly but we're getting there. The database is showing two runners that have completed 14 races going back to '94.

  - Jim Westmoreland, and
  - Peter Fant

2012 - Big Tesuque Trail Run

The date is set for this year's Big T, in its twenty-eighth year and still rolling. Saturday Oct. 6th is the morning to mark on your calendar. The esteemed Peter Fant will be directing the race once again, his sixteenth in a row I believe. The race is amassing enough history that we felt we should document it a bit better hence the new race website. Check back as we populate past years' results and stories from races past.

The race is held annually on the first Saturday in October. You can sense that it's coming around when the morning temperatures begin to dip - the first signs of Fall - and that's just what's been happening these last few days.

Registration for this year's race is $25, $22 for Striders' members before race day. Register online at Active.com, or download a registration form to mail in or drop off at The Running Hub. The race once again benefits WINGS of America youth running programs.