Running The Grand Canyon R2R2R – Yes Please!
By David Hanenburg on 24 May 2010 at 4:27 pm | Tagged as: trail running or ultrarunning
The crunch of dirt beneath your feet.
The radiant orange flower growing right off the trail.
The shades of amazing color everywhere you look.
The moments when the images are beyond what simple words can respectively express, so you say nothing.
Why trail running? One of the reason for many (myself included) is to have the opportunity to mingle with this amazing planet we all share.
One such place that simply bursts epic trail running experience, is the Grand Canyon. I am not sure if everyone and their pet turtle is doing this but I sure seem to be hearing a lot about it this spring…and I have been mesmerized by their experiences.
There are various flavors of experiencing the trail but the primary one that I have been hearing about in the ultra world is the R2R2R. Many seem to run from the south rim to the north rim, and then retrace their route for a total of 48 or so miles that include roughly 10,000 feet of elevation change. Knock it out within 12-17 hours…or whatever it takes. Every step seems to be experience.
Sweet Reports, Pics, and Videos
Enough of my chatter, check out the epic report, photos, and videos from TALON athlete, Mike @ Just South of the Dot, as he and a group of runners experience the canyon.
- Grand Canyon photos and brief summary.
- Grand Canyon – Rim to Rim to Rim 2010 Report and videos (Ken @ if you believe you can’t, you are right also provided some of the videos you see from Mike’s link.)
“As much as I sound like I’m suffering, believe me, this was the best run experience I’ve ever had in my life, and am ready to go back next year again!” – Mike
What more does one need to hear?
If you haven’t heard enough…
Mike’s report highlights the Spring run, here is a report from Devon Crosby-Helms @ The (utlra) Marathon Life highlighting her group adventure last Fall.
Also, Kevin Patrick @ Endurance Planet put together an insightful podcast with experienced Grand Canyon runner, John Schultz, after recently completing the R2R2R.
Good stuff!
Additional Get-Smart Resources
- Grand Canyon National Park – Main Site
- Ultrarunning.com GC series – Grand Canyon Basics – Rim to Rim to Rim
- Ultrarunning.com GC series – Running the Grand Canyon – Logistics
- Marathon and Beyond.com – One Mile Deep – More tips and insight on this adventure.
Popular Maps and Books
- Grand Canyon Trail Map 3rd Edition
- Grand Canyon, The Complete Guide
- Frommer’s Grand Canyon National Park (Park Guides)
- Hikernut’s Grand Canyon Companion – A Guide to Hiking and Backpacking the Most Popular Trails Into the Canyon: Bright Angel, South Kaibab & North Kaibab Trails
All I can say is yes, yes, this is something I will experience.
What are your thoughts on this trail running adventure?
Be active – Feel the buzz!
David – EnduranceBuzz.com
(Top photo: Courtesy of B Rosen.)
(Bottom photo: Courtesy of John Loo.)
About the author
David Hanenburg is the passionate dirt-lovin' creator of Endurance Buzz and has been playing in the endurance sports world since 2000 after knockin' the dust off of his Trek 950 hardtail thanks to a friend asking to go ride some local dirt. In 2007 he ran his first ultra on the trails and fell in love with the sport and its people. For more information on David's endurance sports journey, check out the About page.
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I could be just a tad biased (see Endurance Planet reference above)
….but def one of the most amazing experiences ever. Can’t wait to do it again!
Rim to Rim to Rim is definitely on my list of runs to do. Thanks for all the great info and links!
John – Great podcast!
Tyson – Yes R2R2R – on the list! Hope the info helps.
Doing this in 3 weeks. I don’t think I’ve really trained to do well so much as trained to survive which is probably enough of a goal in itself.
Awesome Dylan! Have an epic experience!