SEPTEMBER 2026 THE STRIDER

THE STRIDER

Your news source for the Mesa Monument Striders, Grand Valley running, and beyond.

In this issue: A hot, smoky, race-filled summer is almost over. This issue covers summer race performances, upcoming fall events, and tributes to the late Dr. Paul Wubben, an exceptional Striders member. 

Thanks to Conrad Cole and Tom Ela for contributions. As well as an excerpt from Trail Runner Magazine!

For submissions for upcoming newsletters, feel free to email articles, upcoming events, edits, race results/reports, etc. to Michelle and Caitlin at [email protected].

Race Results and Reports

San Juan Solstice (50 mi) - June 20, 2026 - Lake City, CO 

SJS kicks off the summer and attracts runners from the western slope every year to compete, crew, and spectate! GJ folks competing in this challenging race included Whit Blair, Grant Roper, and Tyler Jones. 

Results can be found here: https://ultrasignup.com/m_results_event.aspx?did=133245

Turkey Flats (9.5 mi) - June 28, 2026 - Glade Park, CO

The 2026 Turkey Flats race was an eventful Striders race. Several runners were maliciously targeted by a very protective doe mama and were forced to DNF this year. Otherwise, runners escaped the smoke to race a dry course on a beautiful morning at elevation. Cody Esbenshade took the overall win, while Michelle Oberndorf was first for the women. 

Shout out to Steve DeFeyter for sweeping the course, as well as Penny Vercilline, Susan Bierman, and Kristi Siman for their deer evasion tactics. 

Results: 

Crag Crest Race (10.5 mi) - July 12, 2026 - Grand Mesa, CO 

Over 20 Striders took part in the Crag Crest race this year! From the start, the race was on between Taylor McGaughey and James Roche, with Taylor overtaking James at the end by less than 10 seconds! Cody Esbenshade came in 3rd for the race overall, while Michelle Oberndorf, Jen Gruber, and Laura Venner took the podium for women. The Striders had a great day out on the Mesa following the race. Most agreed that the clockwise is the most mentally challenging direction. Many thanks to Tom Ela for putting together the race! 

Results: 

Grand Mesa Ultras (30K, 55K, 50mi) - July 25, 2026 - Grand Mesa, CO 

Well done to all of the Striders who competed in the Grand Mesa Ultras!

Notable performances include Max Robinson and James Roche, who took 1st and 2nd place finishes for the 50 mile event with a time of 7:24 and 7:53. 

Additional results can be found here https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=132215.

Mary’s Loop (8.5mi) - August 22, 2026 - Loma, CO 

Mary’s Loop really rocked this year. We had a great turnout, including members of the CMU Nordic team. Ellayna Potter of said team broke the modern-day women’s course record, and AJ Haney came in first in the men’s category. Steve McGarry won best beard, and Lori Schneider was proud to take home the DFL award. In honor of the race’s roots, awards were painted rocks. Maybe next year we’ll have a rock-painting party in the weeks leading up to the race. Thanks to Michelle and Kat for marking the course gorgeously, and to Scott H. for graciously accepting being last-minute voluntold to sweep. And special thanks to Tom for timing and making sure all the important stuff got taken care of.

Results:

Just Peachy (5K, 10K) - August 15, 2026 - Palisade, CO 

Many Striders got out and competed in the local 5K and 10K! Kristi and Scott Vig won their respective age groups in the 10K. Jeanie Grooms and Sheryl Douglas placed 1st and 2nd in their age group for the 10K. Lori Schneider placed 3rd in her age group for the 5K. Taylor McGaughey and Chris Sovacool placed 1st and 2nd in their age group with respective times of 16:49 and 17:01. 

Use this link for full results: https://my.raceresult.com/413393/

Other Awesome Performances: 

Ryan Sullivan took the win for High Lonesome. Spencer Shellberg took 2nd at the Aspen Backcountry 50K just one week before getting married. And Austin Anderson traveled abroad to compete in the OCC by UTMB in Chamonix, France! 

Newsletter Contributions

Dr. Paul Wubben

[Tribute Piece, Conrad Cole, August 10th, 2026]

Many stories could be written about Dr. Wubben otherwise known as the Godfather of Trail Running in these parts. He was the only running doctor that I knew of when I moved to town back in 1983.

When I was in his office one time, he mentioned that “you can go through those tunnels and run across the Monument if you wish.” This was probably back in 1989. So, my small band of Sunday runners gave it a shot. Before long we were doing it once a month. Got to know all of the Rangers. It was also a dream of Dr. Clarence Craig (dentist and our first president) to have a race over the monument.

So, at one Valentine Massacre Prediction Run I was approached by Cliff Moore and Gabe DeGabriel to see if together we could start such a race. Cliff was Clarence’s running buddy and Gabe at the time was the Mesa College women’s cross-country coach. He was the liberal that knew where any such proceeds needed to go. My band knew the ins and outs of the course.

1993 was the Inaugural Rim Rock Run. We pulled it off! Three years later, Katie Hill joined the Committee and with her organizational skills, basically took over.

I sometimes wonder if Dr. Wubben never encouraged me to go through the tunnels if the Run would have ever gotten off the ground.

Remembering Dr Paul Wubben

[Tribute Piece, Tom Ela, September 1st, 2026]

I and many other Striders mourn the loss of Paul Wubben, extraordinary Strider member

from the beginning and dedicated race director. Paul was well known for putting on his

desert races north of the airport for many years as well as initiating and directing for

years our Widowmaker Run and the Crag Crest Run. His pre-race course reviews were

legendary for their casual vagueness but everybody eventually finished, often with him

coming in at the end. His courses were never easy as he usually chose the most difficult

route from here to there. My first encounter with Striders was when I showed up for his

Water Tower race in the north desert. It was a hoot! I thought if this is the kind of races

this group puts on and if all of these crazy runners belong, then I should definitely join.

For many years Paul and I ran the wonderful Golden Leaf Half Marathon in Aspen. He

was usually recognized during the awards ceremony for his age and enthusiasm.

Paul continued running into his 90’s even after he no longer had the energy to put on

races. He also continued to play violin in the GJ Symphony Orchestra along with his

dedicated wife Melba. Melba was well known for running the timing clocks at most of

Paul’s races. She also recently passed not long before Paul did. I will always appreciate

their inspiration for me in running and in life!

Ryan Sullivan’s Low-Key Life that Led to High Lonesome Victory

[Excerpt from Trail Runner Magazine, Sarah Lavender Smith, August 5th, 2026]

Access to the full article in Trail Runner Magazine online:  https://www.trailrunnermag.com/people/ryan-sullivans-hilo-win-and-balanced-approach-to-life-and-running/

“...Sullivan and Colt met up for a shakeout run the day before High Lonesome, and afterward, Sullivan labeled Colt “the enemy” on Strava while Colt vowed to “obliterate him to smithereens.” In reality, both hoped that by racing together, they’d bring out their best performances and, on an ideal day, set a new course record. “My real goal was to put together a 100-miler that I felt was actually well executed, because I had yet to do that,” said Sullivan. 

At the start of High Lonesome, which takes place in the Sawatch Range of the Rockies near the town of Buena Vista and has 23,300 feet of gain, Sullivan and Colt ran close to one another. 

“I appreciated that Ryan also peeled off course to use the porta-potty” at the first aid station, Colt said when I asked about their friendship and how the race unfolded. “As we sat down next to each other, Ryan remarked that the livestream drone was circling above us and people were taking bets on which of us will finish our poop first.” On the first climb around 10 miles, Colt’s hamstring acted up, and Sullivan pulled ahead to narrow the gap on another runner ahead. When Colt’s day didn’t improve, “I was hopeful Ryan was going to keep it up for the win,” Colt said. 

Sullivan, meanwhile, kept feeling and running better—until he didn’t. Sullivan’s friend group—plus his parents, who moved to Grand Junction after he did—formed a crew of 11 and boosted his spirits at each crew stop by blasting the 1992

reggae hit “Sweat” by Inner Circle, which Sullivan had dubbed his song of the summer. He rolled into the mile 49 aid station in first place with an 18-minute lead and picked up his pacer, Whit Blair of Grand Junction. 

“Whit’s a wildlife biologist, so he spent half the time pointing out different birds he saw, and we were joking about dumb things he could do while the drone flew over us,” Sullivan said, highlighting the helpfulness of humor during a 100-miler. Physically, Sullivan excelled because “I did the Ludo method of really chilling on the climbs and then ran the downhills pretty purposefully, and it was awesome,” he said with reference to three-time Hardrock 100 champ Ludovic Pommeret. 

But 100-milers usually deliver surprises, and Sullivan’s smooth sailing abruptly shifted as he left the mile 68 aid station at Monarch Pass. 

“I think I got greedy and took an extra 50-gram gel when I wasn’t really due for it,” Sullivan said. “I don’t know what I was thinking, maybe to bank it so I could cruise on the flowy sections in the last 50K. But that made me a tiny bit queasy, and then I took more than I should at the aid station, and it kind of blew the whole thing up.” Soon after he picked up Culmo as his second pacer, Sullivan began vomiting repeatedly. “I thought it might be a puke and rally,” Sullivan said, “but it just got worse, and everything I tried came up.” 

“He was still moving so strong,” Culmo added, “and I was like, dude, if this is you feeling like trash, then we’re doing great.”

As soon as he woke up, he knew he had to switch gears to hold off a hard-charging Gabe Joyes, who was closing the gap. Sullivan and his pacer saw his competitor’s headlamp approach the final aid station at mile 93 just as they were leaving, with Sullivan’s lead having narrowed to under three minutes. 

Sullivan dumped his water to lighten his load and ran on empty the final seven miles to stay ahead of second place. “We hauled. I didn’t even try to eat or drink. We ended up putting 15 minutes on him,” he said. 

Unable to clearly track runners in the final miles, Sullivan’s crew waited anxiously, unsure who would get the win. They erupted when Sullivan approached the finish line first in just under 20 hours.

“There’s a reason why 11 of us were out there crewing for him,” Culmo said, “because his energy is infectious and great to be around, and we all believe in him.” Sullivan said his first 100-mile win was “super special, and I’m very happy with the fact I had 70 amazing miles, got through a low point, and closed super hard. It was close to a borderline perfect day.”

Upcoming Events

• September 26, 2026: Mesa County Search & Rescue 5K - Fruita, CO; “Support our mission to rescue and save lives.” https://runsignup.com/Race/CO/Fruita/MesaCountySearchRescue5K. 

   

• September 26, 2026: Crested Butte Ultra - Crested Butte, CO; “Crested Butte is known for having some of the best trails in the country and runners get to experience it all at Crested Butte Ultra!”

   

• October 3, 2026: West Elk Trail Marathon - Crawford, CO; “The West Elk Challenge is a point-to-point trail marathon (with a 30K option) through Western Colorado’s North Fork Valley at peak fall colors.” https://thenatureconnection.net/west-elk-challenge-trail-marathon/. 

   

• October 3, 2026: Arches Marathon and Half- Moab, CO; “Moab running at its best! With distances from 15k to 50k, Arches Marathon and Half has become a must attend fall trail running event!” https://www.madmooseevents.com/archeshalfmarathon. 

   

• October 11, 2026: Run to Whitewater - Bangs Canyon Trailhead up Little Park Road; A classic 17 mile Mesa Monument Striders point-to-point race. Be sure to have a ride planned to either drop you off at the start or return you to your car! 

  Regular start time at 8:30am. Slow pace start time at 7:00am. 

   

• October 24, 2026: Canyonlands Ultra - Moab, CO; “Our course takes runners through some of the best trails in Moab, featuring varied terrain that includes sandy washes, technical double track, and awe-inspiring views of the magnificent La Sals, towering sandstone domes, and expansive canyons. https://www.madmooseevents.com/canyonlands-ultra. 

   

• November 1, 2026: Rimrock Marathon and Half - Fruita, CO; “The Rim Rock Marathon and Half Marathon course follows the famous Rim Rock Drive through the Colorado National Monument, giving runners beautiful views of the Grand Valley.” https://www.grandjunctionsports.org/rimrockmarathon/ 

   

• November 7, 2026: Kessel Run - Fruita, CO;  “Enjoy sweeping views of the San Juan Mountains and the Colorado National Monument as you run through the high desert.” https://www.madmooseevents.com/kessel-run-ultra. 

   

• November 14, 2026: Dead Horse Ultra - Moab, CO; “Featuring the Magnificent Seven trail system, the course will challenge you with technical slickrock and rocky climbs.” https://www.madmooseevents.com/dead-horse-ultra.

Group Training Runs

Contact: Tom Ela - (970) 773-3124

Mondays at 6:00 PM - Fruita

Pollock Canyon TH, run Flume Canyon Loop

Pollock Canyon TH, run Pollock Bench Loop

Mary's Loop TH, I-70 Loma Exit

Devil's Canyon TH