‘RUN THE RED’ RACE CELEBRATES THE RED DESERT & WYOMING’S FIRST PUBLIC LANDS DAY

‘RUN THE RED’ RACE CELEBRATES THE RED DESERT & WYOMING’S FIRST PUBLIC LANDS DAY

Wyoming Wilderness Association photo

SOUTH PASS CITY — Wyoming Wilderness Association and NOLS invite participants, volunteers, and spectators to celebrate the sixth annual Run the Red race September 28th in South Pass City State Park. Festivities include live music and insights presented by Patagonia trail running ambassador, Clare Gallagher, and other Red Desert experts. Run the Red brings together outdoor enthusiasts, Wyomingites, advocacy groups and public officials who value the unique heritage, wildlife and recreational benefits of the Red Desert – one of the last in-tact high-elevation deserts in the United States. 

“Run the Red is about getting people out to experience and recreate on an iconic Wyoming landscape,” said Aaron Bannon, NOLS environmental stewardship and sustainability director. “For NOLS, this is an important backcountry classroom where we teach our students horsepacking skills, and there just aren’t many places left where you can ride for days across open range without hitting a fence or major road.” 

Originally established as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964 and the 30th anniversary of the Wyoming Wilderness Act, this year’s race will take place on September 28, the newly established Wyoming Public Lands Day. 

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The race includes the first ultra-race, a 120K (75 mile) course that begins in South Pass City, heads towards the Oregon and Honeycomb Butte WSAs through a maze of canyons, badlands, buttes, and valleys. Runners will intersect National Historic Trails, including the Oregon, Mormon, California, and Pony Express routes, all of which retain their unspoiled viewsheds and intact wagon-wheel ruts from past centuries. Run the Red also provides runners with options to run a half marathon or 45K (28 mile) race. 

Run the Red has a variety of events planned for the public. Runners and families can prime their mind and body with yoga offered by Ananda before and after the races. During the day on Saturday, ethnobotanist, John Mioncynski will lead a nature hike, and Friends of South Pass will lead jeep tours into the desert and guided tours into the historic mines of South Pass. The public is also welcome to volunteer with the Wyoming Outdoor Council for a stewardship project that improves nearby wildlife habitat on public land. Saturday evening participants can kick off the Wyoming Public Lands Day with 

locally brewed beers from Square State Brewing and a performance by Wyoming-based indie bluegrass quartet – Low Water String Band. During this evening celebration, Patagonia trail running ambassador, Clare Gallagher, will share her passion for running in wild places, and Martin Blackburn, member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, will speak about the cultural significance of the Red Desert. 

“Running in wild places is everything to me. It’s where I become alive, ground myself, connect with my environment and that deep, wild part of myself,” said Cassandra, owner of Square State Brewing, and previous Run the Red racer from Rock Springs. “This year, I am really looking forward to the new course and celebrating Wyoming Public Lands Day.” 

For more information regarding registration for runners and volunteers please visit runthereddesert.com. 

ABOUT RUN THE RED Run the Red is Wyoming’s premier ultra-, full-, and half-marathon race dedicated to conserving the vast, rugged, and historical landscape of the Red Desert. Originally conceived in 2013, Run the Red has become an annual celebration of Wyoming’s Red Desert – bringing runners, Wyomingites, advocacy groups and public officials together to celebrate this unique landscape and talk about the future of the Red Desert. This year the race will take place on the newly established Wyoming Public Lands Day and will be hosted by the Wyoming Wilderness Association and NOLS. 

About Wyoming Wilderness Association The Wyoming Wilderness Association (WWA) is a grassroots non-profit organization created in 1979 by a group of wilderness advocates and outdoors people who envisioned and helped pass the Wyoming Wilderness Act. WWA’s mission is to protect Wyoming’s public wildlands now and into the future. Go to www.wildwyo.org to learn more. 

ABOUT NOLS Established in 1965, NOLS is the leader in wilderness education. What began in a small cabin in Wyoming’s Wind River mountain range has evolved into a global, multifaceted non-profit school offering a proven leadership curriculum through expedition courses, wilderness medicine certifications, risk management training, and custom education solutions for organizations. Today, NOLS operates 16 campuses worldwide and provides classroom instruction in over 40 countries. The NOLS community includes over 800 active instructors who teach a variety of outdoor skills from mountaineering and sailing to wilderness medicine that empower students to step forward in their lives. To learn more about NOLS or to apply for a course, visit www.nols.edu or call 800.710.6657 to speak to an advisor.