Devil on the Divide 2024

It is often billed as one of Colorado’s toughest 50K races… and now I believe it. With multiple summits over 12,000 feet, runs along the Continental Divide Trail and reaching a peak elevation of 13,203 feet, several climbs with more than 27% grade, portions of undefined trail, and over 6400 feet of gain in the thin Rocky Mountain Air, this race is not for the faint of heart. To even register for the 50K you must submit proof of having successfully run that distance and you must carry 20 oz or more of water. There are 4 aid stations along the course with yummy snacks at stations 1, 2 and 4, and filtered mountain spring water at station 3.

I’ve run the 50K distance four times and last year I ran my first 50-mile race, but this race was in a league of its own. Throw into the mix some trouble with allergies and an upset stomach that threatened to bring back up any fuel I gave it, and you get my most difficult run, both physically and mentally. While I did not meet the initial time goal that I had set, I am especially proud of this race. It took everything I had to get up from the chair at the second aid station and head back out on the course, but once I started up again, I intended to finish the thing, even if it was hours behind my goal.

I carried 1.5 liters of water with Tailwind and a 500 mL bottle of water with more Tailwind. I managed to keep down one Spring Energy Awesome Sauce and one SIS Beta Fuel gel during the first half of the race, along with a handful of watermelon slices from Aid Station 2, where I also refilled with water… but that’s all I could stomach until Aid Station 4, when some salty chips and a few m&M’s tasted absolutely delicious. Thankfully, the pork green chili, baked potatoes and free beer at the finish stayed down.

The night after the race, my wife mentioned how yummy the wine was that we were enjoying with our dinner. To me it was bland. So out came the testing kit. Lo and behold: my struggles to breathe keep my heart rate down, my runny nose and my stomach issues during the race weren’t allergies but were the onset of Covid. I may have to do this race again next year but do it properly! I know I can run stronger than this.

Thank you to Stacey Todd, the race director for Devil on the Divide. And a huge thank you to all of the dozens of volunteers including Jordan Chapell Photography, the official race photographers.


Music used in this video:

Stars Above - Soft Acoustic Guitar, Piano and Strings
Music by Dream-Protocol from Pixabay
We Made It (Promo indie rock)
Music by Yevgeniy Sorokin from Pixabay
Amalgam
Music by Rockot from Pixabay
Sharp Shuffle
Music by Sergio Prosvirini from Pixabay
Penguin Music - (Modern Chillout Future Calm)
Music by Oleksandr Stepanov from Pixabay