Lesson on Running the Grand Canyon
“So that’s the line we follow. Down, across, up and then back again.” I was standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon for the first time. Lost in the scale, depth, colors and contours, forgetting for a moment that we were planning on running across the Canyon and back tomorrow. Months of planning, researching and watching videos couldn’t prepare me for actually standing there and seeing it in person.
A few months prior I had met a friend for a beer. We had both been running trails and ultra-marathons for a few years and loved it. The reason for the meeting was to discuss the possibility of attempting the Grand Canyon Rim To Rim To Rim (R2R2R) a nearly 50-mile self-supported run from one side of the Canyon to the other and back. We had both run a few 50-mile races and felt confident in our physical ability to accomplish this task, but there was a lot of unknowns, starting with neither of us having ever seen the Grand Canyon in person. We vowed to do some research and meet again in a few weeks.
I spent the next few weeks reading accounts of other runners who finished the R2R2R, watching videos, getting beta from a friend who lived in Phoenix and was a master of Grand Canyon knowledge. We recruited another buddy who was interested and eventually met at a bar to discuss again. When we met up, it wasn’t even a discussion of if should we do it, the talk immediately went to when can we go. Leaving the bar that night, I buzzed with a sense of excitement and adventure.
The winter in Minnesota that year was hard, lots of snow and crazy freezing temperatures made training for a desert run quite challenging, but the three of us did the best we could and in late April found ourselves staring over the edge tracing our route.
Our run started at 5am and finished up 19 hours later, full of busted toenails, blown quads & bonking. While we thought we were prepared, what we didn’t know could fill the Grand Canyon…Two years later we gave it another shot, finishing in 15 hours and in much better physical condition. We took the South Kaibab to North Kaibab to Bright Angel route, below are some lessons we learned which made a huge difference.
1) 50 miles in the Grand Canyon does not equal 50 miles elsewhere. You can’t think in terms of normal miles, with the elevation drops and gains your mile times will be much different from what you are used to. Break the route into sections and think in terms of hours per section not minutes per mile. Understand the elevation of each section and how that will impact your time, and create breaks for yourself.
2) Run when you can, walk the inclines and don’t blow your quads on the downhills. The overview of this route seems simple. The first section is downhill, you can run it. The next section across the bottom of the Canyon is runnable with a slight, but steady incline. Be ready for it and allow yourself walk breaks so you don’t get gassed. When you get to the north end, lean into the hike and run the flats. Coming back, another long downhill (watch your quads) then at the bottom of the canyon you’ll have a decline getting back to the river and finally lean into the hike back out. Sounds easy, but knowing how to approach each section will make a huge difference.
3) Bring more food than you think you need. The first time we ran R2R2R I approached it like a 50-mile race. I had a cliff bar, some shot blocks and a bag of almonds thinking that normally during a race of that distance that’s all I needed. Not realizing how long we were going to be out there I bonked hardcore. We limped into Phantom Ranch and some kind folks gave us apples which felt like manna from heaven. The second time I brought two sandwiches, plenty of snacks, cliff bars, shot blocks and candy. Having fuel to top off made the journey much more enjoyable and contributed to a quick recovery.
4) Use trekking poles. We didn’t have trekking poles on the first attempt and as a result were incredibly inefficient on the climbs. After that first trip I returned to backpack the Canyon a few times before the 2nd R2R2R attempt and used trekking poles each time. The difference it made physically and from an efficiency standpoint was incredible.
5) Enjoy every step & leave it better than you found it. The Grand Canyon is an incredible natural resource. Many have worked very hard to keep it wild and we all should too. Every time I visit the Canyon I am blown away by the beauty, the ruggedness, the sheer size and scale. I have been asked why I keep going back if I’ve already seen it and the answer is because you’ll never see all of it and it changes daily. In fact, it changes throughout the day. The Canyon walls might look one color in the morning, another at noon and completely different at sunset. There is nothing like descending the layers of rock, each a different color signifying another step through time. Soak it all in, and make sure you practice the leave no trace philosophy. This is the type place we must protect so we can share it with generations to come.
Vitals: R2R2R 47.5 miles 10,919 feet elevation gain, 10,919 elevation drop.
2014: Late April. Nathan hydration pack, bag of almonds, cliff bar, shot blocks, Nuun tablets. Water at North Rim was on.
2016: Early May. Ultimate Direction Ultra Vest (100oz bladder) two bagel peanut butter sandwiches. Swedish fish, shot blocks, Nuun tablets, bag of trail mix, Hammer Nutrition blocks, trekking poles, extra socks.
