Escapees March-April 2024

Left: The Outhouse Race had the crowd laughing as they careened down the race course Right: Historic Front Street is the hub of the race activity where Fairplay’s humorous town motto “WTF” is emblazoned above the storefronts. Bottom: Although the front of the race is run at break neck speed, most runners were just enjoying a day out on the trails with their beloved animals.

disappeared down Front Street, we onlook ers ran to a ridge overlooking a dirt trail in the distance. Before long, the llamas and their people appeared on the trail, running, trotting and waving. The teams were a little disorganized, but no one cared. One llama bounded happily ahead of his team while another llama was being towed by his handler, not at all enthusiastic about racing! Before long, the team called Game Wardens, all fi t and serious runners, came fl ying down Front Street for the win. Close behind came the Search and Rescue team, taking second place and looking equally fi t and strong. But most of the teams and their llamas seemed to be happy just to be out jogging together on such a beautiful day. As the llama teams went past, a woman who owns nine llamas on a 35-acre ranch explained to me that she and her husband raise their llamas for high-altitude hunting and mountaineering expeditions. Llamas are good natured and native to mountains that are 17,000' high. They can make their way overdif fi cult terrain and they are content to eat things found on the trail, so there’s no need to carry special food for them.

The Burro Races The burro races were the signature event and were held on the following day, Sunday. We could feel the excitement as we pulled into town. We learned that “burro” is simply the Spanish word for “donkey,” an equine species that has been bred to three sizes, miniature, standard and mammoth. Mules, on the other hand, are the sterile, hybrid offspring of a female horse and a male donkey. The fi rst burro race was the 29+ mile “Long Course” that went to the top of Mosquito Pass and back. Longer than a 26.2 mile marathon and raced entirely at elevations over 10,000', this is one heck of a race! Each racing team consists of one runner and one burro. There are no water stations along the way, just checkpoints. The burros carry packs that hold whatever the racers might need: water bottles, energy food, clothing for the summit and/or other survival gear. The runners carry the burro’s tether, water and food. The Long Course at Burro Days in Fairplay is the fi rst race in the “Triple Crown”

47

March/April 2024 ESCAPEES Magazine