La Luz Trail Run - Registration Window Opens

The La Luz Trail weaves up beneath the rock towers
of La Cueva Canyon

Lottery registration for La Luz opens today over at UltraSignup.com. The window will shut next Tuesday at midnight. The race up the west face of the Sandias has a limit of 400 runners capped by the National Forest Service.

The race itself is scheduled for Sunday August 4th, and is the oldest trail race in New Mexico. It's also the most beastly, featuring a nearly 4600ft climb over 9.0miles. The net climbing value is actually greater because the trail dips after the first overlook at mile 4.5.

Several sections traverse rock slides and scree fields. The coup de grace is just below the finish where the trail kicks back to an incline steep enough to require a set of stairs. If it's your first race up La Luz, the sight of those stairs alone may be enough to break you.

Updated (8/4/13):  Unofficial La Luz race results and race day reports can be found here 

Related Posts:
 - NM Trail Racing Calendar
 - La Luz Trail Run - 2011



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