2018 New Mexico Outdoors Calendar

West Rim Trail

The calendar has flipped and the 2018 Event & Outdoors Calendar has now been brought up-to-date (see Tab at page top^). Most of the year's early season events have been pushed back in hopes of snow, we'll see if the storms are late to arrive or pass us by.

The U.S. Indoor Track & Field Championships is back for another go at the Abq Convention Center. Love this event so much. One season-changer finds the fledgling Outside Bike & Brew event here in Santa Fe jumping from May into early September.

Big additions to the calendar or events that have ceased operations? None that come directly to mind. Announcements or listings welcome at highdesertdirt at gmail dot com.


Related Posts:
 - 2018 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2017 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2016 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2015 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2013/2014 Outdoors Calendar

2017 New Mexico Outdoors Calendar

Galisteo Basin

The 2017 Race/Outdoors Calendar has been brought up-to-date (see Tab at top of page ^). The one significant addition for the current year is the return of the U.S. Indoor Track & Field Championships to Albuquerque. U.S. pros had a huge haul of Olympic hardware across several distance events in Rio and will no doubt be gunning for more at this summer's World Champs. U.S. Indoors is the season's first shakeout at the elite level.

Deserving of a highlight - two additions to last year's outdoors calendar that stood out as welcome events to the area race scene were Ultra Santa Fe and the Bull of the Woods Trail Run in Taos. If you couldn't make either event last year you ought to make plans to do so this Fall.

At least one event falls off the calendar, the Ragnar Relays in Angel Fire does not look like it's returning in 2017. An entertaining writeup in Outside published recently comes to mind. I didn't run at Angel Fire either year however the website was on the receiving end of several emails about promoting and volunteering for the event.

Two great events that always come and go before I can get my bearings set for the new year are the Chama Chile Ski Classic and Santa Fe WinterFest (beer!). Fast approaching as I type.

Related Posts:
 - 2017 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2016 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2015 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2013/2014 Outdoors Calendar

2015 New Mexico Trail Running Calendar

I spent some time bringing the Race/Outdoors Calendar up-to-date (see Tab above). One addition for the year is the new trail relay in Angel Fire, a Ragnar type event. I can't figure out the distances involved or even how you win this event, but I imagine it will be a nice addition to the area race scene.

The week/weekend I'm most fired-up for is in May. Santa Fe Bike & Brew is coming back for an expanded 2nd year. More of a beginning of summer festival than a race, but it's bike-centric, there is an element of good beer (in fact, it's my understanding that this entire event was the brain-child of Chris Goblet of the NM Brewers Guild), and the timing coincides with the Santa Fe Run Around on Sat (May 16th), and the Santa Fe Century on Sun (May 17th). Big week. Biiiiggg fuuuuun outdoorsy week.

As it happens, I was absent for Bike & Brew last year due to travel, but one new event I made was XTERRA Glorieta which was first-rate. Really hoping the organizers bring that one back for a second go.

Two great events that always come and go before I can get my bearings set for the new year are the Chama Chile Ski Classic and Santa Fe WinterFest (beer fest). Fast approaching as I type. Need to get on it.


Related Posts:
 - 2015 Outdoors Calendar
 - Calendar update 2013

Quiet Happy Snow Running

A serene view in the Arroyo Chamiso - 12/5

Fluffy white snow is billowing down on the City of Holy Faith today. A very pleasant surprise. Another storm is scheduled to pass through this weekend bringing even more snow our way. If your skis aren't yet tuned and ready to throw in the truck you've got another day or two to get things squared away.

Perhaps you're the type that doesn't get snow-happy, and are already pining for next year's trail running & racing schedule. I should now have one posted through the spring. One new event on the schedule is the Santa Fe Rando Fireball up on the ski slopes, part of the Colorado COSMIC series. Sounds pretty legit, glad they added us to their race series.

Related Posts:
- 2014 Trail Racing Calendar
- Charms of Winter Running
- Santa Fe's Arroyos
- I Heart Snow



View Arroyo de los Chamisos - Santa Fe in a larger map

2013 New Mexico Trail Running Calendar

Break out the cross skis for a few more
months of winter events

Found time to roll-forward the area trail race calendar (2015 calendar here) from last year. Several events on the winter slate have already come and gone including this weekend's Ski Classic up in Chama. 

Dates are still filling in. At least two races have fallen off the calendar: the Cochiti MTB 100 appears to be on an indefinite hold after the fire season of 2011 wiped out that entire area of backcountry; and the race organizers for the Sandia Peak Challenge have wound down that event.

A couple additions to the NM MTB Endurance Series have been added in Chama and Tijeras (though I don't have them up yet). I've added the February screening of the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival. Will the annual screening of the Banff Film Festival be back in Santa Fe this March? Still waiting on word for that since their old sponsor Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works is no longer around. Last year it was partially screened as a fundraiser for the Santa Fe Conservation Trust so I imagine it will be back.

Another additions is the Mt. Taylor 50K which may have had the most positive word of mouth for a new(ish) event last year. I'm not active in ultras but a solid race is a solid race, so I'll have that up on the calendar shortly.

As always, if you have a race or event to suggest, send over an email, or list it below in the comments.


Related Posts:
 - 2015 Calendar Update
 - New Mexico Cup Winter Race Series
 - Highdesertdirt turns three