San Juan Solstice 50

[MattBurt]

This was my second year as photographer for the event which starts and ends in a neighboring town, Lake City, Colorado. It consists of a 50 mile run with 12,000' of elevation gain in the surrounding San Juan mountains. The top three men and women all get metal prints of their photos as prizes. I make it a fun adventure for myself where I backpack 5 miles and 4000' in the day before so I'll be near the best scenery when the light is good in the morning. This is challenging for me and I can't imagine running the whole thing. These people are freaks of nature! Some are friends of mine too.
I brought a couple of crop bodies and my long lens was a consumer-grade zoom. I have higher end gear than that but had to go this route for weight savings with all my overnight stuff along as well. The gear didn't hold me back. This was at about 12,350' and I slept at about 11,850'.

[francois]

Great shots… I especially love the first two (trail runners in the landscape). Third and fourth give an idea of how exhausting it is although they manage to smile for the photographer 

I agree with you about those runners, they are real beasts.

[kers]

50 miles and up and down! wow.. you those runners in the Alps too...
I once made it tot the top of the mont Ventoux on a bicycle to find out i was only a bit faster than runners doing the same thing ( 1500m up and 21 km)

congratulations with getting the smile of those runners... ( or did you use a fake finish line)

[MattBurt]

Great shots… I especially love the first two (trail runners in the landscape). Third and fourth give an idea of how exhausting it is although they manage to smile for the photographer 

I agree with you about those runners, they are real beasts.

50 miles and up and down! wow.. you those runners in the Alps too...
I once made it tot the top of the mont Ventoux on a bicycle to find out i was only a bit faster than runners doing the same thing ( 1500m up and 21 km)

congratulations with getting the smile of those runners... ( or did you use a fake finish line)

Thank you both!
No fake finish line (lol). I was giving words of encouragement to get eye contact and smiles. Didn't work on everyone!