Southwest Colorado Running Series Offers Look into Native American Culture, History, Lands

April Pueblo-to-Pueblo Run provides spring training on National Scenic Byway

Cortez, Colo. - For many, running in Colorado means high altitudes, thin air and legendary races like the Leadville 100, Imogene Pass Run and Pikes Peak Marathon. But for runners seeking challenge and adventure - minus the 10,000-foot-plus elevation - southwest Colorado's Pueblo-to-Pueblo Run series offers the chance to run amid historical Native American lands, on a national scenic byway.

Each April, the Pueblo-to-Pueblo Run series in Cortez, Colo. (elev. 6,191 feet), offers an 11-mile run, 10K run and two-mile fun run/walk, all in the archaeological heartland of America. The events start with a Native American blessing and flute performance. Runners then take off from the 12th-century pueblos of the Anasazi Heritage Center. This museum of the Ancestral Puebloan (or Anasazi) culture of the region houses permanent and traveling exhibits, and serves as the visitor center for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

Runners in the 11-mile race proceed from the Heritage Center and run part of the Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway. All races finish at the Pueblo mural outside the Cortez Cultural Center. A regional center for living culture, the non-profit Center hosts performances by Native American dancers and musicians, and includes a museum of Ancestral Puebloloan and early pioneer history as well as the Hawkins Preserve, a local archaeological site dedicated to the preservation of native plant and animal life.

The Pueblo-to-Pueblo Run series is unusual in several regards, according to Lynn Dyer, tourism director for Mesa Verde Country®. While offering the opportunity to see some of the oldest history in the United States from a unique vantage point, she says, the race tends to attract many runners over age 40, and historically has registered more females than males. "It is a great way to start the summer racing season, see a different part of Colorado and take in some of the most spectacular Native American culture and scenery the country has to offer."

In 2010, the Pueblo-to-Pueblo Run series will take place on Saturday, April 24. For more information and to register, visit www.cortezculturalcenter.org. Proceeds from the race benefit the Cortez Cultural Center.

For more information on extending a trip to the area, visit www.mesaverdecountry.com. To discover more about the Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway, 114 miles in length and encompassing a region that includes Hovenweep National Monument, Ute Tribal Park and the Four Corners Monument, log on to www.trailoftheancients.com.