Run It Fast®

We are very sad to report that Micah ‘Caballo Blanco’ True was found dead today. The Silver City Sun-News is reporting that Caballo was found at 6 pm on Saturday in the Gila National Forest after a 4 day search. He had gone out for a run on Tuesday and never returned. I know a lot of prayers went out for his safe return but it was not meant to be.

As most of us who’ve read Born to Run know, Caballo was a central character in the book and was the Race Director for the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon. It was after reading about Chris McDougall’s adventures in Copper Canyon with Caballo that I began to think of running as something that could be fun and an adventure and not something that was supposed to be painful or a punishment. Caballo’s attitude about it opened my eyes to what running could/should be and I know that it affected many other runners the same way. He was and will continue to be an inspiration to runners everywhere.

Rest in peace, Caballo Blanco. You are a legend in the running world and you will be missed.

“You won’t catch me rhapsodizing about running,” I wrote in the first sentence of Going Down Slow. And it’s true. I’ve been the sole runner in my family. Going around preaching about running like a religous fanatic was something I didn’t do. If my feet didn’t express my opinion, no words possibly could. I held my piece. Still do.

Still…I want to admit that nothing connects me to other people like running does. That fact enriches my life.

Just six months ago, I ran a 5K with 95-year-old Isabel Garrett. For her trouble, she claimed a 5K state record. I set a state record for my age in that race, too. Two state records from two old people in one race. That’s pretty unusual.

Read the full story by Dallas Smith by clicking HERE

We asked on Twitter (@runitfast) where you were running this weekend and 32 of you responded!

Good luck to you all this weekend and Run It Fast!

Joshua Holmes – Umstead 100 Mile Ultra in Raleigh, NC. #runitfast

Monkey Trent – #Umstead100 Cripes

Lisa Gonzales – easy run or 2 around town this weekend for me. After 3 weeks off, I’ll take it. #crossingfingers

Robin Robbins – Andrew Jackson 1/2 Marathon

Amber Goetz – running the Human Race 5K in Greensboro, NC on Saturday 31Mar12 🙂

Marcia Larsen – Chicago Spring 10K on Sunday

Can’t Stop Endurance – Long trail runs in Shelby Farms!

Stewart Crouch – Texas Independence Relay

Kevin Ronayne – Loooong training runs in the hills of Central MA

Alvin Lee – Cherry Blossom 10 miler Washington, DC #runitfast

lillianflores – Memorial Park Houston TX 🙂

Mike Gilmartin – Chi-Town Half-Marathon on Sunday.

Charity Chitiyo – I’m running the @nyrr Colon Cancer Challenge – 15K, this Sunday. Looking forward to this race.

Jordan Weber – @CRBridgeRun Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, SC!

MassGal00 – #runforthetroops! Great cause!

Suzanne Erickson – #Umstead100 in Raleigh, NC!

Matt Conn – Heading south to the Knoxville Half Marathon. Ran it last year, an absolutely beautiful course.

A Season! – Cooper River Bridgerun-Charleston, SC

Gina Farrell– Gulfstream runway 5k. Mile one on the runway.

alex castillo – Benbrook Flower Power 5k

David Monett – The Beast – St Francisville LA

David W – Knoxville Marathon with my daughter. It is her first marathon.

aimee bellwood – Richmond park.

Lee Beebe – GoldenGateHeadlands26.2 TrailEvent! =^D

Kiki – I’m running in the Papa John’s 10 Miler in Louisville, KY. It’s the last event in the Louisville Triple Crown of Running.

Jaime Cabello Vivar– well I am going to do a 10k of running with hills…#onlyforvolunteers

Brian L – I’m not racing but @HeidiRuns is racing Ironman Texas 70.3 this weekend her first HIM.

Ben Keefe – going to do a ten mile trail run at Wyandotte County Park in Kansas. Should be sloppy. #trailrunning

Janie Crouch – No official races, just ready to help my brother run from his wedding if he changes his mind! We’ll really have to #runitfast !

Scot Britton – Running the @WarriorDash in Lake Elsinore #runitfast

SKORA Running – just running around The Black Hills National Forest this weekend!

BeardRunJax – Tour De Pain EXTREME, 2 day race series. 10k/5k/Half – Jacksonville, FL

Angie Gerber – Twenty miles on the beautiful Portland, OR waterfront. Prepared to get drenched. 🙂

Good luck to everyone and especially those running the Andrew Jackson Marathon and Umstead 100.

The Las Cruces Sun-News is reporting that Born To Run recluse runner Micah ‘Caballo Blanco’ True has been reported missing in the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico.

True hadn’t returned by Wednesday morning, Jane and Dan Brummer, co-owners of the Lodge, contacted state police and the search was initiated.

“The owners of the wilderness lodge where he was staying reported him missing because he didn’t come back,” said Fuller. “There was no indication of where he was going.”

Search teams from Las Cruces, Grant County and Socorro searched the area throughout Wednesday afternoon and into the night, Fuller said, and are continuing the effort today. He said that two helicopters from the NM State Police and the National Guard are coming today to assist the teams.

Blanco is the central character in Christopher McDougall’s 2009 best selling book ‘Born To Run.’  Blanco is a mysterious and reclusive character in the book who was living in Mexico at the time and close to the Tarahumara Indian tribe that is known for it’s incredible endurance running.

Read More About ‘Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen’ and buy it HERE

Simple, authentic to the sport’s past, and yet still unique. I like this one. Great photography of the medal and solid background as well.

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[Submitted by Gavin Reeves. Follow Gavin on Twitter @GavinJReeves]

The Jurassic Coast Challenge takes place “in Dorset, UK, 3 point to point trail marathons from Charmouth to Studland” on March 23-25, 2012.  Here is the finisher’s medal from that event.

Sounds like a pretty cool and challenging event.

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[medal photo submitted by N E. Follow N E on Twitter @naonope]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the 49th Caesar Rodney Half Marathon that took place on March 25, 2012 in Wilmington, Delaware.

This one is almost more of a corporate advertisement than race medal but it’s not bad overall.

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[medal photo submitted by Gerard Pescatore. Follow him on Twitter @Gpescatore]

Here is the finisher’s medal fromt he Xterra Black Canyon Half Marathon that took place on March 25, 2012 in Rock Springs, Arizona.

Just an opinion but this medal is small (per a witness), ugly, and uninspired.

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[medal photo submitted by Robert Boluyt RIF #66. Follow him on Twitter @Bateluer]

The NJ Ultra Festival 50K took place on March 24, 2012 in Augusta, New Jersey. Here is the finisher’s medal from that event.

It for sure has a bit of a reggae feel to it.

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[medal photo submitted by Robin. Follow her on Twitter @Robinmrr2]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the 6 Hour Snake Run that took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 24, 2012.

This is one medal you don’t want to step on.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photo submitted by Eric VanZee. Follow him on Twitter @thebigtrout]