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Now that the Socorro Striders and Riders have finished up their Fall 5K series, runners might be looking for their next event. The Blue Canyon Trail Run has both a 10K and a 30K, which is over 18 miles. These trail runs will take place on Saturday, Dec. 13.
Both races start from the Socorro Sports Complex and Rodeo Grounds. Runners doing the 30K will be starting at 7 a.m. and the 10K runners will start at 8 a.m. The Blue Canyon runs are part of the Socorro Trail Running Series created by Luis Contreras Vidal and other locals.
“I organize the race, but honestly, it’s a big community effort. The City of Socorro helps a lot, local volunteers help also, and the Socorro Ham Radio folks make a terrific job keeping track of runners.” Vidal said.
Starting from the Sports Complex, both races head southwest towards the Blue Canyon Multi-Use Trailhead just off of Highway 60. The 30K run follows the Blue Canyon Trail, crosses Spook Canyon Road to the Black Canyon Trail, up the south Box road to Gramont Peak Trail, to South Box Trail, to North Box Trail, down to the Spook Canyon Road, south to loop back to the Blue Canyon Trail and back to the starting point. The 10K run turns around at a marked point along the Blue Canyon Trail and then backtracks to the starting point.
For those wanting to sign up, it’s $55 for the 10K and $75 for the 30K. The money all goes back to the participants one way or another. Vidal said that it costs at least a grand to put on the race, with insurance, aid station supplies, awards, food for everyone and more.
“Runners get a full meal from Cubish, solid aid stations along the way, free event photos, and some neat locally-made awards from our local vendor Eric Sandoval, owner of the New Mexico Landscaping Company. We also donate the profits to Socorro Trails Org to keep our local trails in shape.” Vidal said.
Vidal and the organizers have also donated to the SHS Cross Country teams in the past.
This race is a small and relatively new event. It’s attracting some attention though and has gotten runners from other parts of the state to compete in it as well as some locals. Some impressive times have been put up so far, but as it grows some new record times are likely to be set.
Current record times:
30K: Joshua Reddish 2:07:47 in 2024 and Alyson Kirk 2:55:49 in 2023.
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10K: Nathan Hahn 46:27 in 2023 and Kirsten Arnell 49:38 in 2024.
“We started in 2022 with just seven people, and last year we had 18, so it’s growing bit by bit.” Vidal said.
Check for more details and sign-up info at UltraSignup: https://www.ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=122967
Aside from Blue Canyon, they have races that have already been going for years and some others still in the works. These races are all in Socorro County, with one in the Quebradas called La Jornada 53K and some in the Magdalena Mountains. The Blue Canyon 10K is the shortest race offered. Most of these are long and rugged races designed by ultra runners for ultra runners.
“Next up is La Jornada 53K on Feb. 14. We’ve got a couple more races in the pipeline, but they’re on hold while I work with renewing permits. It’s a bit of a juggle since I’m finishing up my PhD and working full-time.” Vidal said.
See info for other races in the Socorro Trail Running Series here: https://www.socorrotrailrunningseries.com/
