Area man races across Colorado’s fourteeners

An area man has completed one of Colorado’s most difficult courses known as Nolan’s 14.

Gavin McKenzie and friend Brandon Stapanowich decided to take on the course together. Nolan’s 14 is a run over the 14 summits that are over 14 thousand feet in Colorado’s Sawatch Range. The object is to climb to as many 14er’s as you can, traveling on foot, in 60 hours or less. Mckenzie said it took a lot of training to prepare himself for the course.

"I would spend a lot of time on, on the peaks getting the route down and being in altitude and having long days in the mountains, self supported. That’s the biggest way. And when the weather is good or bad, being out there and running it out."

McKenzie and Stapanowich raced the route north to south from August 29-31, finishing in 56 hours and 26 minutes. Their time is now the second fastest time recorded right behind john robinson, who completed the course in 52 hours and 42 minutes back in 2002. McKenzie explained that anyone can achieve their goals if they really put their mind to it.

"There’s challenges in your own backyard, you don’t need to go to Colorado to be inspired or to be challenged or anything like that. You can be creative anywhere and come up with something."

McKenzie has no specific races in mind for the near future, only a few personal goals he would like to accomplish.