Canyon de Chelly 50k - altered course bc of too much water in the canyon

Stacey’s Race!

Morning Trail Run

A sacred place for the Navajo people. A place you cannot go as a non-Navajo unless you’re with a Navajo guide. This race is the only exception to that rule. The canyon is central to their lineage, whose ancestors have lived here for centuries, farming the canyon floor and drawing spiritual orientation from the towering walls, which I learned are the arms of Mother Earth hugging those inside. 

As I’ve been studying colonization and its ongoing impacts, running here with that knowledge provided a new perspective. This place, while stunning, is also a place of origin for profound intergenerational trauma. In the 1860s, this canyon became both refuge and tragedy during the U.S. government’s campaign against the Navajo. Families hid in these walls before being forced on Hwéeldi - the Long Walk to Bosque Redondo, a 300-mile forced march that led to immense suffering and death.

Today, the canyon remains living history; a place where Navajo families still farm, herd sheep, and honor their ancestors. The race itself is hosted by Navajo people, and each runner is invited to connect with the canyon, rain, sky, ground, as well as the other runners. We did this by all yelling during the race. You could hear yells echo down the canyon the full duration of the run - absolutely amazing.

As for the course - hard in its own right. Lots of sand, though this was made easier by the rain. Lots of clay-mud, which was made harder by the rain. And many, many water crossings. We did a double half canyon out and back because it was unsafe to go farther up. You know they’re not messing around when they give you a whistle and tell you to blow it if you find yourself stranded during a flash flood. Horse vid courtesy Dan Gibbs!

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Nikki LaRochelle

Canyon de Chelly 50k - altered course bc of too much water in the canyon

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Canyon de Chelly 50k - altered course bc of too much water in the canyon

Stacey’s Race!

Morning Trail Run

Morning Trail Run

Morning Trail Run

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