'The best day of the year': Grants community ready for the 41st annual Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon

Not only is the Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon a test of endurance and skill, it’s also something of a showcase for the host city.

“I think the race is an incredible representation of our community,” said race director Kendra Brown. “I would say that race day is the best day of the year in Grants.”

Entering its 41st year, the Quad challenges competitors to bike, run, ski and snowshoe their way up Mt. Taylor, the highest point in the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands at over 11,300 feet. It’s a 44-mile round-trip affair — with a 5,400-foot vertical gain — that begins with a 13-mile bike ride to the foot of the mountain.

From there, racers run five miles up an icy and snow-packed road before transitioning to a two-mile ski. The last mile to the summit is reached via snowshoe, and participants are encouraged to take in the breathtaking views before turning around and doing it all over again.

It can be quite addicting.

“I’ve done it many times,” Brown said. “I’ve done it several times on teams going back to my cross-country days in high school. I’ve solo-ed it maybe four times. I’ve done pairs. I’ve done it in every configuration, and I love it each time.”

'The best day of the year': Grants community ready for the 41st annual Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon

Brown is in her first year as race director, but like many in Grants, she’s been involved with the race as both a participant and volunteer for years prior to that. At this point, there aren’t too many changes that need to be made with what has been a long-running, successful operation.

“Of course we try to make incremental improvement every year,” she said. “The race has been going on for so long that we’ve got it pretty fine-tuned at this point. We’re happy to have awesome snow on the mountain. That’s one of the key factors for us. Good snow years make for good races.”

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Brown says the Quad would attract as many as 500 participants each year. These days, there’s more competition in the winter sports realm when it comes to activities and events, so the race typically draws in the neighborhood of 200 to 300 people. The majority of racers come from the Land of Enchantment, but the event also attracts athletes from neighboring states like Arizona and Colorado.

The Quad can be challenging for rookies, even if they happen to be a seasoned athlete. That’s why Brown strongly advises a trial run.

“I would recommend that first timers or people who are a little bit intimidated by the race come out to Grants and do a little bit of training on the mountain ahead of race day,” she said. “I think they’ll find that if they spend some time practicing, they’ll understand how to layer properly, how to adjust to different snow conditions on the ski or the snowshoe course and just to feel comfortable with navigation and things like that.

“Even though the route is very clearly laid out on race day, I know some people can be intimidated to look up at that 11,000-foot mountain and think, ‘Oh my goodness, I have to take myself up there.’ ”

Cash prizes are awarded for overall winners in the solo male and female categories for first ($1,000), second ($500) and third place ($250). Meanwhile, medals are given out for age group winners and anyone who finishes. One day prior to the race, the Grants High School band hosts a spaghetti dinner, and there’s a Kids Quad on the morning of the event that includes running, biking and an obstacle course.

In short, it’s an engaging event for all involved. And one doesn’t need to be a serious solo racer to enjoy it.

“I think everybody who has even the slightest interest in doing the Quad should sign up as part of a team, come out and enjoy the energy around the race,” Brown said. “I think this race is a blast because the fact that we have four events means that just about when you’re sick of doing one of the pieces, you get to either stop and hand it off to your teammate or you change modes of transportation — you use a different muscle group.

“It’s awesome because we have so many volunteers turn out from the community — well over 100. They’re just all over the racecourse cheering for you, pushing you along. It’s a very entertaining race, especially for how long it is. There’s a lot of continuous interaction with volunteers and people who are supporting you.”