Race the Rocks

Almo resident blends adventure with philanthropy to launch first ultra-run fundraiser

By Dianna Troyer

As he brainstormed ways to improve Almo’s town park, ultra-runner Bryce Thatcher decided to combine what he cherishes most about living in the ranching community near the Idaho/Utah border.

“I love trail running here with the stunning scenery, the world-renowned rock climbing, sense of community and pioneer heritage,” he says. “My grandmother, Ethel Womack Pickett, grew up here.”

Hoping to share the spectacular trails near Almo, bring ranch families and runners together and raise money to update the park’s restrooms, irrigation system and chairs, Bryce put a plan in motion.

“Our town is unincorporated, so it’s hard to maintain infrastructure,” he says. “I know how generous trail runners can be, so I decided to host a race that combines adventure with a purpose. Every registration, every mile and every runner will help make a lasting impact on our community and what makes Almo so special.”

Bryce, his wife, Vanessa, and local volunteers will host Race the Rocks – 50K Mountain Challenge. The 31-mile race begins at 7 a.m. Sept. 20 at Castle Rocks State Park and winds through the City of Rocks National Reserve.

“We’re expecting about 150 runners from more than 10 states,” Bryce says. “We have local runners already signed up, too.”

Several runners are record-setters and volunteer as ambassadors for Bryce’s company, UltrAspire. He designs and manufactures outdoor gear including race vests, hydration packs, waist belts, handheld water bottles and waist lights.

At 63, Bryce still does it all—running, climbing, skiing and biking.

“Since I was young, my inspiration has always come from time spent in the mountains,” he says. “My goal is to improve people’s lives. A commitment to an outdoor lifestyle will take you further than you could ever imagine.”

On his UltrAspire website, ambassador-athletes tell their inspiring stories of how running has helped them deal with disease, mental health issues, weight loss and aging.

Bryce divides his time between the company headquarters in St. George, Utah, and Almo, where he says the serenity makes his creativity soar.

“I’ll never retire,” he says. “I still love what I do and wake up every day excited.”

At his Almo home, a design area harbors a cutting table and sewing machines. One machine is a treadle sewing machine he used as a teenager to make his first hydration pack in 1979.

“The water bottles in my backpack kept flopping around,” he says. “It was distracting and annoying, so I made one, and from there, my company started.”

Bryce relied on his new hydration pack to set a “fastest known time” speed record. In 1983 at age 21, he set the Fastest Known Time for the Grand Teton. In three hours and six minutes, he ran from a parking lot, scaled the 13,776-foot-high peak without ropes and returned. He held the record for 29 years, until 2012.

“The treadle sewing machine came across the Plains with my great-grandmother,” Bryce says. “When my grandmother taught me how to sew on it, she told me about growing up on a family homestead near Womack Canyon Spring, east of Almo. It’s like the treadle machine finally came home, and so did I. I’ll always have it. It’s special in our family.”

Growing up in Rexburg, Bryce often went to the City of Rocks to climb.

“With our family history, my cousin was also drawn to Almo and built a house near town,” he says. “When we came to stay with them, I felt like Almo was home. We’d been looking for a secluded place to live and to get away from St. George’s congestion. We were excited to build a house here three years ago.”

He often runs the nearby trails and designed the 50-kilometer Race the Rocks racecourse to showcase towering granite spires that attract climbers from around the world.

“Some trails were overgrown, so I contacted ultra-runners from Idaho Falls, and we worked about two days with clippers and handsaws to clear the trails,” he says. “It’s a great mountain ultra that blends wild scenery with a true backcountry challenge.”

Runners will wind through sweeping meadows and golden aspen groves with endless mountain views. He included the historic Log Run, a 1,800-foot climb over just 1.5 miles once used by pioneers to haul logs for cabin construction.

“It’s steep, relentless and without a single switchback,” he says.

The race has an arduous start.

“At about 8 miles, racers will summit the high point of the course—Graham Peak, having climbed nearly 3,000 feet of the 6,200 elevation gain of the race,” he says. “After descending Graham Peak, racers navigate two distinct climbs with a series of rolling hills in between.”

With a newly cleared network of 31 miles of trails, Bryce hopes the area will attract mountain bikers, hikers and locals taking a break from ranch chores.

“Hopefully, the panoramic views and sweeping vistas will make people want to come back and support local businesses,” he says. “Almo is a wonderful place that I never take for granted.”