News: The Thin Air Distance Festival in a holding Pattern at this time. I am (Coach John) prioritizing the next moves and Phase of my life to figure out my path. I have my painting business, Coaching St. Francis Cross Country (this years varsity team placed 4th place at the state meet) and Track and Field along with Children, Grandchildren, traveling that I continue to juggle. Since my retirement from teaching I has been busier than ever. There is only so much time in a day and the question is where will I spend it.
Jeri and I are considering changing the race to 3 days and possibly doing it locally in the Sacramento area. We also have some other race ideas in mind. So please keep checking back on occasion to see what our next move is. We hope to have it all solidified by Early February. Thanks and Love you all...Coach John and Jeri you can contact us at thinairdistancefes@sbcglobal.net
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Tentative Schedule subject to change Thin Air Distance Festival's 2012 schedule Wed August 15, 2012: Packet Pick up 5:00 - 8:00 Opening Ceremonies 7:00 - 8:00 PM Thursday August 16, 2012: 10 K 7:00 AM Daily Awards/Happy Hour 6:00 - 7:00 PM Friday August 17,2012: 11.13 K 7:00 AM Daily Awards/Happy Hour 6:00 - 7:00 PM Saturday August 18, 2012: 10 mile 7:00 AM BBQ 5:00 PM Daily Awards/Happy Hour 6:00 - 7:00 PM Sunday August 18, 2012: 5k 7:00 AM Daily Awards right after the race.
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Saturday, August 21, 2010 8:24:00 AM
aktion said:
Had a great time. Obviously the golf course run was a little messed up, but running around the course was great! Factor in the elevation, altitude, late nights , and you have yourself a super challenging run! I can't wait to do it again! Thanks for all the hard work John.
Friday, August 20, 2010 12:05:22 AM
MJ12686 said:
I just finished reading the reviews already posted. I completely agree with the raves-it was such a fun and motivating four days of racing! Each day had it's own challenges and I loved the hilly 5k last day-way to sneak yet some more hill work, Coach John! I can't wait to come back next year-thanks for a great event!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 8:39:08 AM
Jeffrey L. Anderson said:
What a great event, unlike any other race in which I have participated. The concept of a multi-day staged race over multiple courses in a beautiful mountain-lake setting reminds one of the Tour de France. On and off road courses with moderate hills and mild temperatures at 6000 feet makes a for a great personal challenge. In most races you might talk with a handful of athletes running at your pace during the race, but here the nightly awards ceremony permits you to truly get-to-know your competitors and talk endurance strategy (and recovery). This setting/format is ideal for a high school/college cross country preseason training four day training session or for the individual/running club training for a fall/winter marathon. Congratulations and thank you to the event organizers and volunteers (John, Jeri, Raul, Steve, Betty, Mark, Tom and others) for building a great race from scratch!
Monday, August 16, 2010 6:54:08 PM
hmcgough said:
It turned out to be a really fun event. Each day's run had it's own unique challenges; Friday and Saturday routes were challenging but at the end, great to have done them and finished! Running on the Power Line trail was such a treat! This event had such a nice feel to it and I especially liked the comraderie and supportive environment that was built up over the four days. I came away feeling like I had made wonderful new friends which is not something that happens often at traditional one-day running events. John and his team did a really great job and truly rose up over the challenges; the volunteers were wonderful! I also came to enjoy the evening gatherings -- another nice touch. Thank you John and all the volunteers! and cheers to all the four-day runners - great accomplishment everyone.
Monday, August 16, 2010 12:07:11 PM
Gigs76 said:
I had such a wonderful time at this race. What a great and innovative idea. Staged running racing is definately a new concept that "should" take off! There is much more strategy then one would imagine. It was all about taking care of your body correctly after each race and during the time off in between. The people were amazing. The scenery was amazing. The weather was amazing. Kudos to race director John DuCray and his wife Jeri for organizing this event, which was a challenge. Inaugural events are always difficult, and can only get better for years to come. I will try my best to do this again next year. Also, not really designed for people to come off the couch, I recommend being in some decent shape beforehand. Hill climbing at 6,200 feet, not for everyone. Can't wait to get back to the flat land and run like the wind with my new lungs:)
Monday, August 16, 2010 11:38:27 AM
LeslieMA said:
This was an awesome event. It was obvious that the race director, John put alot of time, effort, and thought into this event! A great rebound after the first day's mix up. The remaining days proved to be tough and challenging. I completely understand why it's called the "Thin air" distance festival. There was a lot of camaradaderie among the runners, especially those completing all four days. Thanks to all the volunteers! John's wife, parents, fellow coaches, and parents of his students were dedicated and helpful. I will definitely do this event again next year!!
Monday, August 16, 2010 10:41:10 AM
lifeisahwy said:
This was a great event! Each day was different, day 2 and 3 were the most challenging. I am from this area and day 2, the steep mountain roads(not hills) were difficult. Day 3, 10miles, were challenging as well. It was a great mix between road and trail running.
John Ducray did an excellant job of getting back on track after day 1's course changes. The next 3 days were fun, challenging and overall worth it! The entire staff was so helpful, kind and encouraging. I met some great folks from all over and was inspired by other runners. Thank you for a great event!!
This is one event that I will do each year and will encourage others to do!
Monday, August 16, 2010 10:33:40 AM
manzonie said:
I ran this race with my mom and also with my best friend. We had the time of our lives. The course was as beautiful and wonderful as the people. Never have I met such nice, friendly and helpful people. From the race directors to the participants, I made some new friends that I will always cherish and hope to see at races in years to come. Thank you to John and Jerri, Tom and Raul and Isabel and Rhiana (sorry if I misspelled any of the names) and also to John's parents. We had a Wonderful time and will be back again next year! Sara
Monday, August 16, 2010 10:29:07 AM
Joe Babich said:
Great concept for a race. Each day was uniquely different and challenging. Great way to train for September 26 Tahoe Marathon. Running four days in a row with the same runners created a wonderful bond among the runners. Would highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a challenge.
Monday, August 16, 2010 10:17:19 AM
Heather Notter said:
This was a great race! I'm from Michigan so running at altitude was quite challenging for me and running hill repeats for the 5k added an additional challenge, but it was all well worth it! I had such a great experience. Betty from the race organization staff even stopped to talk to me later in the evening as I walking back from Lake Tahoe and recommended all kinds of runner friendly things to do in the area. The people were some of the nicest I've ever met! Now I get to add Nevada to my list of states that I've raced in!
I would recommend this race to anyone! It's not a pr course, but it's well worth every stride you take!
Thanks guys for a wonderful experience to take back to Michigan!
Heather Notter
Monday, August 16, 2010 8:55:54 AM
LakinRunner said:
My husband and I were able to take part in the distance festival this weekend and it was great! The high altitude training will help me in my upcoming college cross country season on a physical and mental level. The first day was on the golf course and though there were some mix ups in directions it was a lot of fun and a great way to get to know the other runners. The second day was a challenge and a half, the first two miles were up hill. A bunch of runners had to walk, lucky for me I'd done some hill training over the summer that really paid off. The third day was not as hilly but still a tough 10 miles. The last day was a 5K and a great way to end the event. It was an easy three loop course, up and down a small hill. It was fast and fun.
The event staff were so helpful. John (the race director and coach of a local high school) dished out some great couching tips and motivation throughout the race that helped get us up hill. His wife helped arrange a dog sitter for us when my dog wasn't feeling up to the races and her parents were there as well to cheer us on and prep the after race snacks (they were also the ones to watch our dog when we needed it). John also had a medical doc and physical therapist there to help with any problems we encountered and answer any questions. Capital Road Race Management also did a stellar job, they had our updated results posted every few minutes as runners finished.
The whole event was wonderful and a great way to get away from it all and focus on some good running. Thank you so much!
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We invite you to lace up your running shoes and join us in the 4 day race of your life!
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For more information contact:
Race Director John M. DuCray at
Thin Air Distance Festival
P.O. Box 277155
Sacramento, Ca 95827-7155
thinairdistancefes@sbcglobal.net
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Dates: Thursday, August 11 through Sunday, August 14, 2011.
A fun and challenging four-day running event: 10K, 11K, and 10 mile , 5K = a marathon for all 4 days.
Run one day or all four days, or any combination that fits into your schedule.
Start times 7:00 A.M.
Opening ceremonies Wednesday evening, August 10.
Awards ceremonies Sunday August 14, after the race.
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