race information
In June 2012, I was on a 3 or 4 hour Sunday run in the canyon and it began to rain. It was female rain, gentle and soft. As the light rain fell on my face, I felt a very familiar feeling. The feeling was of pure connection to the Great Creator, to Mother Earth, to Father Sky and to the Holy People we believe reside on our homeland. This is the moment I run for, the moment everything feels right. Everything is in balance and beauty is all around. As I ran around a sharp bend in the canyon, I came upon a group of wild horses. The horses ran next to me as an affirmation from the natural world. When the horses stopped, I wished my family were there to experience this feeling.
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That’s when I had the idea of sharing this canyon, our Navajo culture and the ideas of Navajo running with the ultra community. I had to share this! I would be selfish if I didn’t try. And so began my journey and relationship with the National Park Service to get approval. Canyon De Chelly is a unique Park in that it is the only “living park” in the NPS, meaning it has full time residents within its boundaries. For more specific information on the canyon and National Park, please visit the official National Park Service website.