Grand Junction ultrarunner Madison Tomlinson recently completed a 197-mile continuous loop around the Grand Valley in three and a half days, including 28,000 feet of total elevation gain.
Tomlinson's route included sections of Grand Mesa, Book Cliffs, and Colorado National Monument, and ended at the Ranch Loops trailhead.
Tomlinson said of the experience: “It was inexplicable for me, as a first person, let alone a woman, to complete a circuit like this in one go.” I definitely cried ugly. ”
Other athletes have completed similar loops around Grand Valley, but most were done over weeks rather than days like Tomlinson's ambitious run.
Tomlinson was born in Grand Junction, but moved to a ranch in Nebraska when he was two years old. When she was a toddler, she described herself as a “tornado,” and her tornado never stopped moving. When she was a little older, she remembers working on her family's ranch and running around the hills with her sisters.
Tomlinson credits his mother, who competed in half-marathon races, with inspiring him to run. She started running with her mother at an early age, and she competed in track and field in high school in Mullen, Nebraska. She received a track and field scholarship to Morningside University in Iowa, but she grew tired of this type of running.
The charm of trail running
She said she got “burned out running in circles,” so when she moved back to Grand Junction in 2014, she started trail running, and soon after, ultrarunning.
Tomlinson started out with “short” 15, 25 and 50 mile runs, but quickly leveled up. Initially, she mainly competed in organized races. But eventually, she realized that she wanted to run for the “right reasons” and she began running in a self-organized manner.
Tomlinson explains why he loves ultrarunning: “I just love adventure…the simplicity of running on your own two feet.”
Tomlinson's typical training week includes five days of running, totaling about 60 miles, on trails around the Grand Valley. To supplement her training, she eats a lot of pizza, mostly from her workplace, The Hot Tomato in Fruita.
Prior to this loop around the valley, Tomlinson completed the 140-mile Kokopelli Trail from Loma to Moab. She also completed the 160-mile College Peaks Loop near Buena Vista.
The Grand Valley Loop was not only the longest run Tomlinson completed, but it was also the route he planned himself.
There were challenges before Tomlinson even set out on his path. In 2023, she suffered several injuries and felt a level of burnout.
“I don't think I enjoyed running or training as much. I don't think you should do anything you don't enjoy,” she said.
Tomlinson took time off to focus on other aspects of his life. She took the pressure and expectations off herself and focused on her activities that brought her joy. Once the fire that drove her to run was reignited, she resumed training.
It took two years to turn this plan from idea to reality. Tomlinson and her followers studied maps and scouted trails to find routes that reached most major geographic landmarks and avoided roads and bypassed valleys whenever possible. The planned route was just over 320 miles, but the distance was shortened during the run to accommodate inclement weather.
lots of support
Tomlinson was helped along the way by friends and family who set up a first aid station with food and water. She ate lots of ramen, mac and cheese, Pringles, pickles, macrobars, and energy gels to keep her energy up. She used her four different pairs of shoes for that grueling run.
Plus, the Pacers have helped Tomlinson keep his spirits up and ensure he doesn't get lost.
“In fact, I've never run a mile by myself,” Tomlinson said.
At night, Tomlinson camped near the trail. He remembers waking up on the third day to hear his friends dancing outside their cars.
Tomlinson recalled that one of the most difficult parts of the trip was driving up Land's End Road outside Whitewater to the top of Grand Mesa on the first day, then descending from Grand Mesa via Palisade Plunge, where he was spurred on by high winds and the threat of rain that later turned to snow.
On the second day, she had to deal with deep mud due to precipitation as she raced through the Bookcliff section. On the last day, she remembers her session crying over a turkey sandwich.
Ms Tomlinson admitted that day was the most difficult for her as her body “didn't want to move”.
Mr Tomlinson believes the difficult weather conditions will be a help rather than a hindrance.
“The harder and more challenging it is, the easier it is mentally because your mind is focused on just keeping moving forward.”
Completing the route gave me a rewarding sense of accomplishment.
“I'm still processing it, but…I feel like it's empowering. And it's crazy,” Tomlinson said.
Tomlinson said the Grand Valley has had a huge influence on her since returning to the area and is one of the reasons she started trail running.
“When I moved here, I didn't even know what trail running was. And I leave now a completely different woman,” she said.
The start was especially meaningful since Tomlinson will be transferring to Montrose in a few weeks. Along the way, she collected sand samples from each major landmark and the Gunnison and Colorado rivers. This run was her way of saying goodbye to Grand Her Valley, a place that changed her life for the better.
Tomlinson doesn't have any concrete future running plans, but said he wants to prioritize giving back to the running community. She would be happy to share her route with anyone interested in following in her footsteps.