GRANTS, N.M. – The Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon, known locally as “the Quad,” returned Feb. 14 for its 43rd annual running — a four-sport endurance race that starts in downtown Grants, climbs to the summit of Mount Taylor, then sends athletes racing back to town.
Billed as New Mexico’s Ultimate Winter Challenge, the Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon tests competitors across four disciplines: a 13-mile bike segment, a five-mile uphill run, a twomile uphill ski, and a one-mile uphill snowshoe before reversing the course.
This year’s field included 131 participants.
The race is a year-round effort, with board meetings shifting from monthly to weekly as race day approaches. “The volunteers are absolutely key,” Board Member Kendra Brown said.
This year’s overall winner was Brian Smith, 50, of Gunnison, Colorado, who earned his second Quad victory – eight years after winning in 2018. After early setbacks in freezing slush and water, Smith said he stayed patient, regained the lead during the ski segment, and held on through the final push into town. “I just figured from that point, [I’d] just run my own race,” Smith said.