The Quad Turns 40

  • Taking first place in the 2023 Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon was athlete Brent Herring of Durango, Colorado. He came in with an impressive time of 4:04:24. Courtesy Photo
    Taking first place in the 2023 Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon was athlete Brent Herring of Durango, Colorado. He came in with an impressive time of 4:04:24. Courtesy Photo
  • Mt. Taylor Quadrathon racers Aaron Riley (right) and Rob Alunday (left) are seen after successfully completing the course. Riley came in with a time of 7:09:36, and Alunday had a time of 7:28:05. Courtesy Photo
    Mt. Taylor Quadrathon racers Aaron Riley (right) and Rob Alunday (left) are seen after successfully completing the course. Riley came in with a time of 7:09:36, and Alunday had a time of 7:28:05. Courtesy Photo
  • The Quad Turns 40
    The Quad Turns 40
  • The Quad Turns 40
    The Quad Turns 40
  • Courtesy Photo The 2023 Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon took off on February 18 in the cold. These shots show athletes at the start of the race, working to make their way up Mount Taylor.
    Courtesy Photo The 2023 Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon took off on February 18 in the cold. These shots show athletes at the start of the race, working to make their way up Mount Taylor.

GRANTS, N.M. – With the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day checked off…What to do on a cold February day? Well, if you are Brett Herring and have 4 hours 14 minutes and 24 seconds you would have competed in the 40th Annual Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon this past Saturday— and crossed the finish line in first place. Herring from Durango, Colorado and hundreds of other competitors from far and wide did just that— they checked off the annual Quadrathlon off their February to do list this past Saturday.

The Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon fielded 275 adults and over 100 youth competitors in the annual event. “The Quad” as it is locally known includes a 13-mile bike ride, a fivemile run, a two-mile cross-country ski section followed by a one-mile snowshoe section before you head back down to the starting point.

“Everything went smoothly. We had a lot of compliments from our participants and volunteers,” said Isaac Atencio, the 2023 race director for the Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon. “It went fantastic, we had no hiccups.”

The race started at 8 am and the last participant came through around 7 pm. Over 75 volunteers helped the participants along the way doing everything from registering to helping them move and store their equipment on the mountain. Soloists, duos or teams participated in the quad.

A local team “PR or ER” finished first in the team’s category and second overall with a time of four hours 14 minutes and three seconds. The team members were Frank Malaj on the bike, Adam Arguello on the run and Michael Run on the ski and snowshoe. There was even a team from Grants High School competing as well.

“This is a great event for our community,” said Atencio “The participants and their family or friends stay in town and they add an economic boost.” Local businesses such as restaurants and hotels benefited from the influx of participants to the quad. Atencio noted that none of this would be possible if it was not for community support. Atencio hopes future participants would like to check the quad off of their to do list as they are always welcoming new participants.

Volunteers are crucial to the success of the quadrathlon, and race officials encourage community members to volunteer. Anyone looking to volunteer at next year’s quad can contact the quad at mtaylorquadrathlon@ gmail.co m or through the Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce.

Listed below are the top winners in their categories and times: First place overall Brent Herring from Durango, CO time of 4:04:24 Second place overall Male Hadji Corona from Santa Fe, NM with time of 04:15:11 Third place overall Male Logan Ott from Los Alamos, NM 04:22:08 First place overall female Terry Casey from Albuquerque, NM with time of 5:06:56 Second place overall female Morgan Evans from ALBUQUERQUE, NM with time of 5:18:45 Third place overall female Sarah Groenwald from Craig, CO with time of 5:31:52 First place overall pair Iron Hammer 5:19:50 First place overall team and second fastest time of the day was a local team named PR or ER made up of Frank Malaj on the Bike, Adam Arguello run, and Michael Brown ski and snowshoe. 4:14:3