By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
The Purgatory 4 is now 10 years old and according to Jared Chatterly Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Trinidad it may be the last one for a few years.
The event began as the Master of the Mountain Adventure Relay Race and when Jared moved over to Trinidad the race became known as the Purgatory 4 with a minor change in the direction the even would go. Instead of going south into Raton and out to the skeet range or up into the Whittington Center the race now goes north into Colorado on County Road 85.5 and ends with the shotgun portion over at the Prater Gun range.
Part of the reason for the uncertainty of the race’s future is the lack of participants. This year the race attracting 32 with only 28 participants showing up for the even on September 9, 2023. Chatterly noted that this race is not the only one suffering from a lack of participation. According to New Mexico State Parks many of the adventure races they are sponosors of have seen reduced numbers as well. Another reason likely for the decline is the age of the participants with many older adults taking on the challenge and fewer of the younger adults showing up. AS Chatterly put it many participants are simply aging out of the event.
As normal the race began at 8:00 a.m. with the running portion of the race going over the dam and then up and over the mesa just west of the lake. As racers came over the dam and crossed the bridge support crews readied their kayaks for the water portion of the race.
Participants or a team member then took to the water and paddled around the lake this year following the shore line. Once they make it back to the boat dock they take to the bikes to travel the 16 or so miles over to the Prater Gun range east of Trinidad. There they do a shotgun course to end the race.
Results are at the end of the Photos
Individuals 
RUN + PADDLE + BIKE = TIME
TIME + SHOOT + PENALTY = TOTAL
INDIVIDUAL WOMEN (ALL)
Place Name No. Ag Run Paddle Bike Time Shoot Penalty Total
===== =================== === == ========= ========== ========= ========== ======= ======= ==========
1 Zoe Rusch 27 33 1:03:02.5 43:16.8 1:26:20.9 3:12:40.2 13:18 5:30 3:31:29
2 Rebecca Torres 34 40 1:03:19.7 36:55.6 1:50:47.8 3:31:03.0 16:45 2:50 3:50:38
3 Maggie Howard 32 54 1:14:28.7 34:13.4 2:09:32.6 3:58:14.7 12:44 2:10 4:13:09
4 Sara Lark 28 37 1:35:04.9 33:43.7 2:06:26.6 4:15:15.1 11:44 2:30 4:29:30
5 Kelly Speckhart 26 35 1:15:35.1 39:12.6 2:26:37.4 4:21:25.0 8:38 1:40 4:30:43
INDIVIDUAL WOMEN 39 AND UNDER
Place Name No. Ag Run Paddle Bike Time Shoot Penalty Total
===== =================== === == ========= ========== ========= ========== ======= ======= ==========
1 Zoe Rusch 27 33 1:03:02.5 43:16.8 1:26:20.9 3:12:40.2 13:18 5:30 3:31:29
2 Sara Lark 28 37 1:35:04.9 33:43.7 2:06:26.6 4:15:15.1 11:44 2:30 4:29:30
3 Kelly Speckhart 26 35 1:15:35.1 39:12.6 2:26:37.4 4:21:25.0 8:38 1:40 4:30:43
====================================================================================
INDIVIDUAL MEN (All)
Place Name No. Ag Run Paddle Bike Time Shoot Penalty Total
===== =================== === == ========= ========== ========= ========== ======= ======= ==========
1 Forrest Long 8 25 51:05.2 37:56.5 1:38:07.8 3:07:09.5 6:44 2:00 3:15:54
2 Ted Kamp 25 50 1:06:19.6 26:45.2 1:40:36.8 3:13:41.6 7:28 3:00 3:24:07
3 David Crosby 24 55 1:09:20.0 34:53.4 1:28:49.0 3:13:02.4 10:47 1:30 3:25:20
4 Nathan Burk 18 39 1:06:43.3 35:09.7 1:51:51.9 3:33:44.9 9:24 1:40 3:44:49
5 Jacob Lee 39 35 1:05:16.4 49:39.0 2:07:22.0 4:02:17.3 9:32 1:30 4:13:20
6 Christopher Dooley 20 53 1:15:54.4 38:44.8 2:27:19.2 4:21:58.4 10:46 3:40 4:36:25
INDIVIDUAL MEN 39 AND UNDER
Place Name No. Ag Run Paddle Bike Time Shoot Penalty Total
===== =================== === == ========= ========== ========= ========== ======= ======= ==========
1 Forrest Long 8 25 51:05.2 37:56.5 1:38:07.8 3:07:09.5 6:44 2:00 3:15:54
2 Nathan Burk 18 39 1:06:43.3 35:09.7 1:51:51.9 3:33:44.9 9:24 1:40 3:44:49
3 Jacob Lee 39 35 1:05:16.4 49:39.0 2:07:22.0 4:02:17.3 9:32 1:30 4:13:20
INDIVIDUAL MEN 40 AND OVER
Place Name No. Ag Run Paddle Bike Time Shoot Penalty Total
===== =================== === == ========= ========== ========= ========== ======= ======= ==========
1 Ted Kamp 25 50 1:06:19.6 26:45.2 1:40:36.8 3:13:41.6 7:28 3:00 3:24:07
2 David Crosby 24 55 1:09:20.0 34:53.4 1:28:49.0 3:13:02.4 10:47 1:30 3:25:20
3 Christopher Dooley 20 53 1:15:54.4 38:44.8 2:27:19.2 4:21:58.4 10:46 3:40 4:36:25
Relays
RUN + PADDLE + BIKE = TIME
TIME + SHOOT + PENALTY = TOTAL
2 PERSON RELAYS
Place Relay Team Name No. Run Paddle Bike Time Shoot Penalty Total
===== ==================== === ========= ========== ========== ========== ======= ======= ==========
1 OF COURSE, STU THAT 37 1:30:47.3 35:39.0 2:42:35.0 4:49:01.3 16:43 3:10 5:08:55
2 THE WEIRD SISTERS 36 1:37:37.6 41:37.0 3:03:08.7 5:22:23.2 9:08 3:00 5:34:32
3 PERSON RELAYS
Place Relay Team Name No. Run Paddle Bike Time Shoot Penalty Total
===== ==================== === ========= ========== ========== ========== ======= ======= ==========
1 CARPE DIEM REIVIAL 40 1:09:43.1 32:13.9 2:14:35.9 3:56:32.8 13:16 1:50 4:11:39
4 PERSON RELAYS
Place Relay Team Name No. Run Paddle Bike Time Shoot Penalty Total
===== ==================== === ========= ========== ========== ========== ======= ======= ==========
1 UNLIMITED ENERGY 74 1:20:49.5 28:14.4 1:13:45.5 3:02:49.3 9:02 2:20 3:14:12
2 MASA 43 1:12:54.0 30:48.8 2:19:58.7 4:03:41.5 10:45 2:50 4:17:17
