5 “up and coming” altitude towns
Okay let me guess, you’re an up and coming endurance athlete looking to make your big break on to the competitive running scene? You are probably scheming about an altitude training camp to unlock that next 2% in your fitness. Unfortunately you are lacking the budgetary requirements to afford a spot in Flagstaff or Boulder. Well then I’ve got a few opportunities for you! What these towns lack in elite training partners and proper physical therapists they make up for in affordability and easy Strava crowns (not guaranteed). Let me introduce you to five lesser known, maybe even unknown, altitude training destinations.
Stanley, Idaho
Elevation - 6,253ft
Stanley is a small remote town in Idaho, it reminded me of parts of Alaska. While homes tend to be affordable in Alaska, here in Stanley they are not, but you’re here for running. A roof over your head is optional. You can camp right? Or just bring the van? The flat valley sitting just above 6,000 feet has endless gravel roads for those recovery days. The valley is surrounded by mountains, the nearby Sawtooth Range gets up to 10,000 feet. You certainly will have zero training partners as the town only has a population of around 100 lonely people. Once the sun sets you will certainly feel tiny viewing the endless sea of stars overhead as this location boasts an International Dark-Sky Association certification. You’ll have to be pretty self reliant here. There are no PTs, no running store, zero running community, maybe this is a bad idea. You could always retreat to nearby Boise, Idaho, a well known C-grade running destination (burn).
Wells, Nevada
Elevation - 5,630ft
I’m sure you know nothing about Wells, Nevada and frankly neither do I. I merely drove though this interstate highway junction while traveling to some trail race in California. The three things that caught my attention about Wells were the altitude, the mountain, and there are ZERO distractions. This tiny town has 1,200 rough people, or I mean roughly 1,200 people. I’m sure none of them are as elite as you are. The town appears to have 3 Strava segments. I’m told it’s a buyer market, Realtor.com shows three houses for sale in the mid-$200s, score. As far as the high-ness goes, Wells sits in a nice spot of 5,600 feet. The nearby mountain appears to provide running opportunities at 8,000 and 9,000 feet. Giddy up cowboy.
Butte, Montana
Elevation - 5,538ft
Butte, Montana is home to the famous Berkeley Pit Swim Team. It’s a joke, please don’t swim in the Berkeley Pit. This underrated hilly running destination will make you stronger than your competitors. Butte is the largest town on my “very” thorough list meaning it has a lot of resources. Also isn’t the 5,500 foot elevation touted as the training sweet spot? I know next to nothing about altitude physiology so I’ll leave this question to the experts. I do know the 90 foot tall Our Lady of the Rockies statue will watch over you as you slay those double thresholds. The median sold home price is $261k. So you could sell your SoCal suburban dream to buy a few training casas in beautiful Butte. Butte is home to the Montana Technological University, you might find some college competition on Strava. A short drive from Butte is Homestake Pass where you can begin some killer trail runs above that 6,000 foot threshold. However, Montana winters are terrible, this is merely recommended as a summer destination, i.e. June through August.
Monticello, Utah
Elevation - 7,070ft
A few years ago I visited Monticello, Utah for a family wedding nearby. Monticello is a small town with a population of around 2,000 people, it sits south of Moab and a hair west of the Colorado state line. The town rests at 7,000 feet with the nearby Abajo Mountains topping out above 11,000 feet. This area is part of the Colorado Plateau without the Colorado expense. The mountains are even filled with aspens and elk just like Colorado. There are Strava segments owned by high performing BYU athletes and the Moab 240 course cruises by the Abajo Mountain Range. While the state's LDS backed substance restrictions means alcohol and other fun things are hard to come by, you are at training camp after all. That bender can wait till after your A-race.
Pinedale, Wyoming
Elevation - 7,182ft
At the foot of the majestic Wind River Range sits Pinedale, Wyoming. There appears to have a few miles of bike paths ready for your ripper threshold workouts. Above town the Wind River Range boasts miles of trail running in both the Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests. The fabled Continental Divide Trail runs through the range, don’t be afraid to offer the hiker trash a lift back into town. I stopped into Pinedale while on the CDT. I enjoyed the grocery store, the brewery, and the local church let me sleep in the basement for free. Do be careful running in these mountains as grizzly bears also call this range home. This town only has a population of 2,000 people, so there are good odds you’ll be the fastest around. Goodluck partner!
Alamosa, Colorado
Elevation - 7,545ft
Now I’ve never been here, but I first heard of Alamosa from Deena Kastor’s biography. It used to be THE spot for a few years. It seems to have fallen off the distance running scene more recently due to its remote location and rough weather. Hey but I guess that means it is more affordable than Boulder and Flagstaff. Make Alamosa Great Again, am I right? It appears as though the median home price is around $340k. So I’m guessing the rent prices are reasonable. I’ve heard this place boasts endless flat dirt roads, unfortunately the trails are a little drive away. Lucky for you this small town of almost 10,000 people is home to a Walmart Supercenter. I’m sure most of the Strava segments are out of reach because of the Adams State runners. I’m sure you will settle in nicely here. After all if bellbottoms can make a comeback so can Alamosa.
So my advice to you is think outside the box. Be open to the idea of training for a month without shower access, maybe train for six weeks living in a gas station parking lot, or maybe stay home and go nowhere. Yea that sounds nice. Introducing an altitude camp into your training is a huge investment of time and money. I can assure you both of those things will go further in these “up and coming” running destinations. While this article is mostly written as satire, let’s be honest, Boulder and Flagstaff are both overrated anyways.
