Star Valley High School Cross Country Coach Ty Draney called into First Bank of Wyoming Sports Friday to discuss the 21st annual El Vaquero Loco that takes place Saturday, August 2.

(0:00) It is first bank of Wyoming sports Friday on SVI radio Swift 98 and the spur don’t get hooked find tips that might help prevent (0:08) You from falling for a scam online at go first bank comm be aware of these red flags found online at go first bank (0:15) Dot-com Duke and Dow with you in studio and coach Ty Draney joining us today to talk about the annual El Vicaro loco (0:23) Emphasis on the loco when it comes to this race Ty. Good morning. How are you today? (0:28) Doing great.
Good to talk to you guys Ty. Thanks for taking a few minutes for us for those that aren’t familiar with Vicaro loco (0:34) it is a (0:35) Ultra marathon and a 25k and a 50k variety (0:39) How many years have you been organizing this in the Star Valley area now? (0:44) This is year 21 (0:47) 21 of 21 we got on a roll Wow (0:51) And kind of talk to us about that that journey 21 years of this because it still seems like it’s brand new (0:56) But two decades plus says otherwise (0:59) well, it does seem like every year that we surprise people and they come for a quiet day up to (1:04) But Cottonwood Lake and they end up with you know (1:08) 250 of their friends they never knew they had joining them and (1:13) various states of decay and (1:16) tiredness and so yeah, yeah where it’s 21 years in a row even managed to make it through the Kovac year by (1:23) jumping through all the hoops and so (1:26) yeah, shout out to all those the volunteers and the make it happen we’ve got crews out there that have been there almost (1:34) every year and and (1:36) and so yeah, it’s it’s kind of a community event and (1:41) Everything that we make (1:43) any proceeds we make goes towards a track and cross-country and opportunities for for kids to (1:50) To travel and go to some of these big meets and a few things to help subsidize those those those sorts of events (1:56) So well coach labor love that’s exactly what I was gonna ask you go (1:59) Take us back to 2004 when you started this event for the first time (2:03) What was the reason you started it? (2:05) And then what’s the reason you still do it 21 years of the running cuz like I can’t imagine (2:10) It’s an easy thing to put together (2:12) Well, you know, it probably shouldn’t be discussing that the week of probably I I you know, it’s like everything (2:18) I try not to make any drastic decisions. It’s kind of like the last few weeks of school (2:23) You just got to kind of bear down and get through it get get to that point (2:28) But but yeah, we just started it.
I was just kind of starting my own ultra career and (2:33) all the trail wanted to bring people here to the Salt River Range to kind of (2:37) Share my backyard and yeah the very first year we did it (2:41) We had nine people hold nine whole people sign up (2:44) So I actually ran it that year so that would have ten it was a little easier on my ego (2:48) You know to get double figures and and it’s it’s just it’s grown and evolved from there on out. So (2:56) Yeah, and I think we’re currently we have about two hundred and (3:01) Twenty-six people signed up to run and so it’ll be a great day (3:07) In the mountains on Saturday. Is that the most you’ve ever had tie? Is that the highest number? (3:12) Our current permit allows for 250 (3:17) We’re we’re all you we’re kind of in that in that ballpark, right? (3:20) so we can only we only sign up that many and we have no shows and a few things and a few people we do (3:25) Offer if they you know have an emergency or an injury or something.
We’ll give them an option to run at the very next year (3:32) So we’ve kind of been in that ballpark for a while now (3:35) You talk about all the different people who have helped over the years and the different jobs and and things that they do (3:41) What goes into what some of those people do because obviously one of the things is you got to know where you’re running (3:46) I know you’re working on that as we speak and then also (3:50) You’ve got (3:52) Heaven forbid somebody gets hurt, but sometimes it happens kind of talk about some of those things that you have to have for a race (3:57) Yeah, yeah, there’s there’s a lot of a lot of moving parts for sure including, you know, medical plans when you need those (4:03) we actually had (4:05) several (4:06) pretty severe injuries last year we had (4:09) a (4:11) Severe break where a couple of the cross kids and our the doctor on staff carried (4:18) Carried to help carry the runner back to to where we could get him in a car and get him back (4:23) and then we had another gentleman who actually had a stroke at the finish line and (4:28) again diagnosed by that same doctor and and so we were able to (4:32) To get him to the hospital and get him on the road to recovery (4:36) and so yeah, just some of the things and mark marking the trail and (4:41) Permitting and the people that stay out there all day and night. We the aid stations aren’t exactly accessible (4:47) So we have to backpack them in or horse pack them in (4:52) So shout out to those guys Joe Wetzel (4:55) I think this is his 19th or 20th year that he’s he’s been with us helping up at Coral Creek Lakes (5:00) McCarrick McKay Erickson and his crew who do all the horse packing and are fondly known as the cowboy aid station (5:09) and then (5:10) The Robert Hood and his family I think talking to him yesterday getting him some stuff was this is seven years now (5:17) They’ve been been helping out (5:19) good friend of mine Grant Nicholas from Driggs and (5:22) yes, just kind of a big crew and we just kind of keep evolving and and trying to to (5:28) To keep the event alive and and (5:32) Like I say keep keep people coming to check out the trails in the Salt River Range (5:36) Go tight rainy with us on first bank of bombing sports Friday this morning. So coach remind us the logistics of this.
What is the (5:44) Anticipated course it sounds like that’s always something you’re working on but kind of generally speaking. Where do you run and (5:50) How do people get involved remind us the date all those types of things? (5:54) So yeah, we’re always this first Saturday and in August is when we’re (5:59) When we hold the race and and so there’s actually two race distances (6:03) We’ve we’ve got a 50k or third just over 30 miles (6:08) They will start at Cottonwood Lake Saturday morning at 6 a.m. And they’ll head up the North Fork Trail (6:16) Up and over the top what the snow machiners call the big Ridge there that they fondly call balls and down (6:24) Into the head of Corral Creek up to Corral Creek Lakes up out of there into the into Swift Creek (6:30) All the way down to intermittent spring parking lot and then they retrace their steps and go back the other direction (6:38) We’ve lengthened in the last few years of because some busing issues (6:42) With the 25k has become just over 31 K and they they’ll start at 7 a.m (6:49) down actually on the south entrance of (6:52) Canyonview Park and (6:54) then Rose Street right there and they will run up and they’ll they’ll do that same route, but they’ll (6:59) Get in that back part. So we kind of got two races going simultaneously (7:04) Both with the goal of getting done by 6 p.m. On on that evening.
So (7:11) It will be out there and (7:14) And until they get till they get back now tie. I know how you (7:18) Ultra marathoners and cross-country runners operate. Do you tell them it’s 31 K’s or you just tell them it’s 25 K and (7:25) And that they’re just extra tired.
Oh (7:28) well, the (7:30) Yeah for being a little bit crazy runners are pretty smart and they’re good at math so we try to (7:36) We we try to you know, keep keep it on keep it on the up-and-up, you know (7:42) So some will accuse us that it’s a little longer a little short according to their GPS watch or whatever (7:48) but we’re we’re writing writing close there so we can (7:52) Keep track of them (7:54) Also tight you talked about how this helps (7:57) Your the the cross-country and track and field teams kind of do some different (8:02) Specialized events and things like that kind of talked to us about the this summer and your your high school runners and cross (8:08) Christmas coming up in less than a month (8:11) Yeah, we’re just we’re just a few weeks out. I think we feel like we’ve had a really really great summer (8:16) We’ve we’ve had a few changes (8:19) The coach Lorch moved and so we brought up coach Sharman from the middle school. He’s helping us out (8:25) I had coach bond to help there at the middle school (8:27) We we’ve had a few changes the shark camp that we did for 20 years is no longer in existence (8:32) So we of this last weekend we hosted a little camp (8:38) Down McCoy Creek and we it turned out pretty well (8:41) We had some (8:42) One of my former college teammates as coaching at a charter school, Missoula.
He brought some kids down (8:47) we had a few kids come from first and (8:50) The the food was great (8:52) And we had it was pretty fun. We had a couple guest speakers a couple of (8:59) Fastest ever to do it in Wyoming’s Sydney Thorvaldsen was (9:02) gracious enough to come over from Rollins and she’s home for a little for a little while this summer and (9:07) Talked to the kids about being a collegiate runner and after her 10th place finish at NCAA (9:15) 10k and track this spring and then the the all the famous local Peter Visser came and talked with the kids about (9:23) You know racing well and racing consistently and so yeah, we feel like the kids have been doing that (9:28) We’ve been getting in lots of miles and we’re just kind of building and getting getting (9:32) Ready for for Christmas to get to kind of sharpen our skills and and (9:39) Test out that summer fitness race and some other teams (9:41) start by the high school cross country track and field coach tight drainy and the 21st annual LVI Carol loco tomorrow and (9:49) It’s going to coach training. We appreciate your time as always best of luck to you and (9:55) Hopefully a little less injuries this year around sounds like huh? That’s the goal.
Yeah (9:59) Finger finger fingers crossed, but yeah, we’re looking forward to it and hopefully we can get them over the hill and back (10:07) Safely this year first Bank of Wyoming sports Friday on the SBI radio network