Thumbs Up Vertical Challenge
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Thumbs Up Vertical Challenge
The Thumbs Up Vertical Challenge is an eight hour ascent event held on the Thumb Open Space trail in Estes Park, Colorado. The event uses a short out and back route on town-owned open space. The race field is limited to 30 participants and is organized by Running Wild Events.
The competition uses a poker chip system for scoring. Runners collect one poker chip at each turnaround and return it to their assigned jar at the start. Poker chips are counted after the event to determine placing.
The course is a 1 km out and back with 540 ft of ascent per lap. Unique patches are awarded at three milestone ascent totals: 14 ascents (Estes Park, 7,522 feet), 18 ascents (Deer Mountain, 10,103 feet), and 26 ascents (Longs Peak, 14,259 feet). A special award is given to the overall winner.
The Thumb Open Space property was purchased by the Town of Estes Park on May 26, 2021 and opened for public access on July 1, 2022. The site is named for a large, thumb like rock outcrop. Participants are asked to remain on the marked public trail and to respect adjacent private property; additional user guidelines are provided by event organizers. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
