Wishing Anton Krupicka All the Best

Anton (right) at the 2010 Western States 100
with winner Geoff Roes. Anton and Geoff battled it
out until the very end.

A few days ago I read some sad news on Anton Krupicka's blog. On the heels of a difficult few months in which Anton has battled some nagging injuries following his strong Rocky Raccoon 100-Mile performance in February, he had a bad fall and sustained a potentially serious leg injury. True to his character, Anton's taking the injury in stride and showing a great attitude, though as a super-elite ultrarunner he's obviously got to be quite down in the dumps.

As many know, even at such a young age Anton is something of an iconic figure in ultrarunning lore. He's a legendary mountain runner with an equally legendary work ethic and passion, often logging 150-200+ miles per week. He loves the mountains and finds inspiration in Colorado's mighty peaks, starting with those in his own backyard in beautiful Boulder. When you look at Anton, you see a free spirit with long hair, no shirt, no GPS, no iPod and no elaborate hydration system to speak of. You see a guy who runs for the love of it. In Anton, you see the very essence of the ultrarunner and mountain runner. You also see someone who lives the way we all wish, deep down, we could live.

I wanted to write this blog because Anton has inspired me for many years. When we lived in Ohio and I dreamed of running the Rocky Mountains, a big part of that inspiration came from Anton's blog. I would read his captivating, descriptive accounts of training runs, such as a 50-mile training run in Leadville, or of his daily jaunts up and back down Green Mountain in Boulder, and dream of one day running the Rockies. I'm not alone--Anton has thousands of fans, and I'm proud to be among them.

Last year at the Leadville 100 I briefly spoke with Anton. Like so many of our sport's superstars, he's an approachable, likeable and humble person. With a resume full of huge achievements, including two Leadville 100 wins, he has every reason to be arrogant, but he's not. Far from it. He knows who he is and where he's from (Nebraska, if it's of any interest to you).

Here's to wishing one of the sport's all time greats, Anton Krupicka, a speedy recovery and return to the trails.