Steamboat Springs became part of America’s first and only coast-to-coast ultra relay run this weekend with the 12th annual MS Run the U.S., an event that raises money for multiple sclerosis research.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that disrupts communication between the brain and body and can result in a loss of coordination, cause speech and vision issues, and more.
According to a 2020 study by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, more than 2.8 million people are affected by MS around the globe with approximately 1 million currently living in the U.S.
When 36-year-ld Rebecca Spiegel’s close friend was diagnosed with MS, she was inspired to put her athletic background to use and raise money and awareness for a good cause.
“It is really hard to see another mother go through that, really unable to care for her children and so forth,” said Spiegel, a Broomfield resident. “So I wanted to do something, being an athlete, that would push me out of my comfort zone. That felt important because she was also completely out of her element. I wanted to do something more notable, and I found MS Run the U.S. and I thought that was an absolutely crazy idea.”
The relay began April 3 in Santa Monica, California. Runners take on about the length of a marathon per day for six or seven days before passing the baton off to the next runner. The 21st and final leg of the relay is set to end in New York City on Aug. 17.
MS Run the U.S. works with researchers at the University of Iowa who specialize in multiple sclerosis research. The money raised from the relay goes to that medical research and also helps offer individual grants for people living with disabilities from MS to pay for necessary resources.
“We’re essentially 21 ambassadors across the country that are representing the organization, not only during the actual event but as we fundraise and interact with the community — we are the base of the organization for that year,” Spiegel said.
With a record number of applicants, Spiegel learned of her selection for the seventh leg of the relay in the fall. It became a six-month lifestyle shift for her, having to dedicate 10-20 hours per week of training and fundraising.
Each athlete is set up with a running coach and a strength coach to assist them in their training efforts. Spiegel explained that her running coach often assigned different types of workouts focused on speed or elevation gains to achieve the endurance her body needed to complete her leg of the relay. It dominated her time, but Spiegel said it was a blessing to carve out so much time from her weekly schedule for herself and support an organization she cares about.
Spiegel began her leg of the relay May 12 in Vernal, Utah. She was faced with approximately 6,000 feet of elevation gain and essentially followed U.S. Highway 40 all the way from Vernal to Steamboat Springs, where she concluded her run around 11 a.m. Friday.
Throughout each leg, runners are assisted by a road crew who are available to help refuel and check up on them. The crew is simultaneously creating a documentary on the event covering each runner on their journey.
“I think the road crew is one of the unsung heroes of this entire organization,” Spiegel said. “The road crew is with every single one of the 21 runners, so while we are there for a week, they are there for over four months, and they are essentially just making the runners’ lives as easy as possible.”
Spiegel thrived while running by the breathtaking backdrops of Utah and Northwest Colorado, and she said it was special to have friends, family and those who donated be able to follow along.
She completed her leg at the intersection of 13th Street and U.S. 40 in Steamboat Springs by the Bud Werner Library on Friday morning, handing the baton off to 28-year-old Levi Perez of Denver, who began leg eight Saturday morning.
The relay means everything to Perez and his family. His father was diagnosed with MS in 2010 and it progressed very quickly from sporadic flare ups to eventual paralysis.
Perez remembers when his father first had to use a cane to walk, but it was only occasionally necessary. He compared the progression from the cane to a wheelchair to the blink of an eye, and added that his dad has since needed to upgrade to a higher functioning wheelchair.
“You think things can’t get worse, but they do,” Perez said. “Nowadays, I look back at a picture from Christmas two years ago and he’s in his chair but is holding a drink in his hand. He was able to grip with his fingers then, but he can’t do that anymore.”
Perez will keep the thought of his father close to his heart during his leg, which spans 171 miles over the course of seven days. He is up against 13,711 feet of elevation gain on his route, which continues along U.S. 40 until Kremmling, where it takes a turn south on Colorado Highway 9.
Once reaching Silverthorne, Perez will follow paths just off Interstate 70 until he reaches Sloan’s Lake Park in Denver to complete his run May 24.
“With this relay, it is cool because it’s the first thing with me and my family that is something positive I get to be a part of and my family also gets to be a part of,” Perez said. “It’s bringing attention to my dad and the disease in a positive way because we’re doing something to push the needle forward. It has really meant a lot to my family.”
