Rob Murphy

March 28, 2024

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Location:

Salt Lake City,

Member Since:

Feb 11, 2010

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

I had some success in high school and college. Winner 1985 Rod Dixon Run 

Had a fair amount of success as a Masters runner for most of my 40s. 

Short-Term Running Goals:

Have fun with running, explore more trails, stay healthy.

Long-Term Running Goals:

Keep running and racing consistently for as long as I can. Find what is sustainable for me over the long run.

Personal:

I teach AP European History and other courses at Alta High School. I coached the track and cross country teams at Alta for 16 years.

Married, two kids - Abby and Andy

My Twitter  @murphy_rob

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Miles:This week: 11.50 Month: 121.75 Year: 375.97
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
16.250.000.000.0016.25

16.25 in 2:04 around Liberty Park.

This whole run was a struggle. I might have to re-think my plans to run a marathon in a couple weeks and go for the 10k or the half.  

I strongly object to a letter to the editor in my new issue of Outside magazine that arrived yesterday. The letter is from a woman named Marjorie Woodruff from Grand Canyon Village, AZ. Based on the hometown and the info she references, I assume she works for the National Park Service. Her letter concerns the recent crackdown by the NPS on R2R and R2R2R runners in the Grand Canyon. Here's what she writes...

On May 18, a thousand such runners came through. These people do not yield to mules or uphill hikers. They force elderly hikers and children off the trail. They leave their trash along the trail and in the bathrooms. This is the kind of nonsense I go hiking to avoid.

What a load of BS!

First of all, I am a veteran of two R2R2R runs in the Grand Canyon. I did it in 2010 with Jon and Cody and in 2011 with Steve Anderson. I'm skeptical of her claim that a thousand runners attempted this in a single day. Unless it was a one-time thing and some sort of semi-organized activity. I think I met a combined total of maybe 15 total fellow R2R2R runners in my two efforts. How would they even know this to begin with? You don't check in with anyone before setting out. The first time I did it I don't think I even encountered a ranger along the way.

Secondly, I object to her gross generalizations and her frequent use of "they". For every one person who is attempting a R2R2R run, I bet there are several hundred hikers in the Grand Canyon. Hikers and runners often carry the same sort of stuff. How can she tell whether trash was left by a hiker or a runner?  Clearly, hiking is an activity she engages in and approves of, and running is not. I know there are exceptions, but I never left a shred of garbage along the trail and I've never met a trail runner who was in to trashing our national parks. Of the thousands of hikers and backpackers who use the trails, how many of them need to leave some trash behind before I can lump them all together into one group and ban their activity?

I know that in my two crossings I spent a considerable amount of time yielding to mules and long lines of Japanese tourists. When it comes to yielding to "uphill hikers", sometimes I yielded to them, sometimes they yielded to me. But there was never a problem, we worked it out without any conflict. I'm not even sure why this is an issue as most of the time the trails are plenty wide enough to accommodate  both of us.

Finally, these are public lands and it is the responsibility for the National Park Service to manage them effectively. I get that. What I don't get is why this one particular activity is a problem. From a safety standpoint, I bet there are many more injuries and rescues of hikers than there are of R2R2R runners. I can't even begin to list all the stupid, damaging, and destructive things I've seen people do in national parks over the years that rangers don't seem to have a problem with.

They need to either keep it legal to run in the Grand Canyon or make it illegal (although I don't know how you outlaw running in a national park). But they need to stop all this passive aggressive crap. 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00Calories: 0.00
Comments
From allie on Sun, Jul 07, 2013 at 11:02:04 from 97.126.211.105

but the marathon is downhill -- easy.

good run on this (relatively) muggy day. i struggled as well and i only ran 5.

From Steve on Sun, Jul 07, 2013 at 11:56:44 from 66.87.112.41

No way! Send this letter now to the editor. I'm going to go buy this issue and check out that article

From Steve on Sun, Jul 07, 2013 at 11:58:18 from 66.87.112.41

That book I read at your house on the fourth was one if the best about the stupidity of the NPS.

From Wesley Hunt on Sun, Jul 07, 2013 at 18:34:02 from 74.82.64.145

TR would have never stood for such nonsense...a sporting fellow himself, he would have expected the mules to yield to the runners!

From Rob Murphy on Sun, Jul 07, 2013 at 18:47:19 from 24.10.249.165

Absolutely Wesley.

I visited TR National Park in North Dakota a few weeks ago. An under appreciated gem for sure. Got to see the remnants of his ranch, cabin etc.

From Matt Poulsen on Sun, Jul 07, 2013 at 20:22:02 from 98.202.242.213

Couldn't agree more, Rob! Well said.

From Jake K on Sun, Jul 07, 2013 at 21:21:53 from 67.177.11.154

I'm with everything you said. Her complaint is downright stupid.

From Jon on Mon, Jul 08, 2013 at 16:50:40 from 76.2.30.26

Yup, stupid. Typical federal government- if they accidentally let people do what they want, they'll try to find an excuse of how to restrict everyone from doing it ;)

From Superfly on Tue, Jul 09, 2013 at 14:51:42 from 74.211.21.81

Jon hit the nail on the head.

From Flying Dutchman on Fri, Oct 09, 2015 at 12:27:16 from 68.110.6.104

Rob, would you by any chance still have that magazine lying around? I would be curious to see the entire letter in there, given a similar controversy created by the same lady with a latest round of accusations towards runners: http://www.hcn.org/articles/grand-canyon-runners-are-missing-the-point

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