Looking for motivation to go for a run? Try pack burro racing, a uniquely Colorado sport

Every year, in an historic mining town in the mountains, runners lace up their running shoes and approach the starting line with their most loyal burro by their side.  

The annual pack burro race in Victor, southwest of Colorado Springs, sees athletes and burros run side-by-side over mountain trails and roads. 

Pack burro racing is the official summer heritage sport of Colorado. Burros, also known as donkeys, are outfitted with a saddle carrying a pickax, a shovel, and a gold pan. Carrying these objects honors Colorado’s history of gold mining.  

Running one of these races requires not only athleticism, but skill in persuading some notoriously stubborn animals, says Olivia Prentzel, a reporter for the Colorado Sun. She recently set out to complete her first pack burro race and wrote about the experience.  

Olivia told Erin O’Toole about how she prepared and what made her want to try running with a burro in the first place.

Check out this list of upcoming races from the Western Pack Burro Ass-ociation. 

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.