El Paso Puzzler Trail Marathon Race Report

The Puzzler —the toughest trail race in Texas. Organized by the Borderland Mountain Bike Association, The Puzzler Endurance Weekend includes biking and running events that are held in the Franklin Mountains State Park in the West Texas town of El Paso. Having run most of the 26 mile course in training, I know how brutal it can be climbing over the mountains, running the western flank and climbing back over again. I know that this race is all that it is cracked up to be. 

The Eyebrow Trail

He swore at them in French and broken English just before three shots rang out. It was the day after Christmas in 1894 when Francois Jean Rochas, simply known as “Frenchy”, died in his little rock cabin at the mouth of Dog Canyon where present day Oliver Lee State Park is located near Alamogordo, New Mexico.

"Frenchy's" cabin

Picacho Peak

Saying Picacho Peak is like saying the Rio Grande River or River Big River, because picacho is to peak as rio is to river. It seems redundant to say Peak Peak so I will just say Picacho.