Conversations with John Lacroix

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Lacroix.

Hi John, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2004, I lived back in New Hampshire, and at the time I was self-producing a documentary film on climbing NH’s 48 highest peaks. It was while making the film that I had wondered if anyone had hiked the peaks the fastest. I figured any kind of speed record over all of those mountains was likely weeks long if not more. I did some research and learned that the last two record-holders had done it in a little over three days. I managed to interview those last two most recent record-holders for my film and they both mentioned this thing called “ultramarathon running.” I asked them what it took to be an ultra runner and neither of them mentioned running in their answer, they said “you need to be stubborn and able to put up with some discomfort.” I was hooked and knew that the next adventure in my life would be ultra running.

I started running ultras in 2005. I worked my way up through all of the distances 50k, 50-miles, 100-miles, and eventually became the first person to run non-stop across New Hampshire at its widest points, from western-most to eastern-most, 125 miles in around 30 hours. Since 2005 I have completed over 60 official ultramarathons, run 100-miles or more 23 different times, and completed countless other journey runs of ultra-distance, and even became the first person to attempt running across Colorado from its lowest to its highest points. In 2017, I ran from the Kansas border, where the Arikaree River Crossed, to Deer Creek Canyon… and had to alter my route due to early-season blizzards in the mountains. After running 202 miles across Colorado’s plains, I hiked to the summit of Mount Elbert in a snow storm.

In 2007 I started helping out with a race series in Vermont known as Peak Races. I was a race director apprentice under a guy named Andy Weinberg. I was also in charge of course marking their more navigationally challenging locations. I was a major part of the creation of the Peak Races Death Race, which is what Spartan Races were eventually spawned out of (think of a spinoff TV show). In 2008, I got to try my hand at race directing and created the New England Ultras. I hosted a 50-Mile, 100-Mile, and 200-Mile at the race. The 200-mile was the first trail 200-mile ultramarathon in the world. The race, was successful despite a series of major hiccups and disasters that we had to overcome. I wouldn’t race direct again for six years.

I earned my Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology: Outdoor Education with concentration areas in Hospitality Management, and Recreation Management, at the University of New Hampshire. This was actually my 2nd degree earned and my 3rd trip through college. Thirty hours after graduating I was in a U-Haul headed for Colorado. I arrived in Louisville, CO in May 2011 where I would replant my roots as a Coloradan.

Upon first moving to Colorado I had acquired an internship with a guide company based in Boulder. I had the privilege of guiding a variety of trips with the guide company such as hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, snowshoeing, sight seeing tours to RMNP, rafting, horseback riding and more. I worked my way up to being the company’s operations director, and took over the companies adventure-based corporate trainings. In the near 2 years I spent with the guide company I learned a tremendous amount about how the Colorado recreational landscape works (and doesn’t). After a falling out with the guide business’s owner, I entered into a long struggle to find work in the Front Range.

After I first moved to Colorado I created what is known as a “Fat Ass” series of runs. A Fat Ass is a glorified group run. No aid, no bibs, no fees, no shirts, no awards, no whining. At first I was met with a ton of pushback from other local area runners, all of whom had a reason for my not creating the series and telling me why it would never work. I created it anyway. The first Fat Ass run I held was with me and one other runner. That first winter of ’11-’12, I had about 14 different runners show up and join us for one or more different runs. Over the years the Fat Ass series grew, and in 2013-2014, we were averaging well over 100 runners per Fat Ass run. My friend’s group at the time urged me to do something about the group sizes, because we definitely risked being cited by local land managers for hosting what could be considered as “unauthorized events.”

That same friends group would eventually hold a surprise party for me, that was more like an intervention, but instead of telling me what NOT to do, they spent their time convincing me to become a full time race director. Their reasons were many, primarily focused on the routes I created and the fact that so many runners enjoy the routes I create. I also had strong opinions against the Leadville Race Series, who I felt was moving in a direction that is antithesis to the norms in ultra running, I wanted to offer Colorado what that series no longer was. In March 2014, I created Human Potential LLC and would begin hosting actually races in Colorado under the banner of The Human Potential Running Series (HPRS).

HPRS has grown into being Colorado’s largest series of trail and ultramarathon running events with 14 in-person events held in 2022. We also host two satellite events, one each in Texas and Arkansas. We are the 2nd largest ultramarathon series in the nation. We are also the only major race series on the planet to not cancel a single event throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and did so without a single report of positive Covid transmission through our events.

In 2021, I was asked to be the race director of the World Championship Pack Burro race in Fairplay. I am the first new race director of the 75 year old event in the last 30+ years.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Owning a business is never a smooth road and I’ve had many struggles along the way.

The first struggle was that I wanted to offer something completely different, and more grass roots, than the “King of the Mountain” in Colorado in the Leadville Race Series. Everyone knows about Leadville and seemed to aspire to run Leadville. I started my series to compete directly with them, and many Coloradans felt that I wanted to tear their series down in order to build mine up, which was never my intention. My intention was to introduce Colorado to an ultra running that cares more about people as inherently human, and not just another bib number, where the community is paramount to the competition. It was something so few around here understood and they felt that my comparing and contrasting HPRS to Leadville was just my crusade to tear Leadville down, instead of simply introducing everyone to something vastly different. As you can imagine, when so many people drink the Leadville kool-aid, it was hard for them to hear anything other than praise for a series so many grew to admire and love.

I got divorced in 2017, and my two sons (Carter and Andrew) moved to Florida with their mom. As is customary for divorce, I lost most of my friends along the way, who were also in my inner circle at HPRS. It was such a horrible year for business that I only paid myself $15,000, and drove for Uber and Lyft, and did yard work and odd jobs for some of my runners, in order to make ends meet while keeping HPRS alive.

In 2019, a group of disgruntled runners (former friends in my inner circle) created a petition against me, seeking to cancel me as a race director and put HPRS out of business. The petition made a host of allegations but no evidence of the allegations made was ever presented. The petition and the ensuing public condemnation was an incredibly traumatic experience for myself, especially whereas most of the claims made were never accompanied by any evidence to support those claims.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Based on my education and experience, I believe that I am the most accomplished and knowledgable race director in ultramathon running.

I have a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology: Outdoor Education with concentration areas in Hospitality Management, and Recreation Management.

I also have an Associate’s in Radio/TV Production and Broadcasting.

I am a certified Leave No Trace Trainer, I acquired a Certification in Risk Management For Outdoor Programs through Viristar, I am a certified Professional Race Director through the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), I have a Wilderness First Responder certification through Wilderness Medical Associates. I have sat on a number of committees focused on the Colorado Outdoors including Outside 285, The Care for Colorado Coalition, and the Coalition for Outdoor Access.

I specialize in event management of trail and ultramarathon running events. I hold the current state record for number of trail and ultramarathon running events directed in Colorado history.

I am most proud of our ability to be the only major race series on the planet to not cancel a single race through the Covid-19 pandemic.

What sets us apart from others is what I am known for. I am a non-conformist who subscribes to the values and beliefs of transcendentalism. We’ve created a series of race where the human matters, and the race doesn’t. We don’t have a podium or age group awards. We have real people looking to do good work on themselves through outdoor endeavors. Think, NOLS or Outward Bound, but in a race setting. We were the first race series in the USA with a black and white policy on Transgender Athletes, later becoming the first series to offer more than three gender identity choices (Male, Female, non-binary) during the registration process. Because we buck against the stubborn slow nature of change, and because we enact make sense policies that meet people where they’re at, and welcome all people to events like ours.. this sets us apart in a big way.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
When I was 12 years old, my maternal grandfather had a major stroke thanks to years of chain-smoking and unhealthy eating. He lost the ability to walk, talk, or even eat for a time. While he re-acquired the ability to eat and talk, my grandfather would spend the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair. In order for my grandfather to leave the rehab facility and return home, he was going to need some kind of caretaker. While the rest of my family forcibly and embarrassingly verbally abused my grandfather, questioning his ability to ever live at home again, one question was asked out loud: “Who is going to take care of you?!”

I stepped up and said, “I will.” Starting at age 13, I became my grandfathers caretaker. Every day after school, I would make my way to my grandfathers house where I would help my grandmother with general upkeep. I helped vacuum and mop, with dishes, with yard work and kept the garden growing. Every day I hand bathed my grandfather, helped him to his commode and even helped fish out what he couldn’t push out on his own. I irrigated his catheter, administered his medication, and I put him to bed. If he had doctors appointments I helped transfer him in and out of the car. When I got my license, I started driving him to his appointments as well. I did this for three years before I went off to college for the first time. Some in my family have stated that my love and care for my grandfather extended the number of years he ultimately lived life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://humanpotentialrunning.com/

Image Credits
Human Potential LLC