An epic showdown between the younger generation and the experienced has arrived. A chance to
separate the boys from the men. The glorious thrill of the race and final sprint to the finish line . . . and a
chance to have some fun.
It all started a year ago when a group from Colorado Springs, Colo., came to the 2008 Mount Taylor
Quadrathlon to compete while their moms and dads sat on the sidelines and cheered .“ The parents saw them
youngsters and said 'we oughta give this a try',” said Phil Glynn, one o f the dads. This agreement among the
dads became Team “Running on Empty.”
The sons' team last year, “V6,” failed to finish because one of their members was unable to finish his
section of the course. This year they are back with a new contingent of competitors. “V6” is comprised of
bicyclist Adam Botts, 20, runner Adam Glynn, 17, skier Alex Salter, 15, and snowshoer Daniel Fraquhar, 16.
The youngsters are pitted against their dads, bicyclist David Salter, 49, runner Phil Glynn, 45, skier Brent Botts,
52, and the eldest of the crew is Bruce Farquhar snowshoeing to the top at age 62.
The elder Salter is riding the bike against young Botts to start the race. Dad Glynn thinks the two have
trained sufficiently and are closely matched in the initial 1 3mile ride. “We should have a lead by the time it
gets to us (at the bike/run transition),” Brent Botts goaded.
The running chores will be taken up by the Glynns in an uphill battle “. We should be ahead five or ten
minutes, even though (Adam) is a cross country runner,” said Brent, placing confidence in Team Running On
Empty. After the runners climb 1,200 feet of elevation in five miles they wi l lturn the baton over to skiers
Botts the elder and to young Salter. “They (the youngsters) may gain some time but we should still be ahead,”
Botts remarked. Salter is familiar with the skate skis while Botts is more concerned with the ride down. He
said he chose the cross-country skis for more control on the backside of Mount Taylor.
Brent Botts hasn't raced since the 1999 and 2000 quad competitions but has 20 years of experience on
the skis. The snowshoe trek to the peak belongs to Bruce Farquhar and his son Daniel. The son has a year of
experience and is definitely in better shape than his father, according to th eolder Botts and Glynn. Phil said
he just hopes Daniel gets distracted at the top of the mountain instead of catching up to his dad .
“They (the sons) should definitely gain time, it should be pretty interesting on the way down,” said
Brent Botts. Botts has taken five different crews to the quad since 2000 and every year returns to Colorado
Springs with a more confident troop of young men.
“Their confidence gets boosted by knowing they can accomplish something like this,” said Botts .“It
was a lot of fun and challenging,” commented Phil Glynn on last year's rac e .“It's a rare relay race, there are not
many of them around. It's a chance to get away and do guy stuff.” With a lot sweat, struggling and a little luck
both teams can live with the accomplishment of the 2009 Mount Taylor Quadrathlon .
Who will prevail? Those with youth and enthusiasm or age and experienc.e
