Micah True aka “Caballo Blanco” missing in Gila Wilderness.

[Eugene Smith]

If you've read "Born to Run" or are familiar with the Copper Canyon ultramarathon, then you may know the name.

Regional SAR teams are searching for Caballo Blanco when he failed to return from a run in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico late Wednesday.

Let's hope for a safe recovery.

http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_20281254

[. .]

Lotta respect for that man. Thank you for the heads up, Eugene.
Prayer is in order.

[W I S N E R !]

What a character. Hope everything turns out ok.

[Eugene Smith]

Threw a link in the OP.

[Paul Vertrees]

Our hope and prayers are sent your way, Micah.

[Eugene Smith]

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_20284874/famed-runner-micah-true-missing-gila-wilderness

Checked our local news and found newer information, SAR are still working through the evening.

[Adan Lopez]

Didnt realize he's been missing for 3 days already. Hoping for some good news on this one, keep us posted.

[Eugene Smith]

As of this morning Micah True is still missing. I spoke with my friend who headed out with the Organ Mountain Technical Rescue Squad early today and the status was still the same.

[John S.]

Hoping he is found.

[Luke Schmidt]

Doesn't sound good, prayin he's found.

[Eugene Smith]

I just got off the phone with a friend here in Las Cruces who was on his way back into town from Silver City. No positive news unfortunately.

~54 search volunteers checked into Incident Base today near the Gila Cliff Dwellings/TJ Corral trailheads, at the location of his vehicle. This has now become a multi team search party, consisting of organized SAR teams, horse teams, friends, fellow ultra runners, and local authorities. Two helicopters and a single fixed wing plane are also providing search coverage.

There were several eyewitnesses who saw him driving up NM 15 towards the Cliff Dwellings for what was supposed to be a short run. Caballo's dog was found in his vehicle at the trailhead, so this run wasn't to be an epic.

[Luke Schmidt]

Doesn't sound good. What are the water conditions right now Eugene? I'm guessing there isn't much snow left low down.

[David K]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/01/us-runner-death-true-idUSBRE83001R20120401

[Eugene Smith]

Unfortunate.

Caballo Blanco won't be forgotten and his story will definitely press on beyond that of the running community.

[Jon Leibowitz]

Very sad. Cliche but true, he left the world doing what he absolutely loved. Nobody can ask for more than that. Hopefully they find there was no foul play and it was just a body failure of some sort. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a heart attack. I just read 'Born to Run' this past year and it really changed my perspective on a lot of things beyond just running. Cabelo Blanco was an inspiration.

[t.darrah]

Eugene/Jon +1!

[Mike M]

I also read this book last year and both the book and Micah were big inspirations for me.

"There is no death. Only a change of worlds." By Chief Seattle

[James Castleberry]

New video from Cliff Bar.

Scott Jurek feat.Caballo Blanco

[Mike M]

the autopsy points to heart disease for Micah

http://espn.go.com/olympics/trackandfield/story/_/id/7905872/ultra-marathon-runner-micah-true-died-natural-causes

[Kattt]

That's interesting. If I am not mistaken here, an enlarged left ventricle could be caused by the heart overworking for years, as in untreated high blood pressure. The occasional two beers and vanilla ice cream hardly seem like the culprits here. It would help to know if Micah was seen and treated for hypertension.

[Mike M]

there is some concern amongst the running community about long distance running and enlarged heart, I haven't read on it extensively, but it's a little fuzzy

[Kattt]

I was wondering about that Mike.

[Leigh Baker]

Eugene/Jon/Mike +1
I'm not a runner, but I read the book at the suggestion of a friend that had backpacked the Copper Canyon area years ago. Very sad to hear.

[W I S N E R !]

On Friday evening I had one of those runs that make everything feel beautiful and right. Weaving in and out of streams and bushes, hopping rocks, I sat on a boulder in the middle of the river at the halfway point, pulled off my shoes, soaked my feet, and threw back my head and laughed aloud. Golden evening light, wind in the oak branches, my skin flushed from effort.

I can certainly think of worse ways to die; most of us can only look forward to hospital beds. I'm not trying to trivialize the loss of a person by any means, but I think we should all hope to be so fortunate, at the very least, to go out doing something we love in a place that's meaningful to us. I'd wager that Caballo and those that knew him can find some solace in that.

[John S.]

"OPINION
This 58-year-old male, Micah True, died as a result of cardiomyopathy.
According to reports, he was a frequent and long-distance runner and failed to return from a long run. He was found dead in a canyon. He was on the bank of a small stream with just his legs covered by water.

At autopsy, there were numerous abrasions of the extremities, but no evidence of internal injury. Internally, there was enlargement of the heart with left ventricular prominence. The left ventricle was concentrically thickened and dilated. Microscopically there was no evidence of chronic ischemia, inflammation or disarray of the myocardial architecture. The cause of the cardiomyopathy is not readily apparent. The decedent did not have a regular physician and no medical records particularly electrocardiograms or blood pressure readings were available for review. The appearance of the heart did not fit the criteria for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is usually asymmetric and involves the septum nor that of a dilated cardiomyoptathy. The best determination is that of unclassified cardiomyopathy which resulted in a cardiac dysrhythmia during exertion."

[Author]

Posts