Meet Chuck Smead, One of the First Americans to Race in the Alps
With substantial time editing and fact checking by Emily Schmitz. Thanks Emily!
Top photo: Chuck Smead, 1977, courtesy Sierre-Zinal Archives
When I first started trail running in the Alps more than a decade ago, I would cross paths with US runner Rickey Gates. For a trail runner new to the Alps scene, Rickey was a fountain of knowledge and insights. I looked to him for places to run, races to try out, and villages to visit – it was Rickey who introduced me to one of my all-time favorite runs in the Alps, the Gemmi Challenge.
Rickey is thoughtful, smart and curious. So it’s no surprise that he was digging into the history of trail running in the Alps at that time, too. And one name kept coming up: Chuck Smead.
When you follow the line of US trail runners in the Alps back from today, you quickly realize that Rickey has played a central role in raising awareness in the United States and elsewhere when it comes to the wonderful scene here.
And before Rickey, there was Pablo Vigil, and others– notably Dave Dunham, Lyndon Ellefson, and Jay Johnson, the first American to win a gold medal at the World Mountain Running Championships.
But before all of them, there was Chuck.
Was Chuck Smead the first trail runner from the US in the Alps? Certainly not. But in terms of significance, his impact is clear even to casual observers.
Some context is in order.
In the 1970s, Chuck was one of the best runners in the US. He dominated mountain running, winning the Pikes Peak Marathon in 1972 and 1973 and the Pikes Peak Ascent in 1974 and 1976. [Editor’s note: His 1976 win included a course-record of 2:05:22 that remained untouched until 1993 when Matt Carpenter ran 2:01:06.] Chuck still holds the Pike’s Peak 60-64 age group record. In 1975, he was second in the Pan American Games marathon in Mexico City running 2:25:32– just 29 seconds behind Rigoberto Mendoza Pérez. [Editor’s note: The “Pan Am” Games is a multisport, continental event, held the year before the Olympics.]
In 1977, Smead was the first American trail runner to enjoy success in the European trail scene, winning Switzerland’s Sierre-Zinal, then and now one of the most competitive mountain races in the world. [Editor’s note: Today, the race draws almost 5,000 runners.] From the 1970s to early 80s, he traveled numerous times to the race, bringing along other talented US runners, including Pablo Vigil and Dave Casillas.
And so, many years ago I made a note in my notebook of article ideas. It said, simply, “Track down Chuck Smead.”
Nancy Hobbs at the American Trail Running Association came through for me. Chuck was alive and well, and living not far from Mosca, Colorado. Population: 80. Finally, this last winter, I came within striking distance, visiting Run the Alps Tour Manager Steph Lefferts, in somewhat-nearby Leadville.
When one thinks of Colorado trail running, images of smooth single-track, switchbacking up a 14’er come to mind. But Mosca, two hours due south of Leadville, is plains country: dry, flat, ringed by the San Juan and Sangres mountain ranges. It’s remote and sparse. It’s different from the Colorado one would see in tourist ads. And it’s high up there– Smead lives at 7,600 feet.
Exchanging emails, I got country-style directions, not Google Maps coordinates. “I live 17 miles north of Alamosa by the alligator farm,” he wrote. “If you call, leave a message if I don’t answer – I don’t carry my phone around like most people.” Smead was generous, offering me a place to stay in this desolate Colorado outpost. “We have a big house,” he wrote, “And our kids are all gone.”
He seemed eager to talk about running. “I am still running at age 72,” he wrote. “I was struggling pretty bad at the beginning of the year, but doing much better. Got invited to come to the Sierre-Zinal 50th a few years ago, but turned it down because I did not feel so hot at the time. Recently, I got my mile time down to 6:19 and 3-mile to 20:48.”
And so, after a few hours of straight-line western highway driving, I found my way to the mile-long “U” residential road that leads to a ranch house. It’s well maintained, with a casual feel. Chuck and the house match. Both have been through some weather, notched a few years, and are perhaps a bit ragged around the edges. But they are clearly up for more challenges, too.
Chuck and his wife Carol live in their family home with their two dogs, surrounded by a network of informal trails, where he still trains. They have three children and six grandchildren.
Here’s our conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed my visit with them.
Doug: You were perhaps the first American to travel to Europe and stand on the podium at a major trail race: Sierre-Zinal. Both then in the 70s and now, Sierre-Zinal is one of the marquee races in the Alps. How did you end up at the start line?
Chuck: A guy named Norbert Sander had heard of me because of my race results. He was from New York. Somehow, he found himself at Sierre-Zinal. I don’t even know if he raced. He wasn’t a mountain runner, but mainly did road races. Norbert knew me from the Pikes Peak Race here in Colorado. He knew that no one could touch me. In those days, I wasn’t even living in Colorado. I was coming from sea level, Santa Paula California. And even like that, I would win Pikes Peak by half an hour!
He told Jean-Claude Pont that he knew of an American that could kick everybody’s ass in Europe. [Editor’s note: Pont is the creator of Sierre-Zinal, and for nearly 50 years, was its Race Director. You can read a profile of him here].
And they laughed.
The Europeans didn’t think that I could beat them! But I was a total freak back then. I had good leg speed, and that was on top of being able to climb really well. So, I had a double whammy. From the day I started running in the mountains when I was 16, no one could beat me.
Doug: How did your trail running career begin?
Chuck: I started running in the mountains when I was living in California. I loved the mountains, so naturally, I started running them. In California, to get from my house to anywhere, I had to go up a hill. Eventually, I started running the mountains near my house. I would see it in the distance and think, “I’m going to run up that!”
I’m not your typical distance cross-country runner. I hate running on the road. I’ve always hated it. I always thought that it was so boring.
Doug: Is that how you ended up living in Colorado? Did trail running bring you to Colorado?
Chuck: I first came here because I made the US Pan Am team in 1975. They brought us to Alamosa to train, because the Pan Am Games were going to be held in Mexico City, which of course is at high elevation. Then, in 1974, I moved to Durango, and eventually to Mosca in 1986.
Doug: A few years after that, in 1977, you went to Europe to race for the first time. How did that happen?
Chuck: The Race Director, Jean-Claude Pont, invited me and made me an offer. There was some money, but it wasn’t a lot. It was chump change compared to what athletes get nowadays. But it was enough to get me there and support me while I was there.
I said, “sure, I’ll come over!”
Doug: What was the race like in those days?
Chuck: Already, there were a couple thousand participants. Jean-Claude was already doing a great job. He paid runners fairly, and he wasn’t doing it to fill his pockets with money. He was always taking care of us. He took us to parties, and he made sure we always had something fun to do. He put us in the nicest places while we stayed in Zinal. There are race directors that are in it for themselves, and race directors that are in it for the runners. Jean-Claude was in it for the runners.
Doug: You won that race back in 1977. How did it play out for you?
Chuck: I won it easily! I mean, I could have run 10 to 12 minutes faster. To be honest, I was goofing off. I was just enjoying it. I could tell that no one was near me because I could see behind me. Once you get up high enough, you can look back and see everything. And I saw that the rest of the field was far behind.
After the initial climb, about 4,900 feet of vert, you get to Chandolin, about 12km into the race. Once you get there, it’s nice running – rolling and fast. I just cruised. It’s that way until you get to the final descent, which is long and steep!
I didn’t want to take that last downhill fast because I didn’t want to get hurt. The Italians went nuts on it. They couldn’t run uphill, but they could run downhill like crazy.
That was the first time during the race I knew there were other runners anywhere near me. They were pretty far behind me until we got to that downhill, and then they started to close the gap. I knew because I could hear people way up the mountain screaming. But, the thing is – they can’t sneak up on you. I could tell where they were because I could hear the crowd yelling. The course is packed the entire way and everyone is screaming! I knew they were closing in on me, but I also knew that my strength was my leg speed, and it would be very difficult for them to catch me.
I never lost a mountain race until 1978, my second time at Sierre-Zinal (I was 10 years undefeated). I was leading that race too, but strained a quad muscle about 2/3 the way through. It was very cold that year, and I would have dropped out, but there is no place to drop out, so l hobbled to the finish in 3rd. Fortunately I did not do further damage.
Doug: Did you run any other races while you were in Europe?
Chuck: I did. I went to Kitzbuhel, Austria, set a course record there, winning that race in 1982 and 1988.
And, I went to France’s Blue Coast, La Côte Bleue in French. [Editor’s note: This is Provence’s coast on the Mediterranean Sea.] They had a race down there, and there was a guy racing named Chris Stewart. He was fast! He could run a 5km on the track in around 13 minutes. We raced, but I killed him because it was hot and hilly. Nobody could beat me on the hills.
It was a good race series. They paid me well. Once I had won Sierre-Zinal, I was kind of a big deal for them.
Doug: After you won, Sierre-Zinal invited you back. Did you go?
Chuck: They did, and I did. They invited me back for many years.
They paid runners’ airfare, accommodation, and gave them a small gift. But, I prefer prize money. I’ve seen athletes go to races out of shape and not ready to race, only because they are paid to be there. In Sierre-Zinal, the top athletes got their travel and accommodation covered, so it was worth it for them to go to the race, even if they weren’t prepared to run.
I still think it is the best mountain race in the world. The field is always competitive – the best. And it’s well-organized.
Doug: When was the last time you went over there to race?
Chuck: The very last time I ran Sierre-Zinal, I was 37. That was 1988. I was in great shape. I had been living at altitude in Colorado, which changed everything for me. I was ready and was going to kick ass. Pablo Vigil was there too. I was going to kick his butt.
But on race day, it was abnormally hot and humid. I had been using a hydration drink called ERG. I normally can’t even drink water when I run, but ERG worked great for me.
So, I went around looking for something like ERG, but I couldn’t speak the language! At a store, I found something that looked exactly like ERG. So, I took it on race day. The race started, and I had a four-minute lead. I had run the race enough times to know exactly what I had to do. I was on my way to running, probably a 2:32 or 2:30 race time. [Editor’s note: This would have been a course record at that time.] I knew the course well and I was ready.
Well, little did I know, the drink I bought had artificial sweeteners in it. When we got to the aid station, I grabbed my bottle and took about four swigs of it. And, within 400 meters, I went from as high as you can go to as low as you can get. I was sick as a dog! I got sick from the Isostar, don’t remember why Pablo dropped, but we both dropped out. The guy that was behind me by about three minutes at that point ended up winning, Pierre-André Gobet from Switzerland. Did not get paid a dime according to him. I think he ran around 2:35. [Editor’s note: In 1988, the men’s winner, Gobet, ran a time of 2 hours, 34 minutes, and 16 seconds]
I was gone! That was the last time I raced Sierre-Zinal.
But, that’s the thing with running. You never know when bad things will happen. There’s a lot of random luck.
Doug: That sounds like a rough day! What would you tell someone who is new to running and wants to run Sierre-Zinal?
Chuck: I would say to get in shape! It’s like any of these big mountain races. It also depends on your level. You could probably hike it with minimal training.
Doug: Looking back on your time racing in Europe, do you have any reflections?
Chuck: I loved my time racing there. The only thing I didn’t like was the weather between races. It can rain for weeks on end at times! We would be stuck in our rooms for days on end without much to do. It would get boring. Today, I enjoy being in Colorado. There’s no place like it in the summer.
Doug: We’ve focused a lot on your European trail running, specifically Sierre-Zinal, but you had great successes in the US. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Chuck: I ran Pikes Peak 5 times and another two times after the age of 40, not counting the 2018 race.
The last time I ran Pikes Peak, in 2018, I was going for the over-65 age group record. I had gotten the over-60 record. I still have it! I wanted that one, too. I trained my butt off for the 65 record. I was in the best shape I had been in for years.
The day before the race there was a terrible storm. It hailed! There were huge chunks of hail falling on us. The next morning when we woke up, there was a heavy fog everywhere. The fog was so thick, you couldn’t see at the top of Pikes Peak.
So I went over to the start line and I started to warm up. It was still foggy, but it was warm. It wasn’t bad. At the last minute, they changed the course – we would only be going up to the halfway point at Barr Camp. I was upset. I was ready to go for the record that day! [Editor’s note: Smead chose not to run that day.]
The best race I ever ran in my life was at the Tahoe relays in 1975. It is a 90-mile race run in a relay of 8 runners. I ran the 7th leg because it was the toughest and most hilly.
I’d been training in Colorado all summer, and I was in great shape. I was on the team with a bunch of guys from Humboldt State, where I went to college. We were running against an all-star team with six guys who were internationally known. I got the baton behind the guy who held the course record, Skyler Jones. He’s no slouch. He’s a stud.
It was rainy and windy on race day. Before we started, they were trash talking our guys, and I kept overhearing it.
When I got the baton, Jones had a 2-minute lead. But, I was pissed. I took off and started hauling ass. I was running around 4:30, 4:25 per mile on a high altitude, hilly course. After about two miles, my teammates told me, “Chuck, you’re running great. You already made up 45 seconds on him!”
At about eight and a half miles, there’s this long straightaway, and I can see the dude, and he’s wobbling! I ran by him like the proverbial road runner cartoon. I just blew past him. I ran 48 minutes for 10.5 miles at 7,000 feet in rainy and windy and cold weather.
I ran out of my mind that day. It was an intense race!
Doug: Catch us up. How about these days– are you still training and racing?
Chuck: I’m not competing anymore, but I still run six times a week. I don’t go very far anymore, but I go fast. I have a few paths near my home here that I like to run. I don’t run them “all out,” but I do “pick-ups.” It can be any length of time. I like to vary it. I have a nice variety of trails to choose from. I have a hilly route, a flat route, one that goes through a cow pasture – there are a bunch of options.
Sometimes, I like to drag a tire behind me. I put a bike inner tube around my waist and I tie a rope between the tube and the tire. It’s great training!
End note: For this article, Run the Alps also corresponded with Sierre-Zinal founder and longtime Race Director Jean-Claude Pont about Chuck Smead. Pont remembered Smead for his remarkable sportsmanship. Says Pont, “After his victory in 1977, Chuck said to me, ‘If you have the possibility to invite someone, my friend Pablo Vigil is better than I am.’ So that’s what we did—and in 1979, Pablo beat Chuck.”
“Chuck raced Sierre-Zinal five times,” Pont recalled. “Vigil beat him three times. But Chuck always showed a very sportsmanlike attitude toward his friend Pablo.”
Chuck Smead’s Sierre-Zinal Results
1st 1977 (02 :41 :18)
3rd 1978 (02 :43 :32)
4th 1979 (02 :38 :37)
3rd 1980 (02 :40 :17)
2nd 1982 (02 :38 :59)
Read more about Sierre-Zinal
Celebrating 50 Years of Sierre-Zinal: Race Legends Look Back
On Running Sierre-Zinal: An Interview with Zach Friedley
Sierre-Zinal with a Happy Heart: My Perspective as a Mid-pack Runner
Why Sierre-Zinal is the Best Trail Race In the World
Pablo: The Man Behind a Remarkable Sierre-Zinal Record
The Allure of Running Sierre-Zinal
