Conquering Everest
Just eight months after a severe knee injury, Saratoga native Kevin Roohan wins the race, sets the new course record, and finds redemption at one of Colorado’s fastest-growing endurance events.
Nothing motivates Kevin Roohan more than telling him something is impossible.
On September 27, at age 37, he won the demanding Elevation Everest, an event held at Winter Park Resort in Colorado, with an elevation gain similar to climbing Mount Everest.
Now an endurance athlete, Roohan played soccer and lacrosse before graduating from Saratoga Springs High School in 2005. He didn’t discover his passion for extreme rock climbing, ski mountaineering, and marathon racing until he moved west, in his twenties.
“Part of what I love about it is the unexpected challenges and the mystery of not knowing what’s going to happen up there,” said Kevin. “You have to push yourself further than you ever have before.”
Climbing into the Unknown
When Kevin moved out west 17 years ago, he didn’t know much about the sports that now move him to compete. He just wanted to ski.
Skiing led to rock climbing and ski mountaineering. He discovered a knack for running and ultrarunning in his thirties, after sustaining injuries that prevented him from climbing. A decade ago, he moved to Utah and his desire to compete in endurance events grew. He started competing in ultramarathons, ranging from 50 kilometers up to 80 miles.
“I had a good mentality for it. It was an avenue that I could excel at. I have the mental fortitude and mental capacity to compete. I’ve never been the fastest or the strongest, and when I was growing up, I never felt particularly gifted physically. My strength lies more in being able to work through adversity,” he said. “I stay positive, stay focused, and stay with it when others fall apart. I tend to just hang in there. I endure and try hard and am able to withstand. When others give up, I look for a way through.”
Whether skiing a technically challenging alpine descent or scaling a total elevation gain of 30,000+ feet like he did this fall, Kevin enjoys challenges that test the limits of what any human body can endure.
“It’s never too late to find your passion and what you’re good at,” he said.
Hitting the Roadblock that Propelled Him Forward
Last summer, while running along an 80-mile trail at night with nothing but a headlamp to illuminate his path, Kevin began hallucinating, imaging the shadows cast by trees and rocks in the desolate landscape were something (or someone!) they were not.
Nothing has scared him more, however, than tearing his knee’s ACL muscle this winter. While working hard to recover, conversations about professional representation dried up, trips were cancelled, and plans to team up with other athletes disintegrated.
“People were letting me know that I was no longer of interest to them,” said Roohan. “I think that served as the greatest motivation for me in recovery – people thinking I wasn’t capable of doing something.”
Extreme (But Within Reason)
Kevin made it his goal to bounce back quicker than the doctors told him was possible. He hit the gym but needed a goal to aim for. That’s when his friend told him about Elevation Everest, a unique uphill-only challenge held in a controlled resort setting that reduces isolation and the severe risks present in other extreme competitions.
The Full Everest, that Kevn signed up to compete in, consists of a 2.2-mile lap up the mountain, followed by an eight-minute gondola ride down, repeated 19 times. Last year, only one person completed in the 17.5 hours allotted.
“It’s really not for the faint of heart. It’s the real deal,” said the race director when Roohan inquired about signing up.
Race Day Strategy
An hour before the race, Roohan ate a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, banana, and mixed berries. He loaded up on electrolytes and lots of coffee. It was his usual routine, but that day, he was feeling nauseous.
Roohan’s strategy was to win. He picked out the leader among the 385 racers that day (a man roughly a decade younger) and rode his heels up the mountain. His early climbs averaged 32-35 minutes through lap five.
He stood or paced during the gondola ride down to resist his legs freezing up and called down to his partner, Andy, at base camp, to ready supplies; sports gel, drink mix, water, a sunshirt, hat, glasses, etc. as they were needed.
Running the Distance
The chaotic chase continued but this unforgiving pace was unsustainable, and something had to give. Roohan’s legs felt heavy, it was the heat of the day, and he was beginning to question if he could maintain when he overheard the race leader tell reporters that “He felt like dirt.”
The comment blew wind into Roohan’s exhausted sails. “I could taste the blood in the water,” he said. His nausea subsided, the sun slipped behind the clouds, and his legs felt fresh again. Mid-race, he settled into a 37–41-minute lap average.
“I’ve done enough of these to know that the way you feel is always changing and things can change in an instant. I know feelings are not permanent,” he said. “When the adrenaline kicks in, pain is the new normal. I’ve heard people refer to it as existing in the ‘pain cave’. It’s when everything hurts and things feel really grim. What it all boils down to is how you react in these moments. You have to find comfort in the uncomfortable, move well, and think positive. It’s mental gymnastics,” he said.
Roohan pushed the pace, gained the lead, and achieved a commanding 15:27:55 first place finish, setting the new course record by almost two hours.
“There was a flood of relief. I had done it faster than anyone else. It felt like a slice of redemption for me. I feel proud I can still hang. This story isn’t over for me,” he said.
Since Roohan missed most of last season on the slopes, he’s looking forward to strapping on his skis this winter, summitting and skiing some of the hardest peaks in the world while enjoying a newfound appreciation for the sport. Unsure of what his next will be, he will continue building on his fitness across various disciplines and stay ready for the next challenge that comes his way.