Due to the ongoing Silver King and Little Twist wildfires in the Piute County area of south-central Utah, Life Time’s Crusher in the Tushar gravel race—set to happen July 13—has been canceled. This would have been the third in the Life Time Grand Prix series, now reduced from seven races to six.
Previously, athletes in the Life Time Grand Prix could choose their top five races and drop two. Now, racers will choose their best four performances out of six, still dropping their two weakest event results.
The race released the following statement on Monday:
We have made this difficult decision after:
- Evaluating and consulting with a number of local resources
- With respect for the local emergency services teams working hard to protect their communities
- With respect to the risk of extremely poor air quality. The safety of our athletes, volunteers, partners, and community, as well as the proper use of emergency services, are our top priorities.
More than half of the Crusher in the Tushar course passes through land within the fire zone. Over the weekend, athletes, both pro and amateur, started making comments on social media with concerns over the extreme air quality in the area. The race announced that it would monitor the situation, and then on Sunday night, the fires doubled in size, reaching 11,000 acres.
Although the decision was the right one, it certainly comes with disappointment, especially for those traveling great distances. Payson McElveen, who is currently in second place in the men’s Grand Prix, posted to social media, “Definitely easy to feel bummed after quite a few hours spent on preparation. I’ve been feeling quite good the last couple of weeks, was looking forward to the challenge, and optimistic about continuing momentum in the GP points battle— but my mind has quickly switched to sadness about those beautiful mountains of the Fish Lake National Forest.
“This fire looks like a real beast, and I’m sending my best to the communities in that area and the teams fighting to get things contained. I’m also thinking about some of my peers who traveled from as far as Africa and Australia for this race. Time to process a bit and then refocus on the next one in Leadville!”
Haley Smith, who is currently leading the women’s Grand Prix, posted on the race’s announcement of cancellation, “Thank you for making this tough call! I really think it’s the only right one.”
For those registered for the event who are not in the Life Time Grand Prix, the race is offering three choices: a 40-percent refund of entry fees, complementary deferred registration for next year’s race at no additional cost, or donate the entry fee entirely to the Beaver County Search and Rescue, helping them continue their crucial volunteer work during these emergencies.
Those who opt to donate their fee to SAR will also receive a guaranteed, non-complimentary entry to the 2025 Crusher in the Tushar.
