Running isn’t going to kill you. It may cause severe pain, extreme exhaustion, and emotional distress, but it won’t kill you.

At least, that is what members of the Grantsville cross country team kept telling themselves as they made their annual run up Deseret Peak early Saturday morning.

Starting just after 6 a.m., members of the team, previous graduates, and coach Steve Allen began running up the steep, four-mile trail. A few started even earlier and hiked the trail instead. Each person was responsible for carrying their own food and water up the trail and some even packed stereos to make the run a little more enjoyable. 

Freshman Jacob Moreno was the first runner to the top, making the climb in just over an hour with the last team member coming in at just under two hours. 

Despite the difficult climb, the group enjoyed eating, laughing, and shivering on the cold mountain top while enjoying the breathtaking view.

“I would run the peak a thousand more times just for the view,” runner Nolan Blackhurst said. 

But other members had different inspiration to get to the top. “The Deseret Peak challenge is awesome. The babes inspired me to run faster,” Andrew Beckett said.

“It’s super hard, but worth it in the end,” Hillary Whiting said of the run. 

Injuries, illnesses, and falling were all part of the experience as well. Many members of the team ran the mountain already injured, while countless others fell while running up and down the trail. At the bottom, many team members were comparing cuts, bruises, and swelling, all competing for the worst “battle wound.” But each of the runner’s sympathy and gratitude went out to their coach, who despite being sick, made the difficult run with them. 

If asked, members of the team couldn’t tell you why they make the strenuous run year after year.

“Running is just something that we have to do. It is experiences like these that cause us to look deep within ourselves to find something greater,” one runner said.

The Deseret Peak Challenge was not for the faint hearted. It took great physical strength and even more mental effort for each member to get to the top. 

But despite all the pain, dirt, and blood, runner David Arthur explained why the runners kept going: “The thing about The Peak is just pushing yourself to the point where your legs are burning and you’re running slower than a jog, and then looking up and knowing you’ve got to go just a little longer.”