Body of Boulder ultrarunner Micah True found in New Mexico

Micah True (COURTESY PHOTO)

Famed Boulder ultrarunner Micah True, the "Caballo Blanco" whose exploits were chronicled in the 2009 best-seller "Born to Run," was found dead in New Mexico Saturday night after a four day search, according to officials.

True, who is 58, according to Boulder County voter records, was last seen at the Gila Wilderness Lodge in Gila, N.M., on Tuesday morning when he went out for a run, officials say. The owners of the lodge reported him missing when he didn't return Wednesday morning, and the search began that day.

True's body was found at around 6 p.m. Saturday by searchers near Woody's Corral, just one mile southeast of the Gila Cliff Dwellings, according to Incident Commander Tom Bemis.

Bemis said that one of True's

Fourteen search and rescue teams, including three dog teams, five horse teams, a National Guard helicopter and a Civil Air Patrol fixed-wing aircraft scoured the wilderness surrounding the Gila Cliff Dwellings on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in search of True, who was reported as missing after not returning from a run in the Gila on Tuesday morning. (Courtesy photos by New Mexico Search and Rescue)

friends found his body and that the cause of death is unknown at this point. There were no obvious signs of trauma.

"It's too early to say, there was nothing obvious," he said.

Bemis said that at 7:40 p.m. the medical examiner was on his way to examine the body. He said that True's body will probably be removed by horseback or litter team tonight, though he said because of the terrain it most likely the body won't make it out of the area until Sunday..

Nine search and rescue teams took part in Saturday's operation, as well as a N.M. State Police helicopter and a Civil Air Patrol fixed-wing aircraft, according to Bemis.

Though daytime temperatures in southwest New Mexico have been mild, temperatures have dipped into the mid-20s on recent nights. Jane and Dean Bruemmer, co-owners of the Gila Wilderness Lodge, said True had a water bottle and was wearing shorts, a T-shirt and running shoes when he left.

Michael Sandrock, who writes a running column for the Daily Camera, said he was shocked and saddened by the news.

"Rationally it's understandable, because when you go off into the wilderness things happen," he said. "But on a gut level I'm surprised. We all thought Micah was indestructible.

Search and rescue team members prepare to search Friday for Micah True, the 58-year-old runner who was reported as missing in the Gila Wilderness on Wednesday. The search will continue today. (Courtesy Photo by New Mexico Search and Rescue)

That he would always be running. Caballo Blanco, running shirtless through the desert."

True was made famous by Chris McDougall's best-selling book "Born to Run." The book, released in 2009, chronicles True's time in Mexico's Copper Canyon with the Tarahumara Indians, an isolated tribe known for long, grueling runs.

True was also the race director of the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, a 50-plus-mile extreme race that took place in Urique, Mexico, on March 4.

Sandrock said True was a pillar of the running community because he stayed true to who he was and made running the center of his life.

"He just represented someone who made running the center of his life," Sandrock said. "He didn't make a lot of money doing it, but he made his life about running, so he was the forerunner for us all."

"Micah lived doing what he loved. That's what we can learn from him. How many people can say that?"

The Associated Press and the Silver City Sun-News contributed to this report.

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