A veteran runner and ultra-marathoner, Middle School Co-Director Seamus Hodgkinson is familiar with challenge. But Spring Break saw Mr. H undertake something profound and celebrate his birthday in a memorable manner: A rim to rim run of The Grand Canyon. 

Who better to describe the experience than Mr. H himself:

It was a perfect day weather wise – dry, sunny and seventies. I left Bright Angel Trail head at 3:30 a.m. with headlight critical on the intense drop offs. I  didn’t do a ton of running but moved my legs pretty fast and took very few long breaks. I was at Phantom Ranch at the river,  by 6:15 a.m. and then 13 miles up N. Kaibab trail to the N. Rim by noon. After that it was a real slog, especially the return stretch through the tightly walled side canyon called “The Box”, before Phantom, and the long dark miles after Indian Garden on the climb out. The last four were total survival mode, although a full moon created some awesome images in the total silence.  I surfaced about 9:30 p.m.  Water was never an issue, but the right food was my challenge and nothing really appealed – pb+j, protein bars, trail mix, cheese snacks, Gatorade gels – all fell short, and I  probably ended up not eating enough.  Three Advil to start the day and three half way, may have proved a good call, but that was a risk since I don’t normally medicate. Forty-seven miles, and 18 hours was a perfect way to celebrate my birthday. 
I’m writing a more detailed account which I can forward eventually. Bottom line – awesome, awesome, awesome, place!  5 climate zones and biomes, and 2 billion years of earth history.