Up for Air Series Cancels All 2021 US-Based Events
Up For Air Series founder Jared Campbell took to Instagram yesterday to announce that all US-based Up For Air events will be cancelled in 2021. In the heartfelt video he says the team has been working “tirelessly” to adjust the races for safety, but that the event “was changing so much that we lost the essence of what Up For Air is all about.”
The Up For Air Series is a collection of mountain endurance runs and climbs created to raise money and awareness for improved air quality. The race was founded by Jared Campbell, best known for finishing The Barkley Marathons three times. The 100-mile race has only been completed 18 times since 1986.
What started as an informal challenge amongst friends to climb Grandeur Peak in Utah, the Up For Air Series has become an annual series of seven endurance events, including:
five mountain endurance races on five peaks:
Grandeur
Malans
Squaw
Staunton
Sentinel
and two climbing challenges, one in Salt Lake City and another in Ogden.
All money raised through event participation is donated to a local action group vetted for their air quality improvement strategies. Up For Air Series non-profit beneficiaries include:
The cancellation announcement post on @upforairseries mentions there will still be opportunities to fundraise for better air in 2021. The post states: “keeping the spirit alive in the absence of formal events, @patagonia commits up to a $10K athlete fund-raising match for applicable non-profits. More details coming soon.”
