Why isn't Larmie a big distance running hub like Flagstaff?

Flag is full of L.A. kids that's why.

Cold, wind.

Might wanna refresh your search--that's a calm summer day, and it's LarAmie, Jezuz.

Have you ever been to Laramie?

Most happening place in town is the truck stop out by the freeway. Good people and good school. Flagstaff is isolated but not like Laramie.

Weather aside... I think it mostly has to due with lack of running routes. In Wyoming most land is privately owned and no accessible to the public. Arizona has mostly State owned land and therefore there is more access to gravel roads in the forest. The cost-benefit of Laramie vs Flagstaff comes down to the intent of the training block, if you are looking to just spend time at elevation and get benefit Laramie is the much cheaper and more affordable option. Flagstaff, in my experience will not only provide benefits of altitude, but also can help with increases in training volume due to the ease of getting lost in runs there. Both are great option just depends on the purpose of the athlete's trip.

As others have pointed out it isn't the weather or even temps really, it is the wind. They are cold and sustainable. I had a friend that lived in Cheyenne and while it was great in the summer and fall those winter winds were rough.

Now, for a summer camp that is way more affordable than Flag or Denver sure, that would work. The summer winds aren't as brutal.

Wind. Lots and lots of wind. They have a good coach up there right now. Develop kids. But wind.

Flag can get windy but they have the forest roads to escape to. Wyoming is usually treeless until you get to the mountains.

Today: High: -2, low -22

Tomorrow: High: -7, low -13

Friday: High: -8, low: -16

Saturday: High -14, low: -16

I grew up in Colorado and not all that far from Laramie.

An important difference is that Flagstaff itself is surrounded by Forest Service lands, and that the city has invested in creating paths and routes within the city. Albany County, WY is mostly private, but there are large sections of state land just to the west of the city and there is a nice section of US Forest Service land just 10 minutes up the highway. So there is access, maybe not quite as available as Flagstaff (which puts Boulder to shame).

Mostly though, it's the weather.

Hour to Fort Collins, 2 hours to Denver.

It is not “incredibly remote and cut off” lmao.

Once could argue it’s pretty much part of the front range sprawl these days.

People who have never been to Flagstaff seem to think it's bigger than it actually is. Not saying Laramie is a place I'd want to live, but I don't think the disparity is as extreme as some are making it out to be.

Biggest issue with Laramie besides the wind and cold is the lack of accessible train-low options. Actual, evidence-based altitude training requires that you live at 7k (Boulder is absolutely not high enough to get any appreciable benefit) and to get low at least 2x/week for workouts. You will not get faster otherwise, and you may well get slower. From Laramie, you're driving around 3 hours east to get down to a workout altitude.

Greeley, elev. 4675 and you can drive there in about 1:45 if the weather and traffic are decent.

From Downtown I can do a 20+ mile on gravel roads or trails. Right from downtown.

there is a bit more private land here yes but plenty of soft surface running right in town.

20-30 minute drive and there are exponentially more options. There is even a 21 mile rail trail at 9000’ through the woods (yes trees) 30 minutes away.

Greeley?! That entire town smells like cow poop. It’s so bad people can smell it from Denver and Boulder. Not a good place to be doing workouts.

There was a sign on gameday for CSU vs CU that said "fort Collins smells like Greeley"

Also is the extra 400 feet that much better? Fort Collins is at around 5000, lower than Boulder and 40 mins closer to Laramie.

Sedona is closer to Flagstaff than either of those to Laramie and only 4300, though.

Someone always trying to one-up you on this site, and you must be a Boulder transplant. I grew up in Fort Collins, raced in Greeley a few times and it wasn't bad on those days. The smell from the meat plants and livestock yards is hit and miss largely depending on weather and wind patterns. Fort Collins would probably be fine, and just provides an example of the relative proximity of under 5000 feet elevation.

No one is going to compare Greeley with Sedona! Flagstaff wins! Across the board (for runners) Flagstaff is better than anything Colorado has to offer. But was just pointing out to 800 man that there are lower elevations accessible that are much less than 3 hours away.

I actually live in the PNW- I just visit CO a lot.
I thought the sign was funny, but I'd root for the Rams over the Buffs. I've enjoyed my runs in Fort Collins and figured it would be better than Greeley. But we are trying to figure out why Flagstaff is a running mecca and Laramie is not. I appreciate that you argue that Flag is better for runners.

I still think it has more to do with the weather than anything else. CO has a lot of good trails and such.

Gonna be high of 3 in Laramie Sunday. That's brutal!

Update- I see you also mentioned the weather in another post, my bad.

What's the point of posting that sort of answer? You may be correct but it's pretty likely that someone asking the OP's kind of question has not been to both places. It's pretty safe to say that most people have not been to either Flagstaff or Laramie.