Search for runner Micah True is over; body found in wilderness

The body of renowned long-distance runner Micah True has been found in the Gila Wilderness area of New Mexico, state police reported Saturday.

True hadn’t been seen since Tuesday, when he set out for a run from the Wilderness Lodge and Hot Springs. Unsure of which trail True had planned to take, only that he was planning what would have been, to him, a fairly routine excursion near Gila Hot Springs, searchers combed the local wilderness areas.

On Saturday, they intensified their efforts, using teams on horseback and ATVs, as well as K-9 units, to search for the 58-year-old.

“We’ve got a lot of people out there, but there’s just no luck,” New Mexico State Police Lt. Robert McDonald told The Times earlier in the day. “The hardest part is they really don’t have a starting point to begin with.”

Saturday evening, the state Department of Public Safety announced that True’s body had been found in a remote area. No other details were released, and the cause of death was still unknown.

Recent daytime temperatures in the area have been mild, but nighttime temperatures have fallen into the mid-20s, the Associated Press reported. When he left for his run, True was wearing shorts and a T-shirt and carrying only a water bottle.

True, race director of the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon in Mexico, was the central character -- known as “Caballo Blanco” -- of Christopher McDougall’s nonfiction best-seller “Born to Run.”

The day before his disappearance, he tweeted a blog post about the marathon: “We are [messengers] fueled by the message. When the message we carry is of Truth/Beauty, love, hope, and peace... ”

In its brief statement sent to reporters announcing the discovery of the body, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety concluded: “The New Mexico State Police would like to thank all the Search and Rescue Volunteer Teams who participated in this search for their continued support. Your continued dedication and sacrifice is the reason Search and Rescue missions in New Mexico are possible and so successful.”

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