About the Crib at Mammoth Lakes

Training at elevation has been shown to improve athletic endurance translating to increased performance in any number of sports.

A home away from home for elite athletes training in Mammoth Lakes, California, and a training resource for those visiting the area, the Crib is a rallying point for the Mammoth Lakes’ community of endurance athletes.

Mammoth Lakes Offers A World Of Athletic Opportunity

Just south of the East Gate to Yosemite National Park, and home to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, the town of Mammoth Lakes sits at an elevation of 7,880 ft. (2,400 M). For more than a decade this small, mountain community has produced some of the most successful endurance athletes in the world. While there might just be something in the water, there are a few other factors as well. Find out more below.

Elevation / Altitude

Since 1968, 95 percent of all medalists in distance running events at world championships and Olympic Games have either lived or trained at altitude. But the benefits aren’t limited to runners; training at elevation has been shown to improve athletic endurance translating to increased performance in any number of sports.

Terrain

Surrounded by the Ansel Adams and John Muir wilderness areas, Mammoth Lakes’ jaw-dropping scenery can be a welcome distraction on a run, bike or swim. The trails, roads and even Mammoth Mountain itself, offer challenges for for every fitness level.

Resources

When it comes to endurance training locales, there are mountain towns and then there’s Mammoth Lakes. Offering a world-class track, endless roads both paved and dirt, high alpine lakes, training facilities and groups, and the support of an athletic community make Mammoth Lakes the place to train.

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Endurance Sports History And Culture

Some would say endurance sports in Mammoth Lakes began with Dave McCoy and that first rope tow on Mammoth Mountain. Today, some of America’s most decorated endurance runners, Olympians and American record holders share the Mammoth Lakes bond. Athletes such as Deena Kastor, Meb Keflezighi and Josh Cox have all spent significant time training in Mammoth Lakes. Drawn in by the beauty of the Eastern Sierra, some of these professional athletes now even call Mammoth Lakes home.

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