Donkey Running
Challenge your mind and body running with donkeys in the Fort Collins, Loveland, CO areas.
Running with Donkeys
Learn skills of patience, attunement and confidence, then let go and have fun! Let the donkeys teach you to let go of expectations, enjoy moving in your body and build self-esteem!
Donkey Running or Pack Burro Racing is a unique endurance sport centered in Colorado and the American Southwest. It is rooted in mining history and is now recognized as Colorado's official summer heritage sport. (Please see https://www.packburroracing.org/ for more information on racing.) Participants lead a donkey with a rope while they are running (or walking) – no riding allowed!
Psychological Challenge
Unlike traditional running, speed is secondary to communication, trust and the relationship with your donkey partner. Donkeys have strong self-preservation instincts so sometimes they might not be as motivated to run and sometimes they will run a lot! The challenge for runners is to work with their donkey building a strong bond to work together in this physical task of running. Runners must accept that sometimes their donkey might not run and learn to let go of their expectations and enjoy the journey including the special bond with their donkey partner!
The Partnership
A human and a donkey (burro) run as a team, working on building trust and confidence. The human learns how to best communicate with their donkey what they are asking (running) and the human learns to respect and honor the donkey by attuning to their needs while motivating them to do more. This relationship is rewarding and provides a feeling of joy and trust! Finishing a run together is always magical, whether you ran the whole time or walked together.
What we can learn
How donkey running supports us with learning about ourselves?
While Pack Burro Racing can be a competitive sport, running and hiking with donkeys is a form of experiential learning:
• Patience: Donkeys move on their own timeline, forcing runners to manage their own expectations and frustration.
• Assertiveness: Handling a 600-900-pound animal at speed requires clear, confident communication and non-verbal cues.
• Safety Instincts: Donkeys often stop at puddles or bridges they deem unsafe; runners learn to respect these instincts and reassess risks together.
How is the Donkey Way Different?
What makes running with The Donkey Way different than just racing with a donkey?
At The Donkey Way, we believe donkey running is NOT about winning the race, and instead about becoming a better human through learning with our donkey partners in this challenging task.
While it might be easy to spook a horse into a trot, it is not that easy to ask a donkey to run. They need trust in us, motivation and willingness. In running with donkeys at The Donkey Way, we focus more on the joy and challenge of running, or walking, with the donkeys. The focus is on letting go of the expectations to be the fastest or the best.
So much in our current world today is about being the “best” which often leads us feeling burned out, disappointed and, deep down, a feeling of incompetence.
So what is the donkey way to running?? It is to be grounded, attuned and connected and most importantly- have fun! Some donkeys like to win, but most donkeys prefer the task at hand when it is fun, enjoyable and less burdened by pressure to perform.
Challenge yourself to be a better human, by partnering with a donkey and practicing this task —The Donkey Way! Enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Slow down and learn to be the best you. And, if you run fast- cool! If you walk- cool! Let the donkeys guide in running and in life!
Ready to Get Started?
A note on availability for runs: We currently have a herd of 6 donkeys. At times all donkeys will be fit for running (or hiking/walking) and sometimes they will not. Runners will get paired with the donkey that best matches their running ability and handling ability. We can NEVER guarantee that you will run with your donkey at any given time. Donkeys are available in a first come, first serve bases. If all donkeys are reserved for a specific run, you can be an alternate in case someone cancels.