ULTRA-MARATHON runner Micah True, missing for four days in the rugged wilderness of New Mexico, was found dead on Saturday, police said.

Nicknamed "Caballo Blanco," or White Horse, True became a celebrity after he was featured in the best-selling book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

The body was discovered in a remote area of the Gila Wilderness, state police spokesman Lt. Robert McDonald said.

The cause of death was still unknown, but there were no signs of trauma, incident commander Tom Bemis said.

"It's too early to say, there was nothing obvious," he told the Boulder Daily Camera.

True, 58, whose extreme-distance running prowess is detailed in the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, set out on what -- for him -- would have been a routine 20km run on Tuesday from The Wilderness Lodge and Hot Springs, where he was staying. He left his dog at the lodge and never returned. A search began the next day after.

Lodge co-owner Dean Bruemmer, who helped with the search, said he last saw his friend at breakfast. He said True gave no indication of a specific route, which made the search more difficult.

"There are a lot of trailheads up the road," said Bruemmer, whose lodge is about 6km from the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

Though daytime temperatures in southwest New Mexico have been mild of late, nights are chilly. True left for his run wearing only shorts and a T-shirt and carrying a water bottle.

Fourteen search teams that were scouring the area yesterday were supplemented with additional volunteer teams from across the state on Saturday morning, McDonald said. Teams were hiking and on horseback and trail bikes. They also used dogs and employed a helicopter and plane in the search.

True, who had been friends with Bruemmer and his wife, Jane, for 10 years, would often visit their lodge while travelling between Mexico and his Boulder, Colorodo, home. As a result, Bruemmer said, True certainly knew the trail system well -- which made his disappearance all the more mystifying to everyone.

Michael Sandrock, a columnist who writes about running for The Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, knew True for at least 20 years and had run with him. He called True a pioneer of the sport of ultrarunning, which involves running extreme distances, often on gruelling terrain and many kilometres longer than a traditional 42km marathon.

True, he said, had a rebellious spirit but never sought to draw attention to himself even as he became legendary for his talents, which included "just going up and running for hours and hours at a time."

"He's just authentic and genuine. ... Micah is a guy who follows his bliss," Sandrock said.

True was the race director of The Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, an 80km extreme race that took place in Urique, Mexico, on March 4.

He was featured in articles in running magazines and was a central character -- known by his nickname, "Caballo Blanco" -- in Christopher McDougall's nonfiction best-seller Born to Run.


"He's such an integral part of the fabric of the ultra community," Sandrock said. "He's one of the stars .... the Caballo Blanco, he's a legend."
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