Al Waquie is known as “King of the Mountains,” one of the best of America’s high-country runners. His Indigenous name is Sho-Nee-Toe, the name of his father’s favorite hunting ground. Al ran as a way of gaining harmony with the land and environment, an ideal that is the spiritual foundation of his tribe’s culture. Al is quoted saying, “My grandfather always told me, ‘Whenever there is a big crowd, just stay away. Be on your own.’" He nearly always ran alone, often heading into the mountains and not emerging for five days. Al lives at 6,000ft elevation and would regularly run at Redondo Peak which sits at over 11,000ft elevation.

In 1971 Al was a Cross Country All American at Haskell Jr. College. He was an eight time winner and record holder of the La Luz Trail Run at Sandia Peak near Albuqerque, NM. The grueling La Luz Trail Run is a nine-mile climb up a 12% grade to the top of 10,678-foot Sandia Crest.

He was the five time winner of the Empire State Building Run. He negotiated the 86-story, 1,050-foot climb by taking the 1,575 steps two at a time until he reached the finish line on the observation deck and beating his opponents to the top by 26 seconds. Al dominated the 80’s and is currently tied for the second-most men’s victories, winning 5 consecutive times between 1983 and 1987.

Al was a two-time winner of Pikes Peak Marathon and record holder; his record is at 3:26:17, a numbing 28-mile trek to the summit of the 14,110-foot mountain and then back down.

Other accomplishments was being named the AAU Athlete of Month – August, 1978 and received the Sports Illustrated Merit Award – 1980 and Popay Tricentennial Award – 1980. He was inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame. He was also featured article in Sports Illustrated and the Los Angeles Times along with numerous other publications.

Each time Waquie won a race or conquered the skyscraper, it has been a reaffirmation that, for him, the Indian way is better than modern life. “Running is a religion with my people. It is part of our century-old spiritual ceremonial. It is part of my soul, my reason for being,” Al said in a previous interview.