ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Up mountainsides, through deserts and the wildest of rugged terrain, there was little that could break the serenity or solitude of Micah True as he ran. Only, perhaps, the beat of his heart or the rhythm of his feet as they hit the trail, mile after mile after mile.

For True, running – the pure act of traveling relentlessly long distances – was a passion that needed no justification. To those who knew him well, it also brought forth an intense playfulness in the ultra-marathon runner and trail guide for hire.

Additional Photos

Micah True, third from left, is shown in a 2010 photo with, from left, Lance Muzslay, Maria Walton and Karen Pitre Seymour in Tempe, Ariz. The body of the 58-year-old True, a renowned long-distance runner, was found Saturday in New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness. The cause of death wasn’t known. There were no obvious signs of trauma. Sole Sports Running Zone/The Associated Press

“When he was out on the trail running, it was like someone just rang the school bell and said, ‘Recess.’ It was utter playfulness,” recalled Chris McDougall, a friend of True’s and author of the nonfiction best-seller “Born to Run.”

True’s body was discovered Saturday evening in southern New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness. The search for him began days earlier after he failed to return Tuesday from a 12-mile run.

True, 58, was found near a cold stream, his legs still in the water and his water bottle next to him, about a mile southeast of the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

The cause of death wasn’t known Sunday. There were no obvious signs of trauma, and State Police Lt. Robert McDonald said it could take a couple of days before authorities know what happened.

But word of his death spread immediately through the community of runners, both amateur and accomplished.

Friends and admirers posted condolences and shared memories on social networking sites.

Barry Anderson, a manager at Runner’s Den in Phoenix, said the sport would miss True.

“He was both an international running celebrity, and the first person to smile and shake your hand when you crossed the finish line behind him,” Anderson wrote in a posting on Runner’s Den Facebook page. “The fact that so many people from all over the country dropped everything and immediately went to his aid is testimony to the way he lived his life and the way he himself treated his friends.”

True was the race director of The Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, a 50-plus mile extreme race in Urique, Mexico. This year’s race marked a record turnout with hundreds of runners, most of them local Tarahumara Indians, who are known for their extreme running. The prize money and corn vouchers awarded to finishers were aimed at helping the Tarahumara.

Without True, McDougall said, he’s not sure whether the Copper Canyon race will be able to continue. The Tarahumara are extraordinarily reclusive, and True was able to build a relationship with them based on trust and confidence, he said.

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