A Refreshing Oasis for Runners with Great Events & Temperatures from May – October
GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO (May 11, 2007) — The trails that have made Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado, world renowned for mountain bikers also are a haven for runners. From mid-May, when snows gradually begins receding to reveal a carpet of wildflowers, to early October, when the aspen have concluded their stunning fall show, trails in the area always astound with their beauty.
One of the benefits of trail running in the Gunnison Valley is that runners are allowed to venture into wilderness territory where bikes and motor vehicles are not permitted. “Trailing running gives athletes an opportunity to get into the back country. You can cover a lot of distance in a short time and enjoy spectacular scenery and a great number of trails. Trail running in the Gunnison Valley is excellent altitude training … almost too good!” says Martin Catmur, organizer of the Crested Butte Mountain Runners and owner of Cristiana Guesthaus Bed and Breakfast in Crested Butte.
This may be why many runners who train at the high altitudes of Crested Butte, Gunnison and the surrounding valley have a strong presence in high-profile endurance races in Colorado and beyond. While Gunnison-Crested Butte athletes tend to take their sports seriously, there also is a sense of camaraderie in welcoming all levels of participants for 24 running events and a desire to keep it fun.
2007 RUNNING EVENTS
Crested Butte Mountain Runners Fun Runs, Gunnison County, May – Sept.
Almont Triangle Fun Run, Almont, May 19
Race a Raft (5.5 miles) during Gunnison River Festival, Gunnison, May 26
Snodgrass Trail Fun Run, Mt. Crested Butte, June 6
Cart to Cart Fun Run, Crested Butte, June 10
Rocky Mountain High-Altitude Cross Country Running Camp, Crested Butte, June 20-25
Walrod Gulch Twilight Fun Run, Crested Butte, June 22
Gothic to Mt. Crested Butte Fun Run, Gothic, June 28
Rocky Mountain High-Altitude Cross Country Running Camp, Crested Butte, June 28-July 2
Gothic to Crested Butte Run, Walk or Crawl 1/3 Marathon, Gothic/Crested Butte, July 4
Rocky Mountain High-Altitude Cross Country Running Camp, Crested Butte, July 6 – 11
Mount Baldy Loop Fun Run, Gothic Area, July 8
Snodgrass Mountain Loop, Mt. Crested Butte, July 14
Rocky Mountain High-Altitude Cross Country Running Camp, Crested Butte, July 14 – 19
Mt. Crested Butte Hill Climb & Descent Fun Run, Mt. Crested Butte, July 18
“Grin & Bear It” Green Lake Fun Run, Crested Butte, July 28
5th Annual Crested Butte Bank Xterra Triathlon, Crested Butte, July 29
Trail 401 Fun Run, Gothic, August 5
Lower Loop Fun Run, Crested Butte, August 10
Signal Peak Fun Run, Gunnison, August 26
MountainAir Marathon, 10-mile, 5 K, Cr.Butte/Gunnison, September 16
Woods Walk Trail Fun Run, Crested Butte, September 26
Run for Rehab (1K Tootsie Roll for Kids, 5K, 10K), Gunnison, September 29
Crested Butte Mountain Runners Fun Run Series, May – September
Crested Butte Mountain Runners has organized 13 morning and evening fun runs from May through September that are open to any level of runner. Participants range from those setting 5K goals to ultra marathon runners. These are fun runs, not competitive races, and feature refreshments and socializing after each event. Most of the runs have distances for walkers and less serious runners.
One of the local favorites is the “Grin and Bear It” fun run that happens on July 28 and traverses a 9-mile course from Crested Butte to Green Lake and back, gaining approximately 1,500 feet in elevation. Another favorite is the “Cart to Cart” run on June 10 that goes from Crested Butte to Crested Butte South, covering 15 miles mostly on trails. Refreshments are served and social gatherings take place after several of the fun runs.
MAY 19, 9:30 a.m., ALMONT TRIANGLE
JUNE 6, 6:00 p.m., SNODGRASS TRAIL
JUNE 10, 8:00 a.m., CAMP 4 COFFEE, CART TO CART TRAIL RACE
JUNE 22, 8:00 p.m., WALROD GULCH TWILIGHT
JUNE 28, 6:00 p.m., GOTHIC TO MT. CRESTED BUTTE
JULY 8, 8:30 a.m., MOUNT BALDY LOOP
JULY 14, 9:00 a.m., SNODGRASS MOUNTAIN LOOP
JULY 18, 6:00 p.m., MT. CRESTED BUTTE HILL CLIMB (AND DESCENT)
JULY 28, 9:00 a.m., “GRIN AND BEAR IT” GREEN LAKE FUN RUN
AUGUST 5, 8:30 a.m., TRAIL 401
AUGUST 10, 6:00 p.m., LOWER LOOP
AUGUST 26, 9:30 a.m., SIGNAL PEAK
SEPT. 26, 6:00 p.m., WOODS WALK TRAIL
A $20 annual membership in the Crested Butte Mountain Runners includes entry into all runs, with a few exceptions such as “Grin and Bear It.” Non-members pay $5 per fun run. For details about all the 2007 fun runs, including meeting points and carpooling, visit www.cbmountainrunners.org in the near future. For questions call Martin Catmur at (970) 349-5326 .
Gunnison River Festival – Race a Raft, May 26
Gunnison River Festival highlights a wide range of outdoor recreation available in the Gunnison Valley. Held in Gunnison over Memorial Day weekend, the May 26 festival features many activities for all ages, including the new “Race a Raft” running event that covers 5.5 miles.
Runners will start at the drop-in point for the Community Raft Race across from Garlic Mike’s on Highway 135 and end at Gunnison Whitewater Park. The goal is to beat the rafts to the park. For more information, call (970) 943-7131 or visit www.gunnisonriverfestival.com.
Rocky Mountain High-Altitude Cross Country Camps, June 20- 25, June 28-July 2, July 6-11, July 14-19
Stunning vistas combine with hundreds of wagon roads and single track trails to provide a truly elite training environment for Rocky Mountain High-Altitude Cross Country Camps, organized by Crested Butte Academy in June and July. The June 28 – July 2 camp is affiliated with Nike.
American distance athletes are born at this camp, working out at 8,800 – 14,000 feet. Participants stay at Crested Butte Academy and train with two top-level coaches.
– Jeff Arbogast, head track and field/cross country coach at Bingham High School in South Jordan, Utah, is one of only two coaches in U.S. history to win both girls’ and boys’ national cross country championships and one of four U.S. coaches to reach USATF Level III Endurance certification. His cross country teams have enjoyed three decades in the national rankings.
– Trent L. Sanderson, director of the Elite High School High Altitude Running Program at Crested Butte Academy, is a former Division I head coach and founder of Team Elite USA.
Since the camp was introduced two years ago, alumni have gone on to achieve many impressive accomplishments: 5 Footlocker finalists, 18 individual state champions, 6 state championship teams, 12 Nike Team National cross country members, and 1 Junior World Cross Country qualifier.
Throughout the week, campers work closely with the coaches on subjects such as training periodization, injury prevention, psychology, motivation, nutrition, hydration, strength and shoe dynamics. They learn the importance of using specific workouts within a timeline and receive a personalized biomechanical evaluation of their running form to take home. There will be an informal dance, motivational movies, scavenger hunt, capture the flag with industrial squirt guns, fox and the hound runs with saw dust and more.
Top Division I athletes will make appearances, and advanced placement classes are available for experienced runners. Register early as camps, limited to 45 campers, were sold out in 2006 and had more than 18 states represented. The cost is $500, except for the Nike camp on June 28 – July 2 that costs $570. For more information and a registration form, call Trent Sanderson at (970) 349-1805 , ext. 114 or visit www.crestedbutteacademy.org.
38th Annual Gothic to Crested Butte Run, Walk or Crawl 1/3 Marathon, July 4
This longtime Independence Day favorite, organized by Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) begins at 8 a.m. in Gothic. The racecourse winds through aspen woods and meadows to Mt. Crested Butte, travels past the ski resort, and ends on Elk Avenue in downtown Crested Butte. Shuttle buses from Crested Butte will transport all participants to the starting line in Gothic.
Pre-registration will be available online at www.rmbl.org. On the day of event, registrations will be accepted from 6 to 7 a.m. at the Visitor Center in Crested Butte only if the cap of 500 runners has not been met. Registration costs will be announced in the near future.
The race is a fundraiser for the nonprofit RMBL. For more information, contact RMBL at (970) 349-7231 or visit www.rmbl.org.
5th Annual Crested Butte Bank Xterra, Crested Butte, July 29
The 5th Annual Crested Butte Bank Xterra (previously known as the Crested Butte Bank Trails Triathlon) is a triathlon for individuals and teams that consists of a 1K swim, 24K mountain bike ride and 9K trail run. Music, food and enthusiastic spectators lend a festive atmosphere to the triathlon, which begins at 9 a.m.
There will be a pro category and a challenged athlete division in addition to several age groups for men and women: 15-19, 20- 24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60+. The top three finishers in each age group will receive a custom event medal, and several prizes will be awarded. Those who compete are also eligible for several raffle giveaways. In 2006, pros competed for a $2,500 cash purse.
The triathlon course is set in and around Skyland, a residential community south of Crested Butte. Swimming takes place at Skyland’s Grant Lake, while mountain biking is a mix of the area’s most popular single track (Upper Loop, Upper- Upper Loop and Strand Hill). In the last leg of the race, competitors begin by running the Upper Loop, then descend Whetstone Vista and return back to Grant Lake to cross the finish line.
All proceeds from the Crested Butte Bank Trails Triathlon go to local causes, including the Crested Butte Land Trust for the protection of open space. For more information, contact Crested Butte Bank at (970) 349-0170 , visit the event website at www.westelktri.com, or email [email protected].
Crested Butte to Gunnison MountainAir Marathon, 10-Mile & 5K, September 16
The third annual Crested Butte to Gunnison MountainAir Marathon features a downhill course complemented by amazing fall colors and majestic mountain scenery. The marathon begins in Crested Butte at 7 a.m. and winds through 26.2 miles of the picturesque Gunnison Valley before ending at Western State College’s Mountaineer Bowl in Gunnison. The route is certified by United States Track and Field.
In addition to the marathon, a 10-mile run from Almont to Gunnison starts at 8:30 a.m., and a 5K trail run will be offered at 9 a.m. There also will be several pre- and post- race activities for runners and their families and friends. RE/MAX Community Brokers and Colorado Fitness are the title sponsors of MountainAir. Proceeds from the race will help Western State College maintain and enhance its track facilities.
Online registration will be available on www.active.com. The registration deadline is Sept. 1, with costs of $50 for the marathon, $35 for the 10-mile run, and $25 for the 5K trail run. For more information, contact Colorado Fitness in Gunnison at (970) 641-3375 or visit www.mountainairmarathon.com.
The marathon is part of September Splendor in the Rockies, a month full of weekend activities in Gunnison County. Visit www.septembersplendor.com for more information.
13th Annual Run for Rehab, September 29
Run for Rehab, Sept. 29, is a 5K and 10K run, walk or stroll in Gunnison that promotes health and wellness. All proceeds will be used to purchase equipment for the Gunnison Valley Hospital Rehabilitation Department and their patients at the hospital location in Gunnison and the Crested Butte physical rehabilitation location in the Ore Bucket Building. Examples of items to be purchased include wheelchairs, biofeedback equipment, wall weights and an up-and-down treatment table.
This year marks the fifth annual 1K Tootsie Roll for kids, ages 2 – 10. Boys and girls run, walk or stroll with their parents down a balloon-lined straightaway and receive a ribbon and oversized Tootsie Roll at the end.
Run for Rehab begins at 9 a.m. and has entry fee of $20 for early registration and $25 for late registration. Cost for Tootsie Roll registration is $5. For more information, Daniel Marshall at Gunnison Valley Hospital, (970) 641-7297 .
Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte’s calendar of events or to book personalized vacation packages, visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com. During summer and fall, air access to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is provided by United Airlines.
About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado. Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing. Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities. In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding. Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options — from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full- service resort hotels.
Recognized as the “Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado” by the Colorado Legislature, Crested Butte is the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Crested Butte Academy, a private college preparatory boarding and day school with special emphasis on world-class alpine, snowboarding and high altitude distance running programs. Gunnison, a real western town, is home to the beautiful, high-country campus of Western State College, a four-year institution offering 22 majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields, and the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities.
In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado’s largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country’s newest national parks. Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.