Colorado Runner

The Vail Recreation District’s 2013 La Sportiva Vail Mountain Trail Running Series, presented by Columbia kicked off with the Boneyard Boogie 10K. The trail run, which was sponsored by the Dusty Boot, began behind Eagle Valley Middle School at the Bureau of Land Management trailhead, located in the Bluffs neighborhood in Eagle. The trail includeed a switchback singletrack through the wooded BLM area emerging from the trees and into rolling sagebrush fields. Runners encountered some trail splits along the way, plus several short bursting climbs. Once at the top of the climb, the singletrack trail descended to the Eagle Pool and [...]

The 2013 Titan Trot 5K took place on May 4th at Veteran’s Park in Silt, CO. This race was a fundraiser for the Coal Ridge High School Booster Club.

Last year, Trevor Barron broke the U.S. record for racewalking 20 kilometers and was the lone American to compete in that event at the London Olympics. Sunday he gave running a try. On a cool morning with nearly perfect running conditions that produced record times, the Colorado College sophomore finished fourth in the Colfax Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 48 minutes, 1 second. Then he went down to his hands and knees at the finish line, overcome with fatigue. “The last six miles were harder than anything I’ve ever done,” said Barron, 20. Kenyan Abraham Rutto ran the [...]

Hundreds of participants made their way to the Thorncreek Shopping Center in Thornton Saturday morning for the 18th Annual Cottonwood Classic 5K.  With three different divisions: an overall runner’s division, school division and competitive race-walker’s division, there was something for everyone to enjoy! The men’s race saw top competitors Benjamin Zywicki and Adam Rich battle it out throughout the course.  Runner’s Roost athlete Zywicki came out on top with a finishing time of 15:31.  Boulder Running Company’s Adam Rich finished a close second in 15:54.  Thornton’s own Bobby Kennedy rounded out the top three in 17:07. In the women’s race, [...]

68 runners toed the line at Boulder Reservoir under dark storm clouds on Tuesday night for the third race in the Dash & Dine series, hosted by Without Limits Productions. The impending late spring snow storm held off for the race, a race that had already been rescheduled once due to a snow storm! At the start, a group of ten stayed together virtually the entire first half of the out and back course, helping to fight the strong head wind blowing across the reservoir dam. At the turn around point, Scott Pearson of Longmont began to pull away from [...]

There are run events, walk events, obstacle events, fitness events, and heck even events where you try to escape zombies! What if you could take all of those and combine them into one great event that is meant for anyone at any fitness level (minus the zombies, we like our brains in our heads!)? The Run Ugly Fitathlon gave runners, walkers, weekend warriors, gyms, fitness programs, etc. the chance to see how well they compared to each other in a fun competitive environment for being Colorado’s most fit athlete. The event started out with a 1 mile run followed by [...]

600 enthusiastic friends and family gathered for the 2nd annual Bobcat Boogie 5K and family fun run on April 13th in Westminster. A little down-slope wind required the finish line to be deflated for safety reasons, however, this in no way inflated the finish times. The top woman was 14-year-old Emily Gallegos-Franck who crossed the line 24:17. Second went to Tess Harden in 24:20 and Katie Von Stein hit the mat at 24:30 for third. On the men’s side, Daniel Mathews finished in 18:39 for the win. Yusuf Ahmed was second in 19:20, and rounding out the top three men [...]

A hundred or so runners showed up in the small town of Rifle, CO for the annual Grand River Gallop, a 5K to benefit the Meals on Wheels of Western Garfield County. This year, Josh Hejtmanek took the vitory in 17:13 with Bernie Boettcher taking the master’s crown in 18:54. Dana Peterson was the first female to cross the line, running 21:43. Satomi Gerdes was the first female masters runner, hitting the tape on the out and back course in 25:06. All photos by Bernie Boettcher.

On an absolutely picture-perfect morning at the US Air Force Academy base just north of Colorado Springs on Saturday, the sixth annual Running for Rachel Brain Booster 5K took place.  The event supports the Rachel’s Ribbons of Hope Foundation, which helps fund research to battle brain cancer, and attracts hundreds of participants each year to support the cause, experience the challenging 5K course, and simply take part in a fabulous event in a great setting. Conditions on Saturday morning couldn’t have been better – save for several strong wind gusts that picked up during the race.  The sun was shining [...]

The America’s Uphill is one of Aspen’s favorite spring events – a 3000 foot climb up Aspen Mountain finishing at the Sundeck Restaurant at 11,212 feet. Participants are stretched to their athletic limits on this sensory stimulating course.  With a combination of steep inclines and mellow plateau’s the race to the finish is always exciting and demanding. Attracting hundreds of racers each year, the race brings together snowshoers, Nordic skiers, telemark skiers, and Randonee skiers for this 2.5 mile trek. The race offers four divisions: Open (stabilicers, running shoes, snowshoes, Yaxtrax, etc) Track Skis (lightweight skating/diagonal gear) Telemark (full metal edged [...]

Nearly 200 snowshoes took to the trails of McCoy Park at Beaver Creek resort on March 3rd for the final installment of the Beaver Creek Snowshoe Adventure Series. The event boasted a 5K and 10K snowshoe event. In the 5K, Tim Hola sprinted to a three minute victory in 30:33. 15-year-old Ethan Pence finished up in second in 33:04 while masters athlete Jim Buckner took third in 33:21. For the ladies, Sarah Giovagnoli took the victory in 33:56, followed closely by Melinda Brandt in 34:33. Caroline Szuch rounded out the top three, finishing in 36:54. In the more difficult 10K, local XTERRA athlete Josiah Middaugh took top honors in 53:58, winning by nearly [...]

All photos by Dee Budden.

Over 1,000 participants came out to the Cherry Creek Dam on a pristine Sunday morning for the fifth and final race in the RUNDENVER race series: That Dam Run half marathon and 5K.  Overcast skies and temperatures in the mid 50′s allowed for some fast times and even a course record in the half marathon. Unlike years past, the wind over the Cherry Creek Dam Road was mild, setting the stage for a fast out-and-back course in both the half marathon and the 5K. In the men’s half marathon race , Mario Macias – over a month after his Carlsbad [...]

Race conditions couldn’t have been better at Hudson Gardens in Littleton on Saturday morning for the final event in Colorado Runner’s Winter Distance Series: the Snowman Stampede Ten and Five Milers. With bluebird skies and a slight breeze, over 1,200 runners took off along the Platte River on a flat and fast out-and-back style course. The men’s 10 mile race saw Frosty’s Frozen 10 Mile champion Tristan Mitchell take top honors once again in 55:25.  Second place finisher Ryan Herzog of Broomfield finished up in 56:54 and 26-year old Christopher Desilets rounded out the top three in 57:41. Denver’s Kelsey [...]

Hundreds came out on a chilly morning in Denver for the Valentine’s Day 5K last Sunday.  The event is the fourth race in BKB Limited and Hallucination Sports’ RUNDENVER race series.  Held on the classic course around Wash Park, runners were treated to mild conditions and a packed post-race party with awards and snacks to boot. In the men’s race, Colorado Springs’ Adam Rich took top honors with a speedy time of 16:09.  33-year old Ryan Herzog of Broomfield came in second in 16:33, 45-year old Todd Straka of Boulder rounded out the top three in 17:13. In the women’s [...]

All photos by Bernie Boettcher.

Day two of the Winter Mountain Games presented by Eddie Bauer started in a snowstorm and ended in flames. Yesterday’s competitions included a brutally tough ski mountaineering race, an on-snow bike crit race on the ski slopes at the base of Vail Mountain, and finally a best trick competition featuring telemark skiers and mountain bikers boosting big air in front of a giant fireball. The day started early as almost 200 athletes lined up for the Eddie Bauer Ski Mountaineering Race, one of the largest races of its kind in the country. In the elite race category, which included more [...]