News Editor 1229 posts 0 comments

To say there were tough conditions at the Christmas Carol Classic would be an understatement.  The 6th annual event kicked off at City Park in low, single digit temperatures after a night that saw almost a foot of snow dropped throughout the front range.  Spirits were warm, though, and a couple hundred brave souls came out for the 10K, 5K and Tiny Tim 1K, which is the second event in the City Park Winter Running Series.

Temperatures were chilly, but the atmosphere was warm for the Santa Stampede 10K and 5K on at Hudson Gardens in Littleton.  The event kicked off this season's 2016/2017 Winter Distance Series hosted by Colorado Runner, followed by the Frosty's Frozen Five and Ten on January 21st and the Snowman Stampede on February 18th.

At the 13th Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon, Brie Oakley of Colorado dominated the girls’ 5K race to win in 17:10.1, a remarkable rise in a sport that she took up less than 18 months ago.

One of the country's top ultrarunners of recent years, Sage Canaday won the USATF trail marathon championship in Moab earlier this month. That win gave him some momentum heading into The North Face 50-mile championships in December. Sage tells us about all of that, his 2017 plans, and his efforts to fight doping in the sport, and he is our November "The Runner Box" Colorado Runner of the Month.

The fourth annual Pumpkin Pie 5K and 10K kicked off under sunny skies and seasonally cool temperatures.  The event is hosted by Colorado Runner events and features two flat and fast race distances around City Park, a free kids fun run, and abundant slices of pumpkin pie at the finish.

October went by too fast!  Looking back on last month, Denver's Sarah Pizzo won the Altra U.S. Skyrunner Series.  The series outcome went down to the very end with Pizzo needing every point from the finale at the Flagstaff Sky Race. Pizzo answers some questions here about her adventure into Skyrunning, and we celebrate her success with the October "The Runner Box" Colorado Runner of the Month prize.

Masters athlete Libby James has been honored as USATF Athlete of the Week after her record-breaking performance at the USATF Masters 5K Road Championships on Sunday, October 2.

Colorado native Megan Kimmel has been dominating the trail running scene for years.  Her accolades include big race wins such as Run the Rut 28K this past September, the North Face 50 Mile Championship in December, the 2015 Flagstaff Sky Race 39K (where she was also third overall), and a second place finish in the highly competitive international 2015 Skyrunner World Series.  A "Jill of all trades" in the mountain, ultra and trail community, Megan has, and continues to excel in various disciplines.

The smell of chocolate was in the air Sunday morning as the popular Hot Chocolate 15K and 5K made its annual stop to Denver.  The event surpassed last year's numbers and welcomed over 7,000 runners and walkers in both race distances.  Every single participant received a full zip jacket in his and hers styles, and a finisher mug filled to the brim with chocolate fondue, dippable snacks and decadent hot chocolate.  What's more, the relatively flat course starting and finishing at Civic Center Park made for a great race with fast times across the board.