|
|
Colorado > Estes Park Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K
& 5K
Estes Park,
CO
Date
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Event
Details
If you're interested in tackling the 13.1-mile course at the Estes
Park Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K, then you'll need to be really
ready for a high-elevation run -- this race has the highest paved
marathon route anywhere in the United States, with an average elevation
of 7,785 feet above sea level. Held in June every year on Father's Day,
the race also unfolds through some of Colorado's most beautiful
scenery, with lots of with wooded, tree-lined stretches, grassy open
meadows and views of towering mountain peaks like nearby Longs Peak and
Mount Meeker.
All four races in this event start and finish at Estes Park High
School's public
school facilities off Manford Avenue, and the half marathon course
takes runners on what is basically the second half of the full marathon
course, an out-and-back route that follows roughly a counter-clockwise
loop along Dry Gulch Road, Devils Gulch Road and along the southern
edge of Lake Estes, which lies in the middle of town, in the shadow of
the snow-capped mountain peaks nearby.
With its seven-hour time limit (for the full marathon), the Estes
Park Marathon & Half Marathon advertises itself as an event
welcome to both beginners and experienced runners, and is open to
walkers as well as runners. The course for both the half and the full
is mostly flat or
features a gentle, sloping downhill, with some gradual uphills. To
ensure that they're properly acclimated to the high elevation of the
race, runners are encouraged to arrive in town two to three days ahead
of the race, and to avoid alchohol and caffiene before the race.
Both runners and spectators are encouraged to prepare for bright, sunny
conditions during the race, which means you'll need to bring plenty of
sunscreen. Though the elevation and the course are challenging, the
reward is likewise just as satisfying -- beautiful scenery from the elk
herds among wide-open fields to the Rocky Mountains off in the distance
as you're finishing the race back at the high school, just after
running along the water's edge around Lake Estes.
Race
Weather & Climate
Nestled among the peaks of Colorado's majestic Rockies next door to
Rocky Mountain National Park and just over an hour's drive north of
Denver, the town of Estes Park typically sees cool to moderately warm
weather in the early days of summer. In June, average monthly
temperatures range between 73°F
and 42°F, while rainfall totals average less than 1 1/2 inches
during
the month.
Fees
$55 for the half marathon, if registered by May 13, 2010
$65 on May 14 and after
Registration
To reserve your spot in the summer 2010 running of
Colorado's Estes Park Marathon & Half Marathon, register online at Active.com.
Website
www.epmarathon.org
Course Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in Estes Park's annual Marathon or Half Marathon?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Post your comments in Runner Reviews for the Estes Park Half
Marathon
|
|
|
