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Colorado > US Half Marathon, Copper Mountain
Copper
Mountain, CO
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Date
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Event
Details
Described by race organizers as "one of the toughest and highest
elevation half marathons" anywhere in the country, Colorado's U.S. Half
Marathon
Copper takes runners over trails, roads and ski runs through the heart
of the Colorado Rockies, along a course whose elevation ranges from
9,400 feet above sea level at its lowest point to 10,600 feet at its
highest point. Nearly 160 runners and walkers crossed the finish line
at the summer 2008 running of the race -- and just over half of those
competed in the half-marathon -- for the event's second annual running.
The out-and-back course for the half marathon race -- the event also
includes a 12K run and a 5K walk -- starts and finishes in the Copper
Mountain Ski Resort Village, in front of the shops at Burning Stone
Plaza. From there, runners follow the first half of the course as it
winds eastward through the resort village, with the vast panorama of
the Valley of Copper Mountain all around, following it for the first
three miles on Copper Road along the edges of the Copper Creek Golf
Club. Just past the third mile marker, in the course's first narrow ski
run, runners reach the turnaround point and then head back toward the
village.
Runners follow the course through the village to finish up the first
five miles of the race and then head out onto Beeler Place and then
along the trail that skirts West Tenmile Creek, which they follow for
the next few miles as it winds its way westward and northward roughly
parallel to Interstate 70. The course passes through the areas in the
valley known as Wheeler Gulch, Smith Gulch and Wilder Gulch before
hitting the turnaround point at roughly the 9-mile marker, where
runners head back along the course they've just run to the finish line
at Burning Stone Plaza.
These sections of the race are definitely among its most challenging,
as runners follow hilly, high-elevation dirt trails that are often
strewn with rocks and roots along the way. This part of the course
takes runners along an approach to Vail Pass, the highest point in the
race, and is mostly uphill all the way there. The reward, of course, is
that the return trek back toward the finish is mostly downhill, as
runners finish the race to the music of live bands at the post-race
celebration.
Race
Weather & Climate
Located in Colorado's Rocky Mountain ski resort areas, a couple hours'
drive west from Denver, Copper Mountain usually experiences moderately
warm to cool (and sometimes cold) weather conditions in the late weeks
of summer, with occasional rain. In August, average monthly
temperatures range between 71°F and 38°F, while
rainfall totals average around 1.66 inches for the month.
Fees
N/A
Registration
To reserve your spot in the summer 2009 running of
Colorado's US Half Marathon in Copper Mountain, sign up online at GetMeRegistered.com.
Website
www.copperhalf.com
Course Map
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Your Race Story
Ever run in Copper Mountain's annual US Half Marathon, Copper?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Post your comments in Runner Reviews for the US Half
Marathon Copper Mountain
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