Welcome to the Aspen Backcountry Marathon and Half Marathon, where trail runners get to experience, well, the backcountry of Aspen; amongst the most beautiful natural landscapes in the United States. Scenic Views, Challenging Course, Trail Runners. Known as one of the most scenic yet challenging trail running marathon and half marathon courses in Colorado, the Aspen Backcountry Marathon and Half Marathon offers views of Elk Mountain and more throughout the many ascents and descents of the race terrain. Surrounding beautiful Aspen, a destination in and of itself, this course is a destination rae for many, especially the msot experienced of trail runners, and for more reason than one.
Aspen Backcountry Marathon & Half Marathon
August 5, 2024
Aspen
Trail
Ready to sign up?
1-100
Challenging
Mountain Views
High: 70°
/ Low: 45°
With the course direction changing each year, the 2023 Aspen Half Marathon will be heading in the clockwise direction, Starting in Rio Grande Park and taking runners up Sunnyside before descending down Smuggler. To begin, runners embark upon the Rio Grand Park Trail before turning left onto Grindley Bridge, crossing the Roaring Fork River. Finding themselves back on Rio Grande Park Trail, runners proceed to Stein Park, ultimately following the Sunnyside Trail. Through a variety of another park trails, runners will ultimately head down Smuggler Mountain Road to find themselves back at Rio Grande Park start/finish line. Though a limited supported course, the trails will be accompanied by several aid stations throughout. However, all runners are encouraged to come equipped to self-support their race, ensuring they have, at the very least, their own reusable water bottle for this is a cupless event. With only 250 participants, there still remains several course time cut-offs, enforced strictly to ensure smooth operations and overall safety. If you’re a beginner trail runner, this challenging course may not be for you.
Overview
Welcome to the Aspen Backcountry Marathon and Half Marathon, where trail runners get to experience, well, the backcountry of Aspen; amongst the most beautiful natural landscapes in the United States. Scenic Views, Challenging Course, Trail Runners. Known as one of the most scenic yet challenging trail running marathon and half marathon courses in Colorado, the Aspen Backcountry Marathon and Half Marathon offers views of Elk Mountain and more throughout the many ascents and descents of the race terrain. Surrounding beautiful Aspen, a destination in and of itself, this course is a destination rae for many, especially the msot experienced of trail runners, and for more reason than one.
Course Description
With the course direction changing each year, the 2023 Aspen Half Marathon will be heading in the clockwise direction, Starting in Rio Grande Park and taking runners up Sunnyside before descending down Smuggler. To begin, runners embark upon the Rio Grand Park Trail before turning left onto Grindley Bridge, crossing the Roaring Fork River. Finding themselves back on Rio Grande Park Trail, runners proceed to Stein Park, ultimately following the Sunnyside Trail. Through a variety of another park trails, runners will ultimately head down Smuggler Mountain Road to find themselves back at Rio Grande Park start/finish line. Though a limited supported course, the trails will be accompanied by several aid stations throughout. However, all runners are encouraged to come equipped to self-support their race, ensuring they have, at the very least, their own reusable water bottle for this is a cupless event. With only 250 participants, there still remains several course time cut-offs, enforced strictly to ensure smooth operations and overall safety. If you’re a beginner trail runner, this challenging course may not be for you.
