Bear Chase Race Half Marathon & 10k

Set for its 12th annual running along the winding trails of Colorado’s Bear Creek Lake Park, which lies just a short drive southwest of downtown Denver, the Bear Chase Trail Races offer a combination of challenging trail runs through the park as well as gorgeously scenic views of the 2,600-acre park as well as the Rocky Mountains off in the distance. Like the other races in the event — including 100K and 50-mile ultra-marathons plus 50K and 10K races — the trail half marathon will follow an out-and-back loop course around the park that starts and finishes at the lake in the center of the park, along its northwestern corner. From there, runners follow what is roughly a counter-clockwise loop route through the park, along the creeks that feed into the lake and along the roads that encircle it. The half marathon features an elevation gain of around 900 feet and an overall elevation change of about 1,800 feet from start to finish, as runners will finish at the same elevation at which they started. The race begins for half-marathoners at 7:00 AM, and is described by the race organizer as a fast course that is also “not overly technical.” Organizers plan to limit the number of entrants in the half marathon to 500, for a total of 1,600 for the event as a whole — so runners interested in taking part are encouraged to sign up early. The ultra marathon races (the 100K, 50-mile and 50K) will be run on Saturday, while the half marathon and 10K races will be run on Sunday.