Saturday, August 20, 2016 • Pagosa Springs, CO • Course Map
Featuring miles of single-track trails that wind through the mountains of the San Juan National Forest that overlooks this small town in southwestern Colorado that’s surrounded by three million acres of undisturbed wilderness and national forest lands, Pagosa Springs’s Devil Mountain races offer a challenging early fall run with gorgeous views and plenty of fresh air.
Runners will definitely need to be ready for a high-elevation run at this race, as the 50K race reaches a peak elevation of about 9,800 feet above sea level while the 50-mile run sees an elevation gain of about 8,300 feet, race organizers say.
While the half marathon doesn’t offer as challenging a run or as steep of a climb (there’s roughly a 2,200-ft. elevation gain in the half) it still runs some of the same trails as the other two races, so organizers add that runners in the half will want to bring along a camelback or water bottle for their run.
Those running in the half marathon will follow an out-and-back route that starts and finishes at the final aid station for the 50-mile and 50K races, in the shadow of nearby Chris Mountain near the intersection of Turkey Springs Road and Monument Park Road.
From there, runners will head north along a winding route through the San Juan National Forest, along the forest service roads and trails that wind through the park, with a big uphill stretch along Piedra Stock Trail, followed by an equally steep downhill after runners pass the mid-way point of the race.
Once runners pass the half-way point of the race, they continue on eastward along the trails that wind through the hills, later re-joining the park road and following it all the way back to the start/finish line area along Turkey Springs Road.
Along the way, they’ll get to see much of the same spectacular scenery runners in the longer distances get to see, including nearby Horse Mountain, Middle Mountain and Devil Mountain, which of course is the peak from which the race takes its name.
Runners can expect to encounter streams, rocky terrain, mud and of course plenty of hills and steep climbs and descents in the mountains of the San Juan forest, and those running in the half marathon will start their race at 8:30 AM along with the 10K and 5K.
Race Weather & Climate
Nestled among the mountains of the San Juan National Forest near the state’s southern border, roughly 230 miles southeast of Grand Junction and about 280 miles southwest of Denver, Pagosa Springs typically sees its second-warmest month of the year in August, which has brought record temperatures as low as 24°F (in 1956) and as high as 97°F (in 1940).
Course Map
See the race route map for the Devil Mountain Half Marathon here.
Starting Time
- 6:30 AM – 50-mile, 50K
- 8:00 AM – half marathon, 10K, 5K
Fees
See race website
Registration
To reserve your spot in the 2016 running of Pagosa Springs’s Devil Mountain Ultra 50-Mile, 50K or Half Marathon race, register online at EventBrite.com here.
Official Race Website
Facebook Conversations
Ever run in the Devil Mountain Ultra Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.
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