Designed to coincide with this small southern Colorado town’s famous annual music and Chile festival that takes place when summer is transitioning to fall here in the San Juan Mountains, just 35 miles from the New Mexico border, the Mountain Chile Cha Cha races feature a half marathon, 10K and 5K race distances that take runners through the privately owned Reservoir River Ranch, which lies just south of town.
Because it is privately owned, this race is the only time during the year that runners are permitted on its hundreds of acres of mountainous forests that overlook the San Juan River, which flows right past Main Street in nearby Pagosa Springs. All three races in the event follow out-and-back loop routes that start and finish in town at Pagosa Springs’ Town Park.
From there, runners head out onto what is mostly a trail run through the Reservoir River Ranch, and the half marathoners actually run 15 miles through the property, making a double loop over the route that those running in the 7-mile course run only a single time. The course offers a blend of double- and single-track trails through sometimes challenging mountain terrain, with plenty of climbs and descents — organizers say there are about 700 feet of climbing along the 7-mile loop route.
For those running the half marathon, that means there’s actually about 1,500 feet of climbing during their race, as there is what race organizers call “a killer little climb that will get your attention” near the end of the race before runners head back into Pagosa Springs for the finish line back at the park, where runners also will be able to cool off with a splash or a dip in the river before the chile & music festival later that day.
