Rock Canyon Half Marathon

Several hundred runners come out every year to take part in the wintertime running of Pueblo’s Rock Canyon Half Marathon, now a 32-year tradition in what has long been known as Colorado’s “Second City” behind the metropolis of Denver and also as “Steel City,” for its economic importance as one of the largest steel-producing cities in the country. The 13.1-mile race offers runners plenty of beautiful southwestern scenery, as it begins in an urban park setting and much of its course follows the winding Arkansas River that cuts through the heart of the city, and features a combination of paved roads, dirt roads and biking and walking trails for running surfaces. From the starting line at Pueblo City Park, located on Goodnight Avenue near the city’s downtown area, the out-and-back race first makes two loops around the city park before heading out onto Goodnight Avenue and then Collins Avenue, where the course then makes a turn onto the trail surface. Runners then cross over the bridge that straddles the Arkansas River to its northern bank, and follow West 8th Street until it meets again with the bike trails, joining up again with the paved roads along Honor Farm Road. After a couple of miles along the road, the course turns again to trail surfaces just before runners reach Pueblo State Park, where they turn off the road and run the trails that snake along the river’s edge all the way into the park to the Pueblo Dam. Inside the park, the course crosses two more bridges and takes runners over the Pueblo Reservoir Access Road, which begins the return route all the way back to the city park for the finish. Most of the course is flat, race organizers say, as it winds along the river and through the parks, with the exception of a single steep hill near the end of the race, at the 12-mile marker as runners are heading back into Pueblo City Park. The race — which is run no matter the weather, in rain or shine or snow — starts at 8:30 AM, and is open to runners only.