The Colorado Marathon News Archive

After chasing an Olympic Trials Marathon qualifying time for over 2 years, Kara Roy became the first woman to achieve the qualifying time in Colorado. Her 2:46:30 on May 6th not only broke her own course record for the Colorado Marathon, but will give her the opportunity to run the United States Olympic Team's Marathon Trials taking place in Boston in April, 2008.

"When Jon Sinclair and I designed the course we were looking for something that would give people fast times and a beautiful place to run", says Colorado Marathon founder, Steve Cathcart.

"We knew it was a beautiful course, but Kara's time shows that the 1200 foot drop, even at altitude, will give people a sea level or better marathon time. Past experience has shown that what people run on our course is roughly equivalent to what they can do on a fast and flat course at low altitude, or maybe better."

Roy's time broke her own Colorado Marathon record by over 5 minutes and beat the 2nd place woman, Colleen Casey from St. Louis, by over 12 minutes. Running mostly even splits in perfect marathon weather, the Fort Collins native becomes a two time Colorado Marathon winner.

"I thought the organization was great and it's always fun to race in my home town", said Roy immediately after the race as she joined several thousand people in the Fort Collins Old Town Square for the finish line party.

Race Director, Brian Cathcart, was pleased with the winning times. "Kara's time shows what can be done on our course and while we've tried to create a race for everyone, it's great that we get elite athletes to run on what we know is a world class course", said Cathcart.

With near perfect temperatures every year and a 1200 foot drop, the winning times run in the previous 5 years have been some of the fastest recorded in Colorado. With Roy's Trial's qualifying time the Colorado Marathon has shown that it can also support national and world class performances.

GU PACKS will be located at three aid stations: Ted's Place (16.8 miles), Lyons Park (21.7 miles), and Taft Hill Road (23.2 miles). GU2O and water will be offered at all aid stations, where you'll also find a portable toilet, a medical kit, and a ham radio or cell phone (at most all of them).

COLORADO MARATHON LOGO WEAR is even sharper this year! We've also added running hats to the collection. You can see the entire Colorado Marathon Logo Wear line at the Runner's Roost and at the Colorado Marathon Expo.

THE BUD LIGHT REFRESHMENT ZONE is new to this year's event. It will be ready and able to meet your refreshment needs in the middle of Old Town Square when you finish on race morning. Our Refreshment Zone host this year is "Fast" Freddie Abramowitz, veteran runner, ultra marathoner, and Festivarian. Join Fred for some cold Bud Light after your race and ask him about his sub 80 second 400m speed.

THE BUS SCHEDULE is posted on the BUSING PAGE and every runner in the Marathon and Mini-Marathon is required to be on time at the Fort Collins Transportation Center for bus boarding. If you have any questions about busing, start times, or logistics, make sure you visit our information booth at the Race Expo sponsored by Rebound Sports and Physical Therapy.

An anonymous friend of the Marathon, has generously donated $1,000 to be paid out for a new course record in 2006. The fund will be named in honor of a local marathon great and will be named, "The Kim Jones Fund".

If a male or female runner breaks the previous records (Heather Hunt, 2005, 2:54:02; Daniel Shaw, 2:25:56) they will win the entire $1,000 or share in it if both a male and female break the existing records.

If neither record is broken, then the fund will be distributed as prize money in the following amounts (both male and female): $300 for 1st place, $200 for second place, and $100 for third place.

Any questions about the fund or the awarding of prize money and bonuses can be directed to Jon Sinclair at ANAER@FRII.COM.

The Colorado Marathon has completed an agreement with the Fort Collins Running Club to organize and manage one of Colorado's oldest and most respected races: The Horsetooth Half Marathon. The annual event, owned by the Running Club, attracts runners from all over the region and regularly draws 500 competitors seeking the challenge of the Horsetooth Reservoir's hills and the sweeping beauty of the Front Range location.

The 2006 race is scheduled for April 22, 2006 and will begin at CSU's Hughes Stadium, west of Fort Collins. New this year will be a net downhill drop in the course and a finish at the New Belgium Brewery with an after race party, featuring a local band and beer garden. Finishers will receive an inscribed commemorative bomber bottle of New Belgium's award winning Fat Tire Ale.

"We're really excited about the challenge of building an even
stronger event for the Running Club over the next few years. We think it will really add to the City's spring running schedule and
return the Horsetooth Half to the kind of key event that it has been in the past," says Co-Director Steve Cathcart.

For more information about the Horsetooth Half Marathon, visit WWW.HORSETOOTHHALFMARATHON.COM and check into the BUD LIGHT TRAINING SERIES.

The free Bud Light Training Series kicks off with beautiful weather and more than 50 participants. The first of four Sunday runs (2/26, 3/12, 3/26, and 4/9), the morning featured a free raffle of donated prizes from the Brewery, food and coffee, and superb running on area roads.

The Anheuser Busch Brewery Tour Center serves as the venue for the series and it proved to be an excellent location. Free Anheuser Busch products were available for thirsty participants and everyone enjoyed the Tour Center's fireplace and visiting the Clydesdale Horses following the run.

The series is designed to prepare runners for the Horsetooth Half
Marathon (4/22) and the Colorado Marathon and Mini Marathon (5/7). Each weekend the participants will be able to choose between two marked courses and enjoy an aid station located on each loop. The first event was enjoyed by more than 50 runners of all abilities and the perfect weather will certainly entice even larger numbers in the future. Our thanks to Anheuser Busch and to Deja Vu Coffeehouse (Laurel St. and College Ave.)

For more information contact Jon Sinclair at ANAER@FRII.COM.

Fly through the Colorado Marathon course from start to finish by viewing a 30 second
COLORADO MARATHON FLY THROUGH video. This download requires Windows Media Player. Download it here: WMP FOR MAC USERS or WMP FOR PC USERS.

The Colorado Marathon was voted Best Marathon by Colorado Runner. View the article in COLORADO RUNNER.

The new mile markers have been painted and the updated course re-certification papers are in process. We've made the fastest marathon course in the US even faster with the elimination of the 'out and back' section and with an additional mile of running in the Canyon.

Anyone wanting to view the new marathon start can find it at the Steven's Gulch Day Use Area, 17 miles west of Ted's Place (the turn from 287 to highway 14, the Cache La Poudre Canyon Road). All mile marks can be found on the north side of the road in large yellow numbers and letters. Marathon marks are noted with "COM" (Colorado Marathon) and the Mini-Marathon marks are noted with "CMM."

Be sure to stop in at Gateway Mountain Park to see the Mini-Marathon start, which you'll find at the back end of the Park's road. The start is located approximately 700 feet beyond the back gate on the dirt road just south of the river. While you're there say 'hi' to Paul Burkholtz, the resident Park Ranger who's helping stage the race.

We're currently working on updating our maps and including a 'fly over' view of the entire race course. Stay tuned for more details.

Colorado Marathon Race Director, Steve Cathcart (center), presented a 2005 commemorative race poster to Craig Foreman (left) and Marty Heffernan (right) of the Fort Collins Parks and Recreation Department. The poster served as a 'thank you' for the Department's cooperation in the production of the race.

In addition to the poster, Steve also presented the City Parks Deptartment a check for $300 to be used for the betterment of Gateway Park, the Premier Mortgage Colorado Mini-Marathon's new starting line in the Poudre Canyon.

The presentation of the check begins the race's adoption of Gateway Park as one of it's charitable beneficiaries. Using Gateway gives the race a much larger and safer starting area while benefitting the Park economically and showcasing it's beautiful setting.

The Fort Collins Old Town Marathon has changed its name. In order to continue our increasing visibility on a regional and national level, and our current status as the largest marathon in Colorado, we have created a new name: The Colorado Marathon.

In our first four years, we've built our reputation on the speed of the course (we're the number one Boston qualifying course in the country with 18% of our field qualifying for the Boston Marathon), and the beauty of the Cache La Poudre Canyon.

We'll continue to be a small town marathon, but we're proud of our Colorado connection and will carry that banner proudly wherever you see our new name.

It has always been our goal to make our marathon not only the best race possible, but also the fastest. We're happy to announce that the 2006 course will feature an additional mile of running in the Cache La Poudre Canyon (adding more downhill to the course).

The Colorado Marathon is also eliminating the 'out and back' section of the race. This gives us the chance to lengthen our shorter race to a 15 mile that will begin in beautiful Gateway Park. Both races, the Marathon and Mini-Marathon, will now possess quality starting lines that will offer more room for the luxury buses, more restrooms, and safer 'off road' warm up areas.

Both races will now run on the north side of the Canyon road, giving the participants a better view of the Cache La Poudre River. A faster course with an even prettier view; the best race in the West gets even better.