Dark, except for the edge of sky where the sun hovers just below the mountains. Quiet, except for the breeze through the trees, and the sound of feet hitting the pavement.
This is the weekend for the Estes Park Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, June 15; but first, the Longs Peak 5-Mile and the Kids Fun Run, for ages 4-12, will take off from the EP High School on Saturday, June 14, all hosted by the Estes Park Running Club, a nonprofit that supports local youth programs.
EP Running Club President Belle Morris is “excited to welcome runners from around the country to experience the unique destination of Estes Park, to share this place.”
The marathon and half marathon start at the Dao House on Highway 7, about a mile past Lily Lake, descending for 3.7 miles into Estes Park onto Fish Creek Road and around Lake Estes.
Those going the full 26.2 miles will see the spectacular views of the Continental Divide from Devil’s Gulch Road and later run up the entrance to the historic Stanley Hotel. The marathon includes a total ascent of 1,279 feet and a descent of 2,831 feet.
“The course is designed as a nice tour of Estes Park, showing off the big views and the experience of living here,” says Morris. No wonder Forbes Magazine has listed the EP Half Marathon as one of the seven most scenic half marathons in the country.
Sunday the marathon and half marathon start at 5 a.m. for walkers, but there are no starting guns. Runners just go when they’re ready but must be on the course by 5:20 a.m. for the marathon, by 7 a.m. for the half-marathon.
Starting without an official starter is one component of a “peaceful running experience,” says Morris. “Runners can start out at their leisure, on their own, just running quietly in the mountains, smelling the Ponderosa pines, and you have the option of experiencing the sunrise on the run.”
Since each runner is chipped, their exact start and finish times will be accurately recorded.
The Longs Peak 5-Mile starts at 8 a.m. Saturday at the high school and ends there as well. The Kids Fun Run starts at 10:30 a.m. at the same location and features different distances for the different age groups, from three-tenths of a mile for the 4-5 year-olds to one-half of a mile for the 11-12 year-olds.
The kids’ event is led by a nonprofit group Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Success and Estes Park High School Track and Cross-Country athletes help out and serve as mentors for the kid runners.
The EP Running Club donates funds from race registration fees to EVICS and the EPHS and Middle School’s track and cross-country teams as well as to six other EPHS programs and The Estes Learning Place.
The inaugural race of the EP Marathon took place on June 20, 2004. According to offical race results, last year 144 runners finished the full marathon and 448 finished the half, and an additional 116 runners finished in the Longs Peak 5-mile. Seven people participated as viritual participants including one from Canada and two from Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.
Of course, four events over two days take a lot of planning with law enforcement, sponsors, and about 120 volunteers.
Morris wants “to get the community out to support these local races that benefit local youth programs and to inspire personal fitness goals.”
If you want to volunteer to help this year, email Morris or call 970-214-4128. Click here for information about registration and race details.
The Egg of Estes donates breakfast burritos at the finish line on Sunday at the high school. Other sponsors include Visit Estes Park, Poppy’s Pizza and Grill, Mama Rose’s Restaurant, Lumpy Ridge Brewing Company, Rock Cut Brewing Company, Country Market, EP News, The Donut Haus, Dao House, In Motion Running, The Barrel, and Honey Stinger.
The marathon course record was set by Kenyan Geofrey Terer in 2017 at 2:36:41. Typically, 35% of the participants are from out of state.
No roads will be closed during the race, and all runners must be off the course by 11:00, 6 hours after the start time.