As a beautiful day dawned for the 8^th annual Fall Equinox event, runners were arriving at the starting lines of the marathon, half marathon and 5-mile races. With the sunlight just peaking into the corners of the canyon the races started out with cool temps and a tail wind, otherwise know as “perfect running conditions”.  As always the Poudre River Canyon never disappoints in beauty, serenity, and fast running times.

Over the past several years the half marathon & 5-mile races have become a favorite fall tradition and this year both races grew considerably. The half marathon start at the Mishawaka could have been mistaken for a party as almost 1,000 runners prepped for the race. Meanwhile, 8 miles down the canyon another 500 runners were getting ready at Gateway Natural Area for the 5-mile race. This was the second year of a full lane closure in the canyon for the races, increasing safety and enjoyment for all the runners. The feedback from participants is consistent that the beauty of the canyon is unmatched and running it on a fall morning is nothing short of spectacular. After the last curve of the canyon the foothills drop away and the course opens up to the farmlands running out the last mile to the finish packed with spectators, cheers, and live music. The PR bell at the finish line was seldom quiet and smiles of satisfaction glowed throughout the post-race party.

The marathon was a new addition to the event and while it was a small field for the trial year it received nothing but positive comments from every single participant! One of our local runners summed it up best in his post-race email. “Thank you for a great race! Now that I am home, had my chocolate milk, showered and have my legs up I can think more clearly. This was my 49th marathon and by far the most beautiful race I have ever run. It is absolutely gorgeous!!! For us (marathoners) today, I have never felt more camaraderie with my fellow runners -it was really quite nice. I loved this race and hope it continues. Again, I want you to know how much I enjoyed this race. There were great volunteers throughout, the course is the BEST, and I love having a full marathon hometown race.”  We are excited the marathon was so well received and it will be back as part of the 2020 event!

Another new addition to the event this year was the Virtual Race option that allows you to run the distance on your own and still receive all of the great swag! Of course we think there is nothing better than running the actual race on race day, but if life happens and you have to work, travel, or just can’t make it happen you can still be part of the event. We had a great group of virtual runners that ran their race distances remotely during the month of September or October, sent in confirmation of their run, and received all the same great swag in the mail the rest of the runners enjoyed. So, remember if the date doesn’t work we would still love for you to run with us virtually.