Colorado Series
2011-12 Colorado Series Schedule
July 17, 2011 – XTERRA Beaver Creek Trail Run (10k or 21k) at Avon, Colo.
Aug. 27, 2011 – XTERRA Snow Mountain Ranch 10K Trail Run at Granby, Colo.
Aug. 28, 2011 – XTERRA Snow Mountain Ranch 20K Trail Run at Granby, Colo.
*Oct. 8, 2011 – XTERRA Marathon of Trail Races (5k, 21k or 42k) at Colorado Springs, Colo.
*Will count toward point standings for 2012 Colorado Series
Runners’ highs will reach new heights in 2011, as the XTERRA Colorado Trail Run Series makes its debut.
The inaugural Colorado Series will feature four races, all along the elevated trails of the Rocky Mountains. “They are a true XTERRA experience,” Colorado Series director Victoria Seahorn said of the Colorado trails. “The altitude and layout of the courses would be considered ‘difficult’ in most areas.”
All of the Colorado Series races will be staged on high-altitude trails, so runners should be prepared for some take-your-breath-away experiences.
“The high altitude is the defining differentiator of Colorado trails vs. anywhere else,” elite Colorado runner Eric Maki said. “When you start a race at 8,000-plus feet and you go up from there, you know it is going to be a challenge, no doubt about it.”
Temperatures in Colorado can also drop to extreme lows, so the Colorado Series will avoid the winter months. In 2011, the races are scheduled for July, August and October. “It could be snowing one day, and 70 degrees the next, but that is the norm,” Seahorn said of the Colorado weather. “It’s perfect for trail runners, who will show up no matter what the weather is.”
The Colorado Series will also feature trails for all ages and skill levels, as course lengths will range from 5 kilometers to half-marathons (21 kilometers), and even a full-marathon course (42 kilometers) at Colorado Springs in October.
Colorado has hosted independent XTERRA Trail Run races in the past, but the growing community of trail runners warranted a complete series.
“Trail running is really popular, especially here in Boulder,” Maki said. “There is a great community of runners here and to be able to string together a series of races with individual race winners and an overall series champion will provide great incentive and some extra motivation.”
To enter races in the XTERRA Colorado Trail Run Series, or for more information, please visit www.marathonmajic.com.