Blue Sky Trail Marathon & Half Marathon

The Blue Sky Trail Marathon & Half Marathon begins at the Blue Sky Trailhead in Horsetooth Mountain Park, Fort Collins, Colorado. Runners can choose between a 26.7-mile marathon and a 13.4-mile half marathon, both featuring predominantly dirt trails. This event stands as Fort Collins's original and sole trail marathon. The marathon course involves approximately 3,500 feet of elevation change, while the half marathon has about 1,800 feet of gain and loss. Both races take place at Front Range elevations, with the course situated between 5,300 and 6,500 feet. With a nine-hour cutoff for the marathon and a six-hour cutoff for the half, the event accommodates both endurance trail runners and quicker competitors. The course crosses the area between Horsetooth Mountain Park and Devil's Backbone Open Space, following Northern Colorado's eastern hogbacks primarily on singletrack trails. The terrain is 100% dirt and approximately 90% singletrack. Runners will encounter long sections of redstone hardpack on the Blue Sky Trail, mixed with smoother dirt, technical rock gardens, short dirt road segments, and a small portion of gravel bike path. The marathon route comprises about 22 miles of dirt singletrack, 3 miles of rocky singletrack, and 2 miles of dirt road; the half marathon is almost entirely dirt singletrack. Wildlife such as deer, Abert squirrels, and golden eagles might be spotted along the way. Each race distance has a limit of 400 participants. The finish area will feature a barbecue, sponsor giveaways, and meal choices catering to vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and non-alcoholic preferences.