The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Run for a cause, and a shot at some cash
[ by Than Acuff ]
It’s time to put your feet, heart and soul toward a great cause and lace up your shoes for the 10th annual Living Journeys Half-Marathon taking place at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 23.
The course stats are impressive and can be a bit intimidating, but far from unattainable. Know this though, the Half-Marathon is a race and there’s some cash prizes on the line as the winners of the men’s and women’s races take home $500 each, second place will get $300 a piece and third place in both races earn $100.
The 13.1-mile course ascends from 9,370 feet in elevation to 11,472 feet. Participants start at the base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort and climb through Aspen stands and alpine meadows along a single-track trail.
The steepest two miles of the climb arrive on the service road, just before reaching the top of the Silver Queen lift. Then racers turn back down the mountain 2.3 miles before returning to another single-track trail, heading north through deep evergreen forest and open meadows. After a four-mile descent, the trail climbs yet again for a little less than a mile.
Racers are then rewarded with a three-mile downhill finish through scenic alpine meadows bursting with wildflowers, aspen groves and scenic vistas. Runners complete the loop finishing at the base of Mount Crested Butte where food and beverages await.
If you’re feeling a bit tapped during the race, Living Journeys will have three aid stations along the way to help push you through to the finish line.
It’s $75 for adults and just $40 for kids ages 1-12 years old. In addition, to stay in step with the fundraising aspect of the entire day, anyone who opts in to be a FUNdraiser and raises $150 or more in pledges for the Half-Marathon will have their $75 entry fee waived.
Living Journeys provides financial assistance, emotional support and enrichment programs to Gunnison Valley residents affected by cancer. The goal is to get 200 runners in the Half-Marathon on Saturday to raise money toward that cause. Registration and information are available online at livingjourneys.org, online registration officially closes on Friday, July 22 at 10 p.m. You can still do in-person registration the morning of the event until 8 a.m.
