We are very pleased to welcome back Colorado Physical Therapy Specialists as the presenting sponsor of the second running of the Black Squirrel Half Marathon and the seventh running of the Blue Sky Marathon. In addition to supporting Gnar Runner events for the last seven years, Colpts have also been fixing runners here in the Fort Collins community since 2007. Partners Terry Gebhardt and Tim Flynn are both accomplished trail and ultrarunners and know just how important pain-free bipedal movement is for those who love to run.
We are also fortunate to be receiving support from the Fort Collins branch of Cornerstone Home Lending. Broker Jim Hunter and his team have been supporting the local running scene for years, in addition to getting people into mortgages they understand and can afford, so we’re excited to be teaming up with the Hunter Team again.
Our footwear sponsor for both the Black Squirrel and Blue Sky Marathon is Altra Zero Drop out of Salt Lake City, UT. The brand is currently taking the running world by storm with their innovative foot-shaped shoe designs. Winners of both races will be receiving a free pair of Altras and we’ll have demos available to try out on race day.
Local trail and ultrarunners Cat Speights and Justin Liddle have once again stepped up to show their support for the Fort Collins trail running community with sponsorship of both the half and full marathons.
Justin Liddle (DMD), an accredited and trusted Fort Collins prosthodontist, specializes in a wide variety of complex dental treatments. Dr Catherine Speights is the go-to small animal vet in the running community (and beyond). Her practice, Countryside Animal Hospital, specializes in personalized care of dogs and cats in a home-like setting. Look for both Cat and Justin near the front of their respective fields.
New this year, we’ve partnered with the Fort Collins Running Club, and couldn’t be more excited about it. The club has been promoting fitness and running in the local community since 1971. Consider taking out an FCRC membership and enjoy seven free Tortoise & Hare races from Oct to April, a free subscription to Colorado Runner Magazine, local running store discounts, and discounts to both the Horsetooth Half Marathon ($20 off your registration, which is the same cost as an annual membership) and the FireKracker 5k.
Product support for this year’s half and marathon races will be coming from a host of other great local companies:
Runners Roost Fort Collins donates race equipment and product prizes. Windsor-based Succeed! will stock our aid stations with S!Caps electrolytes, while Durango-based Tailwind Nutrition will be providing on course sports drink. And our post race BBQ will include nutritious salads from Whole Foods Fort Collins, baked goodies from Great Harvest Bread Co., and malted beverages from Boulder Beer. Salus Natural Body Care will provide goodies for the race bags and Kristel Liddle will be providing post-race massages.
Please consider supporting our sponsors – they are all local to Fort Collins and the Mountain West, and we couldn’t do this without their kind help.
