All information relevant to the 4th running of the Black Squirrel Half Marathon is available on the race website. Here are a few final details and reminders.
The current weather forecast is showing an overnight low in the high 40s, a sunny morning, and a race-day high in the low 80s. Please make sure you have adequate carrying capacity for your hydration needs between aid stations. Water cups will not be provided at the aid stations.
The three race aid stations will be stocked with water and V-Fuel sports drink. The Arthurs aid station – visited twice – will also carry snacks and fruit.
Packet pickup will be available on Friday afternoon from 4pm to 7pm at Altitude Running located at 150 E Harmony Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80525 (northeast corner of College and Harmony). Packet pickup will also be available on race morning from 5:30am to 6:30am.
The race will start promptly at 7:00am. There will be a short pre-race briefing at 6:50am. Late arrivals will need to walk up to 1/2 a mile or longer to the start from their car, so we recommend getting to Lory State Park no later than 6:30. Please plan to arrive earlier if you need to check in on race morning.
Parking at the Soldier Canyon start/finish area (limited to 50-60 cars) is reserved for carpools of two or more runners. All other cars will be directed to park on the Lodgepole loop road or at the Timber trailhead lot. If you can, please arrange a carpool with friends – or try the Fort Collins Trail Runner Facebook page. Parking passes will be handed out at the park entrance when you arrive.
Bibs must be visible from the front. Please do not remove your pull tag.
Dogs are welcome on leash with family and friends at the start/finish area, but we ask that you not run with your dog during the race.
Please pocket any trash and dispose of it at aid stations or at the start/finish.
Trails are open to the public. Watch for bikers and yield to horses and hikers.
We will have a kids race/run beginning at 10:30 from the start/finish area.
We have a great BBQ planned with burgers & brats, veggie (vegan) burgers and vegan quinoa salad from the Fort Collins Food Co-Op, Great Harvest cinnamon buns, Mary’s Mountain Cookies, fruit from Trader Joe’s, El Dorado Vitamin Water, and Fat Tire beer from New Belgium Brewing.
Additional meals can be purchased at the BBQ for family and friends for a $10 cash donation to Animal House Rescue if not already purchased with registration.
Salomon Running will be demoing shoes for runners to try out after the race, and we’ll be giving away a pair of Salomon shoes to our top male and female finishers. We’ll also have Julbo sunglasses to give out to our age group winners.
In addition to finisher awards and T-shirts, we will also be giving out unique overall and age group awards to the top three (male and female) in the following categories: overall, under 40, masters (40 – 49), and grandmasters (50+). We’ll also have some other gear and goodies to raffle off during and after the awards.
Massage and PT work will be available after the race courtesy of Colorado in Motion and Kristel Liddle LMT.
If you have any nagging aches or pains that might prevent you from running your best or making it to the starting line, Colorado In Motion is offering discounted Trigger Point Dry Needling sessions for our runners this Thursday 9/8. More info is online here.
Thank you to our very generous sponsors: Salomon Running, Colorado in Motion, Justin Liddle DMD, Drymax Socks, Altitude Running, Countryside Animal Hospital, and the Fort Collins Running Club for their support in helping us make this event possible.
Thank you also to all our wonderful product supporters. Please consider supporting these businesses who support the race.
If you have questions that are not answered here or on the website, then please email us at racedirector@gnarrunners.com. We will do our level best to respond in a timely manner.
We sincerely look forward to seeing you all on Saturday morning!
Nick Clark & Pete Stevenson
Top Tier Sponsors
Race Support
2 Comments
Good morning, my two sons are running in the race and I am coming with them. I am 65 and not a runner but I might walk and jog the course. Do other people walk the course? Thanks
Hi Don, The trails are open to the public on race day so you are welcome to hike out anywhere on the course to see your sons. But we don’t allow pacers to run or hike along with their runners – we can’t over-crowd the single track trails. You are also welcome to sign up for the race. We have a generous cut off and it is possible to hike the course. Our final finisher in 2015 hiked the course in 5:07.