Marathon & Half Marathon Event
The Aspen Valley Marathon is a beautiful & scenic run along the Rio Grande Trail. Throughout the Marathon, runners will travel 1,418ft downhill.
Race Info
Aspen Valley Marathon July 15th 2017
26.2 miles/42.195km
Start times:
Marathon 6:00 am
Start: Aspen Wagner Park
Finish: Basalt Lions Park
Half Marathon 7.30 am
Start: W/J Ranch Woody Creek.
Finish: Basalt Lions Park
5K 10:30 am
Start: Basalt Lions Park,
Finish: Basalt Lions Park
Top 5 reasons to run the Aspen Valley Marathon
– The Aspen Valley Marathon is a Boston Marathon Qualifier
– Fast! Times in the top 50 fastest marathons in North America.
– Downhill drops 1,418 ft in elevation from start to finish
– Breathtaking Aspen Valley scenery
– Off road, old railway route, next to river, 80% paved trail /20% hard-packed dirt.
The Aspen Valley Marathon is a beautiful and scenic run along the Rio Grande Trail. Throughout the marathon, the runners travel 1,418 ft downhill. All finishers receive a reward of food and beverages.
We hope that you are all very well and training for your next running event. Our 2015 Marathon featured strongly in Boston Qualifying with over 15% of our athletes making their Boston Times making Aspen Valley Marathon in the top 30 qualifying marathons for Boston out of over 270 marathons in North America.
The Aspen Valley Half-Marathon was started in 2010 by Katherine Fitzgerald, who has been a long time resident of the valley and has been an avid runner for many years. Kat has partnered with Sean Solon who has experience organizing Ruggerfest, Shining Stars Foundation and World Cup for Challenge Aspen. Sean is also an athlete competing in long distance biking events internationally.
The events include a Full Marathon (a Boston qualifying event), Half Marathon and a 5K. This is a beautiful and scenic run along the historic Rio Grande Trail.
Race Day Info
MARATHON
The marathon start line is on South Mill Street beside McDonalds, Wagner Park and Rubey Park Bus Terminal.
GETTING THERE:
Most accommodations in the City of Aspen are a short walk from the Starting area. If you are staying in Aspen, ask your host or Hotel for a guest permit (valid only while actually visiting at a permit holder’s address and parking in the immediate vicinity). Day passes ($8.00) are also available at the Airport Parking Kiosk and allow all day parking in any residential zone. Carpools of two or more adults, are eligible for free carpool permits that allow parking in any residential or carpool zone all day. These passes are also available at the Airport Parking Kiosk. You can also park in the parking Garage on South Mill Street for $15 per day.
If you are staying outside Aspen or coming into town for the race we strongly encourage you to USE THE FREE PARKING AT THE INTERCEPT LOT at Brush Creek/Highway 82 which is located beside Hwy. 82 at the junction for Snowmass about 8 miles downvalley from the City of Aspen. WE WILL BE PROVIDING FREE SHUTTLE BUSES TO THE START OF THE MARATHON AND HALF MARATHON START AREAS. Marathon Shuttles YELLOW SCHOOL BUSES will operate from 5:00 am until 5:30 am on the morning of the race and take participants from the intercept lot to the starting area in Aspen (20 minutes approx.). PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY AS THE BUSES MUST LEAVE ON TIME TO GET ATHLETES TO ASPEN SO THE RACE STARTS ON TIME.
HALF MARATHON
The Half Marathon Start is at W/J Ranch adjacent to the Rio Grande Trail a mile upvalley from Woody Creek. There is no parking and no drop off at W/J Ranch. Vehicles parked in the W/J Ranch after the start of the race will be towed… you have been warned!
SO HOW DO I GET TO THE START OF THE HALF MARATHON?
All half marathon participants must take the shuttle (YELLOW SCHOOL BUSES) from the INTERCEPT LOT at Brush Creek/Highway 82 which is located beside Hwy. 82 at the junction for Snowmass about 8 miles downvalley from the City of Aspen. SEE LINK FOR A LOCATION MAP: Roaring Fork Transit Authority (RFTA) Intercept Lot Shuttles will leave the Intercept Lot for the Half Marathon Start Area from 6:30 am through 7:00 am.
SHUTTLES FROM ASPEN TO HALF MARATHON START(YELLOW SCHOOL BUSES) will leave Aspen from 5:30 a.m. until 6:30 a.m. (opposite the Limelight Lodge Hotel beside Wagner Park just across the park from the Marathon Start). These buses will go to the start area for the Half Marathon at W/J Ranch via the Intercept Lot where they will pick up passengers coming from down valley who park at the Intercept Lot. PLEASE BE ON TIME AS THERE WILL BE NO OTHER TRANSPORT TO THE HALF MARATHON STARTING AREA.
OTHER WAYS TO GET TO THE INTERCEPT LOT: PLEASE CARPOOL AND/OR USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT
FREE TRANSPORT AFTER THE RACE:
The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) are one of our many generous local sponsors and athletes can use the public bus services in the valley for FREE on presentation of their race bibs to the driver (the usual cost is $4 exact change only one way). The upvalley buses run every half hour on 9 minutes and 39 minutes past the hour. The Up valley bus stop is just across the road from the Basalt Lions Park and will take athletes back up valley to the Intercept Lot and to Aspen. The downvalley bus stop is also just beside the finish area for those of you needing to get back to Carbondale or Glenwood Springs – downvalley buses leave at 15 minutes and 45 minutes past the hour. The bus service in the Roaring Fork Valley is clean, safe and very efficient so you need to have no concerns about using this service. More information about public transport and schedules is available at http://www.rfta.com
BAG RETRIEVAL: Bags can be dropped off at the start and retrieved at the finish. ONLY THE CLEAR BAGS WITH YOUR BIB NUMBER THAT WE PROVIDE WILL BE ACCEPTED BY THE BAG-DROP. PLEASE leave all valuables locked in your car or in your hotel safe. We will try to take reasonable care of your possessions BUT CANNOT ACCEPT DAMAGE TO VALUABLE ELECTRONIC OR OTHER ITEMS AS THE DROP BAG PROVIDES NO PROTECTION FOR SUCH ITEMS.
