Fall Equinox Half Marathon

The half runs beside the Cache la Poudre, Colorado's only nationally designated Wild and Scenic river, and sells itself on a net-downhill profile plus a finish-line party with beer and live music. A 5-mile race shares the day, and the September date catches early fall color in the canyon.

From the Mishawaka Amphitheatre the route drops down the canyon road along the Poudre before finishing in open fields outside Fort Collins. The steady net downhill is kind to goal pace but hard on quads that have not practiced descending, and the whole race sits above 5,000 feet.

Canyon starts in late September are cold, often in the 30s or low 40s, with fast warming once the sun clears the walls. Dry air and altitude raise fluid needs even on cool mornings.