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Fort Collins to Loveland

2024 Race Info

Start

The Long View Marathon will begin at Edora Pool Ice Center in Fort Collins, CO (1801 Riverside Ave, 80525) at 7:30a on Saturday, October 12, 2024

The Long View Half Marathon will begin at Fossil Creek Park in Fort Collins, CO (5821 S. Lemay Ave, 80525) at 8:30a on Saturday, October 12, 2024

The Long View 5K will start at Fairgrounds Park in Loveland, CO (700 S Railroad Ave, 80537) at 9:15a on Saturday, October 12, 2024.

Finish

All distances will finish at Fairgrounds Park in Loveland, CO (700 S Railroad Ave, 80537).

The course and finish will close 6 Hours after the start of the marathon and 5 hours after the start of the half marathon.

Long View Marathon Start Map

Parking

Marathon Start:
Marathon parking will be available on the west end of the main lot of the Edora Pool Ice Center.
Race morning packet pickup will be on the southwest corner of the lot, near the Power Trail Extension.
 
 

Long View Half Marathon Start Map

Half Marathon Start:
Half Marathon parking will be available at the three parking lots of Fossil Creek Park. The primary and secondary lots are on the east side, accessible from Lemay Ave. The backup lot is on the west side, accessible from Fossil Creek Parkway.
Race morning packet pickup will be at the Fossil Creek Pavilion, right by the primary & secondary lot and 400 yards from the backup lot.
Overflow parking will be available along Huntington Hills Dr.

5K Start & All Distances Finish:
Parking will be available in the main Fairgrounds Park lot off of S Railroad Ave, at the Barnes Sports Complex on the east side of the park off S Cleveland Ave, and in the dirt lot just north of Fairgrounds Park along Railroad Ave.
Race morning packet pickup will be at the Fairgrounds Park Pavilion, right by the start/finish, from 8:30-9:00a.

Shuttles

Free shuttle buses back to race starts at Edora Pool Ice Center and Fossil Creek Park will be available from Fairgrounds Park between 10:00am and 2:00pm.

Map

Elevation Profile

Marathon:
625′ Gain / 631′ Loss
Net Downhill 6′
Max Elevation: 5190′
Min Elevation: 4891′


Half Marathon:
479′ Gain / 443′ Loss
Net Uphill 36′
Max Elevation: 5007′
Min Elevation: 4891′
 
 


5K:
59′ Gain / 59′ Loss
Net Uphill 0′
Max Elevation: 4934′
Min Elevation: 4964′

Course Description

Marathon

This is a road/paved race. The marathon course begins just SE of the Edora Pool Ice Center in Fort Collins on the Power Trail. Enjoy a fast downhill for the first quarter mile, then turn west on the Spring Creek Trail and through the underpass of Riverside Ave through Edora Park. On the park’s west end, you’ll encounter the first of two grade-level street crossings (Welch St) of the trail, as all the rest have pedestrian-only underpasses.

Follow the Spring Creek Bike Path as it traces the tree-lined waterway west-by-southwest across Fort Collins (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 MI) to the base of the foothills where the course tours both Cottonwood Glen and Spring Canyon Parks (6, 7 MI).

Exiting Spring Canyon, the course picks up the Fossil Creek Bike Path and heads in a southeasterly direction under CR38e and through the wide open expanses of Cathy Fromme Prairie (8, 9, 10 MI). Not only will you enjoy Long Views of the mighty Front Range Peaks through this section, but also a gradual 8 mile, 300 foot descent.

After passing through the Shields St. underpass, you’ll shortly be on the race’s namesake Long View Bike Path, heading south at street level before turning east onto Hilldale Ave for a quick neighborhood tour. In succession, enjoy short stints on Hilldale Ave, left onto Apple Dr, right onto Paradise Lane, right onto Fossil Creek Dr, and then left onto the Fossil Creek Trail through the new Redtail Grove Natural Area. Follow the trail under College Avenue and parallel Fossil Creek Parkway as you approach Fossil Creek Park (11, 12 MI).

The route traces the park perimeter (13 MI), winding by softball fields, historic sculptures and fountains before exiting at the SE corner Lemay underpass (14 MI). The route will head south for just under a mile on the pedestrian trail/sidewalk east of northbound Lemay Ave before connecting with the Front Range Bike Path paralleling Trilby Ave to the underpass that turns south under Trilby towards Carpenter Road. An eastern turn alongside Carpenter (16 MI) for a third of a mile then connects to the Front Range Bike Path’s second section, again heading south towards County Road 30 (17 MI).

Cross County Road 30 and turn east to stay on the pedestrian trail just under a mile, then turn right (south) paralleling Country Road 11C to the lighted crosswalk. Turn left (east) across CR11C onto the City of Loveland Recreational Path heading into Boyd Lake State Park (18 MI).

Turn south and follow the Loveland Recreational Path, enjoying the beautiful fall colors as the course meanders along the shores of Boyd Lake and through the park campgrounds (19, 20, 21, 22 MI). The trail exits the park continuing south through the Allendale Park neighborhood to the Eisenhower Boulevard (Hwy 34) (23 MI) underpass heading for the heart of downtown Loveland.

Your next two miles will follow the Loveland-Greeley Canal through town, crossing Boise Ave (24 MI) at street level, taking the Madison Ave underpass, and crossing 7th Street. Just past the Foote Lagoon, the trail crosses 1st Street and heads south on Washington Avenue (25 MI). Hop back on the pedestrian trail at the south end of Washington Ave, turning west under Lincoln Ave (US Hwy 287) and into Fairgrounds Park. Circle the perimeter (26 MI) clockwise up to the main pavilions in the NW corner and finish!

Half Marathon

This is a road/paved race.

The Long View Half Marathon starts on the east side of Fossil Creek Park, on the oval near the central pavilion. It traces the eastern and northern halves of the oval, heading NW, then continues west to connect with the Fossil Creek Bike Path by Lake Pavilion #2, and follows the trail around the western and southern sides of the park. The course crosses under Lemay Avenue via the trail’s underpass (1 MI) and then heads south for just under a mile on the pedestrian trail/sidewalk east of northbound Lemay Ave. Take a left on the Front Range Bike Path paralleling Trilby Ave to the underpass that turns south under Trilby towards Carpenter Road (2 MI). An eastern turn alongside Carpenter (3 MI) for a third of a mile then connects to the Front Range Bike Path’s second section, again heading south towards County Road 30 (4 MI).

Cross County Road 30 and turn east to stay on the pedestrian trail just under a mile, then turn right (south) paralleling Country Road 11C to the lighted crosswalk. Turn left (east) across CR11C onto the City of Loveland Recreational Path heading into Boyd Lake State Park (5 MI).

Turn south and follow the Loveland Recreational Path, enjoying the beautiful fall colors as the course meanders along the shores of Boyd Lake and through the park campgrounds (6, 7, 8, 9 MI). The trail exits the park continuing south through the Allendale Park neighborhood to the Eisenhower Boulevard (Hwy 34) (10 MI) underpass heading for the heart of downtown Loveland.

Your next two miles will follow the Loveland-Greeley Canal through town, crossing Boise Ave (11 MI) at street level, taking the Madison Ave underpass, and crossing 7th Street. Just past the Foote Lagoon, the trail crosses 1st Street and heads south on Washington Avenue (12 MI). Hop back on the pedestrian trail at the south end of Washington Ave, turning west under Lincoln Ave (US Hwy 287) and into Fairgrounds Park. Circle the perimeter (13 MI) clockwise up to the main pavilions in the NW corner and you’re done!.

5K

This is a road/paved race. The 5K course begins and ends at the finish line of the marathon & half marathon in Fairgrounds Park. From the start/finish at the main Fairgrounds Park pavilion, head south for 100 yards, then swing west toward Railroad Ave. At Railroad Ave, head SW for 50 yards and turn right onto the sidewalk. Trace the main loop path clockwise around the Rivers Edge Natural Area ponds, continuing WNW until hitting Taft Ave, then north to 1st St, and east until hitting the Big Thompson River Trail. Follow the trail across Railroad Ave and the bridge across the river, turning south just before hitting the east side parking lot. Continue south for 0.3mi to the next Big Thompson River Bridge, turn right, and continue straight north back to the finish.

Aid Stations

There will be 9 fluid stations along the Marathon route and 4 for the Half Marathon. Stations will be stocked with water, VFuel sports drink and (at select aid stations) VFuel gels and other snacks.

All runners are strongly recommended to carry a personal hydration system.

First-aid kits and portable toilets will also be available at aid stations.

Location Marathon Half
Gardens 3.0mi
Spring Canyon 6.1mi
Taft Hill Road 9.0mi
Pleasant Hill Lane 11.3mi
Fossil Creek Park 13.4mi
Vantage View 16.5mi 3.4mi
Boyd Lake North 18.5mi 5.4mi
Boyd Lake South 21.2mi 8.1mi
Wooden Mountain 23.3mi 10.2mi

Schedule

Friday, October 11, 2024
Pre-Race Packet Pickup TBD

Saturday, October 12, 2024
6:15AM – Packet Pickup Opens @ Marathon Start @ Edora Pool Ice Center, Fort Collins
7:00AM – Packet Pickup Opens @ Half Marathon Start @ Fossil Creek Park, Fort Collins
7:30AM – Marathon Start @ Edora Pool Ice Center, Fort Collins
8:30AM – Half Marathon Start @ Fossil Creek Park, Fort Collins
8:30AM – Packet Pickup Opens @ 5K Start @ Fairgrounds Park, Loveland
9:15AM – 5K Start @ Fairgrounds Park, Loveland
10:00AM – Shuttle buses begin operation
10:00AM-Noon – Awards Ceremony @ Fairgrounds Park, Loveland
10:30AM – Marathon Fossil Creek (Mile 13.4) Aid Station Cut-Off
1:30PM – Finish Line Closes @ Fairgrounds Park, Loveland
2:00PM – Final Shuttle bus run
2:00PM – Finish Line Party & Expo Closes

Spectator Access

While the full course is open to the public, please respect both the runners and local residents by not impeding traffic or parking in non-designated areas. We recommend the following spots for best trail access and parking for spectators.

Rules of Competition

  1. Obey all traffic signals and traffic control personnel (runners, crews and spectators).
  2. No littering. Place trash in bins, hand to race volunteers, or drop in designated cup drop zones immediately following aid stations.
  3. To continue the second half of the Marathon, you must leave the Fossil Creek Aid Station (mile 13.4) by 3 hours elapsed race time.
  4. No course cutting, early starts, late starts or alterations. You must run the full marked distance to be given credit for a finish.
  5. Your bib must be worn on the front and visible at all aid stations.
  6. For runner safety, bib transfers are only allowed via official RunSignup transfer procedures. Runners competing without a bib assigned to them will be considered bandits.
  7. Race bandits (runners using race amenities without an official registration) will be subject to disqualification and/or bans from future events.
  8. Do not act in a manner which, in the judgment of the race officials, interferes with race operations, other participants, or the integrity of the competition.
  9. No dogs will be allowed on course. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome at the Start/Finish and spectator access points.

Time Cut-Offs

The course and finish will close 6 hours after the start of the marathon and 5 hours after the start of the half marathon, at 1:30p.
To continue the second half of the Marathon, you must leave the Fossil Creek Aid Station (mile 13.4) by 3 hours elapsed race time.

Weather

October weather on Colorado’s Front Range can be somewhat unpredictable. Typically, you can expect morning lows in the mid 30s and daytime highs in the 60s. Some years have seen snow, some years have seen temperatures in the 80s. Fort Collins averages 300 days of sunshine a year. Expect blue skies, but come prepared for anything.

Packet Pickup

Pre-race packet pickup details will be announced when available.

Race day packets and registration will be available at each start line, from 6:15-7:30AM at the Edora Pool Ice Center parking lot for the Marathon, 7:00-8:30AM in the Fossil Creek Park pavilion for the Half Marathon, and 8:30-9:00AM in the Fairgrounds Park Pavilion for the 5K. The races will start promptly at 7:30AM, 8:30AM & 9:15AM respectively, so we will be enforcing a strict cut-off on the deadline to pick up packets.

Gear Bags

Runners are permitted to drop off a small bag at the start of each race for transport to the finish.
Bag drops will be located next to the start line of both races.
Please ensure that your bag is labeled with name and bib number before dropping off. We will have duct tape and sharpies if you need to label on site, but prefer that you do it ahead of time.
Bib numbers will be posted during race week, and you can look forward to another email update with that and more info.

Awards

All finishers will receive a unique finisher’s award as you cross the finish line.
We will recognize the top 3 male and female finishers in both the Marathon and Half Marathon in each of the following categories:
Overall
29 & Under
30-39
40-49
50-59
60+
We will recognize the top 3 male and female finishers in the 5K in each of the following categories:
Overall
Masters (40+)

FAQ

How did the Long View Marathon, Half & 5K come to be?

At the completion of the Long View and Front Range Bike Paths in Summer 2018, a dream to connect the towns of Fort Collins and Loveland by foot under the auspices of a timed race became possible. The route between the twin communities allows runners to access some of the most beautiful natural areas in the plains immediately adjacent to Northern Colorado’s towering Front Range Mountains.
That realization sparked a simultaneous vision in both Fort Collins-based Gnar Runners and Loveland-based Sweetheart City Racing. How better to showcase this special connection than creating an annual running celebration between the two towns and running communities. The Long View Marathon Half & 5K represent a unique collaborative experience for runners to enjoy!

Who are the Race Organizers?

Founded in 2011, Gnar Runners annually manages Fort Collins’ running crown jewel, the Horsetooth Half Marathon, in addition to numerous other road, trail and ultrarunning events.

Sweetheart City Racing brings the experience of six annual races up to 10K across Loveland’s streets and bike paths.

Through this partnership, their combined experience gives runners a one-of-a-kind taste of Colorado’s acclaimed racing scene.