Horsetooth Half Marathon Race Report

With climbs at 6.5-9% grade within the first five miles and peaks with names of Monster Mountain, Dam Hill and Bingham Hill there is a reason the Horsetooth Half Marathon is considered one of America’s toughest half marathons.  Throw in the altitude and you have yourself one tough and honest road race!

Coming off a long base build from January thru March I was looking forward to this event as a glimpse into my overall run fitness.  I heard about the toughness of this course and Saturday evening finally took a gander at the course profile.  Noting the serious climb up Monster Mountain out of the gate I figured I would ease into this bad boy and be patient through the first five miles.  I ran smart and comfortable keeping several guys in range and was sitting in 10th or 11th place through five miles.  The downhills were tough on the quads and I was able to keep the gaps consistent.  Through seven miles I was getting into a good rhythm and slowly started to reel in a couple of guys.  The pace was quick, but not over-the-top fast as we pressed onward to the final push into a moderate headwind.  The last four miles were mentally tough after battling the hills and now running into a headwind.  I continued to focus on my form and keep up my work rate.  Within the final .5 mile I caught a strong runner who I had been chasing from the top of Bingham Hill.  Heading towards the finish and New Belgium Brewery (gotta love a race ending outside a Brewery) I made a surge and we ended up crossing the line with exact same time of 1:16 and change.

The volunteers, crowd support and post-race party hosted by New Belgium Brewery were top-notch.  All in all a great start t0 2012!

Keep it smooth,

Brad