I had a great experience running the inaugural Indian Summer Half Marathon on 9/13/09. The weather was cool (46 deg F at the start), calm and cloudy. The race organizers do not get credit for the good weather, but they do get credit for choosing a date that has the potential for good running weather. The view of the mountains was stunning and there was very little traffic to contend with. I estimate 80% of the surface is gravel roads and 20% is paved.
The course is a figure 8 that has a net elevation gain of 220 ft for the first half. This feature allowed me to run negative splits. The course starts out with a loop around the parking lot and then heads out onto 51st/55th St. The gravel road initially was washboard with two long uphills. I was thankful the race was not an out and back because running negative splits on 51st/55th would have been a challenge. 51st/55th was so rough one of the leader bicycles lost it's chain. The surface was a lot smoother after about 2 miles when we turned onto Neva Rd. The second half was downhill on Neva Rd, then followed a ditch to the reservoir dams, then onto Reservoir Rd and finished at the parking lot. I hope the organizers change the course for next year so the first part is also over the dam and 51st/55th Sts are avoided. I think the Indian Summer Half Marathon is going to become a Boulder classic. I know I will run in it next year even if the course is not changed.
The course is a figure 8 that has a net elevation gain of 220 ft for the first half. This feature allowed me to run negative splits. The course starts out with a loop around the parking lot and then heads out onto 51st/55th St. The gravel road initially was washboard with two long uphills. I was thankful the race was not an out and back because running negative splits on 51st/55th would have been a challenge. 51st/55th was so rough one of the leader bicycles lost it's chain. The surface was a lot smoother after about 2 miles when we turned onto Neva Rd. The second half was downhill on Neva Rd, then followed a ditch to the reservoir dams, then onto Reservoir Rd and finished at the parking lot. I hope the organizers change the course for next year so the first part is also over the dam and 51st/55th Sts are avoided. I think the Indian Summer Half Marathon is going to become a Boulder classic. I know I will run in it next year even if the course is not changed.
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