Black Squirrel Half Marathon

The Black Squirrel Half Marathon will take place on the wonderful trails of Lory State Park to the northeast of Fort Collins, Colorado. The half marathon course offers a tour of the outer boundaries of Lory State Park, providing breathtaking views to the south and east of Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins and the Great Plains; and to the West of the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountain swell. The race covers a variety of terrain, all of which is runnable although technical in places. After a mile of dirt roads, the course ascends a little under four miles and 1,500 feet to the apex at 7,000 feet on Lory’s west ridge. The views are well worth the climb. A bomber descent follows, leaving three and a half miles of beautiful, gently rolling hardpacked singletrack into the finish. Our aim is to offer a trail running experience that is challenging, yet accessible to all. Start : Lory State Park , Bellvue, Colorado Distance : 13.5 miles with ~2,000 of vertical gain/descent. Kids : 1 mile on gently rolling singletrack. Min/Max Elevation : 5,400 /7,000 Average Elevation : 6,100 Terrain : 12 miles dirt singletrack, 1 mile dirt road Fauna : Black abert squirrels, black bears, other more colorful animals Registration Cap : 400 Time Allowance : 5.5 hours Date : September 12, 2026 Registration Fees for the 2026 Black Squirrel Trail Half Marathon are as follows: Dec 15 – February 28: $90 $6.40 fee March 1 – May 31: $100 $7.00 fee June 1 – Sep 4: $110 $7.40 fee Packet Pickup: $125 What You Get in Return for Your Registration Fee A beautiful, challenging and well-marked course on some of the best trails in Fort Collins Enthusiastic, knowledgeable race and aid station volunteers Fully stocked aid stations Free entry to Lory State Park for the day Generous 5.5 hour cut-off time Gender specific race T-shirt Pint glass finisher award and overall and age group awards Post race pancake breakfast Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and non-alcoholic options are available as part of our standard race f