A benefit for the North Fork Volunteer Fire Department and The Evergreen Chorale
THE 2013 RACE IS FULL!
Come on out and volunteer on race day or the day before. Details below.
The North Fork Trail Race is run entirely on trails in the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area in the Pike National Forest, starting and finishing along the rushing North Fork of the South Platte River in Pine Valley Ranch Park in Pine, Colorado, in the mountains 40 miles southwest of Denver. The course is very hilly and it is challenging for those who are not experienced mountain trail runners, but speedsters who are used to altitude find the course quite runable. The friendly aid stations, beautiful scenery and generous time limits make North Fork an excellent choice for a first trail ultramarathon. Runners get unique finisher awards, a high quality gender specific tech shirt, and a fabulous post-race barbecue. Come join us on June 29!!
You can see the list of entrants by clicking the "Entrants" button on the registration website at UltraSignup.
There is no wait list. Entries are non-refundable and non-transferable.
The North Fork Volunteer Fire Department, the primary beneficiary of the proceeds from the race, protects the area where the race is run. They have helped to battle a number of fires in recent years that have changed the landscape, opening up broad vistas of the high country, as you see in the photo above, and giving birth to new growth.
You will run through some of the burn areas, but most of the course is in pristine forests of ponderosa and lodgepole pines dotted with fields of wildflowers. Be sure to check out the photo gallery by clicking "photos" in the far upper lefthand corner of this page. The course is 100% trails, mostly single track and some double track, with mostly good footing, at altitude ranging from 6,700 to 8,100 feet for the 50K and up to 8,400 feet for the 50 Mile. Elevation gain is about 4,650 feet for 50K and 7,350 feet for 50 miles.
Part of the race proceeds will also go to the Evergreen Chorale, members of which will be volunteering on race day. Learn about the Chorale at http://www.evergreenchorale.org/ .
For those who have run the race, you will see some changes in the course for 2013, especially in the 50 Mile race. For both distances, that last loop before you headed to Pine Valley for the 50K finish is being moved to an earlier spot in the race. It adds a little in distance, but it will make the end feel easier. In the 50 Mile, there will be no trip down to Pine Valley mid-race and no repeat loop. Instead, runners will get to see the beautiful Green Mountain loop and do an out-and-back on a lovely section of the Colorado Trail to the Rolling Creek trailhead. Check out the 2013 turn sheets, course map and elevation profiles on the Course page.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are needed on race day and on the Friday before the race. On race day, we still need course monitors, early morning volunteers at the start, finish line help and general helping hands throughout the day. We need runners (or hikers or bikers) to go out ahead of the race to check course markings and sweeps to follow the last runners and remove course markings. We also need runners on Friday June 28 to help mark the course--a great way to get in a nice run on these beautiful trails. All running jobs can be broken down into segments as small as 5 miles and they can be done by hiking or biking, as well as running.
Email the race director at northfork50@live.com to volunteer.
Volunteers get a Tshirt and the fabulous post-race barbecue, as well as lots of fun and inspiration and the appreciation of the runners.
TRAINING RUN
There is one remaining Informal training run on the course on Sunday, June 9, at 8:00 a.m. at Pine Valley. The run will consist of the first 14+ miles and the last 7+ miles of the course. Complete details are in the instructions you can download below. You don't have to be registered for the race to run the training runs.
Email the race director at northfork50@live.com to sign up.
Click for the details:
June Training Run Instructions and Turn Sheet
