2017 Colorado Trail Race

UPDATE (Race Recap): This year’s Colorado Trail Race brought on the worst weather in the history of the CTR, showcasing a healthy mix of super dry sections with no water and plenty of rain that took a toll on the riders’ spirits. There were no records broken this year, and about 25% of starters finished, compared to the usual 50% we have seen in previous years. Seth Michael came in first place with an unofficial finish time of 5 days, 5 hours, 40 minutes. Second place was taken by Greg Lewis with an unofficial finish time of 5 days, 16 hours, 18 minutes and Justin Dubois took third place with an unofficial finish time of 6 days, 7 hours. Meghan Newlin was the only female finisher with an unofficial time of 8 days, 16 hours, 27 minutes. Although not part of the race, Benjamin Handrich (Pedals, Packs, and Pinots) and his friend Jay rode the trail this year as well, and published some daily updates and videos, check them out here. 

The Colorado Trail features 500 miles and 70,000′ of elevation gain winding through the Colorado Rocky Mountains between Denver and Durango. Approximately 300+ miles of singletrack at elevations ranging from 5500′ to a gasping-for-breath 13,200′. The CTR is a monster! If the monster is in a good mood, you may experience Colorado’s beautiful sunny blue skies and wildflowers blooming as far as you can see! But, be warned — the CTR’s mood can change on a whim, and you may just as likely find yourself getting besieged by massive hailstones and lightning bolts. In short, don’t come to this race unprepared — no one will be there to rescue you.

The CTR is similar to The Arizona Trail 300 and Tour Divide. There is no entry fee, no support, no registration, and no prize money. It is a self-timed ITT (Individual Time Trial): all that is provided is a route description, a suggested start time, and a list of results. However, all individuals participating are strongly encouraged to donate time or money to the Colorado Trail Foundation. Without them, we wouldn’t have this trail!

Follow the race here:

For more on the CT, click here. Also, watch this film to get a sense for the race culture and terrain.