Teva Vail Half Marathon Returns to Back Bowls
Posted Wednesday, 18 July, 2007
Vail, CO - After a two-year hiatus, this Sunday’s (July 22) Teva Vail HalfMarathon will utilize some extraordinary trails on the Back Bowls of Vail Mountain for part of the route. “We were fortunate this year to get approval to use the Back Bowls from the USDA Forest Service and Vail Resorts. Combine these portions of the course with the popular trails on the front side of Vail Mountain and you have a spectacular course in terms of variety. We’ll also be at the height of the wildflower season in the Vail Valley which guarantees the runners fantastic scenery throughout the race,” said race director Joel Rabinowitz who also serves as sports director for Vail Recreation District.
The Teva Vail HalfMarathon is the third and longest event in the five-race Teva Vail Mountain Trail Running Series. At 14.5 miles, the course is over one mile longer than the traditional 13.1 mile distance of a half marathon. The race starts behind Gold Peak and travels up Benchmark to Mill Creek Road (the Village Trail) to the nine-mile point along the Back Bowls. There’s a short scramble downhill just beyond the 10-mile mark and then rolling to the finish line at Eagle’s Nest. There is approximately 4,000 feet of climbing with elevations ranging from 8,200 feet to the high point 11,653 feet. Five aid stations with Gatorade Endurance Formula and water will be located throughout the course as well as at the start/finish.
The top three male and female finishers overall and the top three finishers in each age group 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60+ will receive prizes from Teva and other sponsors. There will be no duplicate prize giving although all participants are eligible for random prize drawings.
In addition to top finisher awards, each participant receives a commemorative T-shirt and goody bag at the finish line. The T-shirts are designed by Bernie Boettcher, an artist from Silt, Colorado who is a perennial finisher of the series and was second in last year’s race.
Spectators can ride the gondola up the mountain to Eagle’s Nest to watch their friends and family members finish. There is no fee to ride the gondola between 8:45 and 9:45 a.m.
Named best race series of 2005 by regional magazine Colorado Runner, the Teva Vail Mountain Trail Running series celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. In order to be scored as a series finisher, participants must complete at least four events. Series awards will be presented at the September 9 event during the race awards ceremony. Last year’s series boasted more than 1100 participants with 25 runners completing all races in the series.
Individual race entry is $25 or $35 on race day. You can register Online at active.com, print out an entry form at www.vailrec.com and mail, or fax your completed entry, or stop by Vail Recreation District at 700 South Frontage Road East (the building with the large clock next to the tennis courts). You can register and pick up your runner number for the race at VRD on Saturday, July 21 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The event is open to athletes of all ages and abilities.
Series title sponsor Teva footwear recently introduced the Teva Trail Running Tribe and invites everyone to visit the website at www.teva.com/gorun/ . Series sponsors include First Bank of Vail, Jointworx Physical Therapy, Vail’s Mountain Haus, Tiga Advertising, Howard Head Sports Medicine Centers, Steadman Hawkins, Smartwool, and Gatorade. For more information including results and press releases from last year’s series, and to view course maps visit www.vailrec.com.
Top finishers (184 total finishers) from the 2006 event:
Men
1. Andy Ames, 43, 1:34:26
2. Bernie Boettcher, 43, 1:37:10
3. Kenneth Pliska, 40, 1:40:46
Women
1. Anita Ortiz, 42, 1:57:46
2. Aurora Leon, 33, 2:02:29
3. Heidi Vosbeck, 45, 2:02:44
Contact: Miller Lewis, (970) 479-2280, Vail Recreation District, mlewis@vailrec.com
or Nancy Hobbs, (719) 573-4133, trlrunner@aol.com
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