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<p>This was the second time this race has been held and it was a new course this year. I figured with all the tough races I have scheduled this summer it would be a good workout.</p>
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<p>The race started next to the 5 star Broadmoor Hotel, went uphill 4.2 miles to the Will Rogers Shrine, then down 2 miles to finish in the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The up was continuous, as was the down - no flat areas at all. From start to the turnaround the course gains about 1500 feet in elevation, then comes back down about 900. All on nicely paved roads.</p>
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<p>The race is held as a fund raiser for the zoo and there is also a 5K. It's billed as a family friendly race and there were people who just walked most of the course(s) with their kids or pushing a running stroller. However, there were some of the local fasties out running as well.</p>
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<p>I lined up near the front and got off to a decent start. The first mile is the most gradual of the uphill, gaining about 150 feet. Some people went blazing by, but I knew I'd pass some of them later when the real work started. The next mile gained about 450 feet and that's when people started coming back to me. The 2 mile mark is right at the entrance to the zoo and the start of the road up to the shrine. As I ran through the zoo on the way up I could hear the lions roaring in their enclosure. Just kept a steady pace going and enjoyed the magnificent views of the city as the road climbed up toward the shrine. Soon I saw the leaders on the way back down and they were flying! The lead guy, Peter, is trying to qualify for the U.S. Mountain Running Team and he had a huge lead. He'll likely be doing a race with Thor later in the year.</p>
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<p>I finally made it to the top and had to switch gears from grinding uphill to flying downhill. I was giving it all I had and I hit exactly a 6:00 pace for mile 6, my fastest ever in a race. I think I may have gone even faster in the mile from 4.5-5.5, but didn't record splits that way. Once the course got back down to the zoo, it wandered around for the last .2 or so on the walkways before finishing in the middle of the zoo.</p>
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<p>My time was 52:47 and I ended up winning my AG by about 12 minutes as none of the other fast guys in my AG were there. I was 30/306 OA. Interestingly, of the 614 people who did the 5K, my time was better than 314 of them.</p>
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<p>The course was challenging and it wouldn't be surprising for this race to grow as more people hear about it. This area has a large number of "mountain goat" runners who like these tougher courses.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The race started next to the 5 star Broadmoor Hotel, went uphill 4.2 miles to the Will Rogers Shrine, then down 2 miles to finish in the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The up was continuous, as was the down - no flat areas at all. From start to the turnaround the course gains about 1500 feet in elevation, then comes back down about 900. All on nicely paved roads.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The race is held as a fund raiser for the zoo and there is also a 5K. It's billed as a family friendly race and there were people who just walked most of the course(s) with their kids or pushing a running stroller. However, there were some of the local fasties out running as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I lined up near the front and got off to a decent start. The first mile is the most gradual of the uphill, gaining about 150 feet. Some people went blazing by, but I knew I'd pass some of them later when the real work started. The next mile gained about 450 feet and that's when people started coming back to me. The 2 mile mark is right at the entrance to the zoo and the start of the road up to the shrine. As I ran through the zoo on the way up I could hear the lions roaring in their enclosure. Just kept a steady pace going and enjoyed the magnificent views of the city as the road climbed up toward the shrine. Soon I saw the leaders on the way back down and they were flying! The lead guy, Peter, is trying to qualify for the U.S. Mountain Running Team and he had a huge lead. He'll likely be doing a race with Thor later in the year.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I finally made it to the top and had to switch gears from grinding uphill to flying downhill. I was giving it all I had and I hit exactly a 6:00 pace for mile 6, my fastest ever in a race. I think I may have gone even faster in the mile from 4.5-5.5, but didn't record splits that way. Once the course got back down to the zoo, it wandered around for the last .2 or so on the walkways before finishing in the middle of the zoo.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My time was 52:47 and I ended up winning my AG by about 12 minutes as none of the other fast guys in my AG were there. I was 30/306 OA. Interestingly, of the 614 people who did the 5K, my time was better than 314 of them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The course was challenging and it wouldn't be surprising for this race to grow as more people hear about it. This area has a large number of "mountain goat" runners who like these tougher courses.</p>
