Join us for The 4th Annual Dam Run at Castlewood Canyon! 

Sunday, September 17, 2017.  Trail run start time is 7:00 am. Run entirely on Castlewood Canyon State Park trails!  

Castlewood Canyon is a hidden treasure for trail runners and hikers. The park is a Colorado Natural Area providing great wildlife, plant community, and geologic viewing opportunities. A surprising remnant of local history is on display at the ruins of Castlewood Dam. This private dam burst during a storm in 1933, sending a wave of water flooding into Denver.  Runners and hikers will pass this unexpected window to the past, as well as the historic Lucas Homestead site.

This event is a fund raiser. ALL PROFITS will be used for the benefit of Castlewood Canyon State Park. 

There are only 300 spots available for the 10K and 5K trail runs. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The 10K TRAIL RUN - is about the variety of terrain on the trails! A true trail run - no asphalt here! This challenging race starts and ends at Canyon Point.  You will start at the Lake Gulch trail head and run down the Lake Gulch trail to the Dam trail where you will see remnants of the Castlewood Dam.  You will run up a steep incline to Rimrock where you will run along the rim of the canyon. Enjoy the views, but don't take your eyes off the trail for too long - running on the rim rocks is a little tricky! You will then head down a challenging and technical descent to Creek Bottom trail where you will cross Cherry Creek, run along the creek and past the beautiful waterfalls. You will then run back up the Dam trail to Inner Canyon trail, cross the creek and up steep steps to the finish line at the Inner Canyon trail head where we will be cheering for you.  

NEW THIS YEAR: 5K Course in addition to original 10K Course!

We are excited to introduce a new 5K event that will be run with the original 10K trail run! For the first .8 miles, runners in both events will share the course.  After crossing Cherry Creek, 10K runners will turn left and continue along the original course from the past three years.  5K runners will turn right and enjoy a shortened version of the course.  At 1.6 miles, 5K runners will emerge from the canyon and complete the remainder of the distance on our paved Canyon View Nature Trail.  For the final .2 miles, 5K runners will re-join the 10K course to finish in the same location.  Hikers are welcome on either course, but are respectfully requested to begin after the runners have started. The 5K course remains a trail run, and therefore baby joggers and strollers are not allowed. 

Unfortunately, NO dogs are allowed on either course.

Once you've completed your race, catch your breath and head over to the group picnic area to enjoy some hot homemade flapjacks! Stick around a little for the awards and door prizes.

Neither course is certified for length! The 10K course is long at approximately 6.5 miles. The 5K course is short at approximately 3.0 miles.

AWARDS INFO

Unique slate plaque awards showcasing the beauty of Castlewood Canyon State Park will be awarded to the top 2 male and female finishers in each of the 5K and 10K events.  The top male and female masters finisher in each event will also receive a slate plaque.  NEW IN 2017 - Masters category will include runners 50 years and over!