2024 Dynafit Trail Running Series kicks off on Saturday with Boneyard Boogie 14k and 6k

Beth Pappas, the Vail Recreation District’s sports event and partnership director, said her team of race organizers is “always dreaming” when it comes to planning events. One fantasy is coming to fruition this summer in the form of a new race.

The 2024 Vail Recreation District trail running series kicks off on Saturday with the Boneyard Boogie 14k and 6k in Eagle. The 7-event schedule builds up to the premiere of a standalone race: the ‘Cougar Ridge Classic.’

“We got the approval and the support from the Town of Vail and the Town of Minturn, the Forest Service is on board, Vail Resorts is on board, so it’s happening and we’re really excited about it,” Pappas said regarding the 26-kilometer trail ultra from Vail to Minturn.

Preliminary course maps indicate the Cougar Ridge Classic will be a 14.75-mile race with 3,410 feet of elevation gain. Runners will climb Vail Mountain via Gitalong Road and the Cabin Trail to MidVail, criss-cross to Eagle’s Nest before connecting with the Grand Traverse. From there, athletes will hook up with Cougar Ridge, head around Lionshead Rock and drop into the Game Creek drainage before finishing in the town of Minturn.

Pappas said the event was a “collaborative idea” that’s “been a long time in the making.”

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“Dynafit, our title sponsor of the series, has always been interested in a longer distance,” she explained. “That sub-ultra distance has become very popular. The ultimate goal will be to grow this into a multi-day trail running festival … a sub-ultra, maybe a kids race, stuff like that. But for the first year, we want to grow, do it right and do it well.”

Pappas said the event will be unique in at least a couple of ways. Nonprofits will ‘own’ each of the five aid stations. Racers will vote on their favorite stop, with the winning group receiving a donation. There’s also going to be prize money for elite athletes and age group podium awards.

“There’s going to be some fun things worked into that event that we haven’t done in the past,” Pappas added. 

The traditional trail run series, which has been going for 24 years, promises to bring smiles, too. Athletes can expect “well-marked routes, aid stations, experienced volunteers and courses which are challenging for the elites and enjoyed by the beginner,” the VRD’s registration website states.

Wyatt Smith — the recreation district’s new sports coordinator — said being a trail runner himself gives him an additional appreciation for the “backbones” of an event.

“The volunteers, the aid stations — I truly believe the better it’s built, the more enjoyable it is for everyone,” he said. Smith knows participants arrive at town series events with different mindsets and he enjoys catering to a variety of goals.

“It’s really exciting to build fun events and while (participants) push themselves, hear how happy they were about it,” he continued before adding the community aspect is what makes Vail’s series special.

“As someone who has raced other events, when I finish them, it’s me talking to a few friends I showed up with,” he said. “There’s not always that community aspect that we have. You very easily make new friends at our races.”

Two other draws are the approachable size and stunning locations, the organizing team said.

“It’s not a Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon with 50,000 people,” Pappas said. “You’re out there with 250 of your best friends — which is still a lot, but it’s small enough that people can make friends.”

“You’re also racing, running or walking in some pretty spectacular areas,” added Nell Davis, marketing director.

Each event — aside from the iconic Berry Picker and Vail Hill Climb uphill-only events — features a 5-kilometer distance as well as a longer distance option. Cost of participation in the entire series is $245 for longer-distance events and $130 for the 5-kilometer series. Individual events range from $25-50 if pre-registered and $37-70 on the day of the event. To register, visit vailrec.com.

Awards are given to the top-3 males and females in each age group at each race. Additionally, an overall series champion, determined by the best five results in the longer-distance series and the best three results in the 5-kilometer series, are recognized at the end of the season. Each event also includes a post-race party, finish-line refreshments and an awards ceremony. Finally, every registered racer is entered into a raffle give-away and has access to race photos for free.

“We’re big on providing those,” Smith said.

The third-annual Mighty Marmot trail series for youths ages 4 to 10 kicks off on Sept. 6 at Little Beach Park in Minturn. The three-race series also includes stops at Miller Ranch Open Space in Edwards (Sept. 20) as well as a new event starting at the Beaver Creek Ice Rink on Oct. 4. Each race begins at 4 p.m. and includes 1 and 2-mile options. Parents can run with their children. Pappas said participation in the Mighty Marmot events has blossomed the past two years.

“Our kids are super active here, so there’s definitely a demand,” she said.

“We’d love to keep drawing that younger demographic,” Davis added. “That’s the future of the sport. So how do we reach them, how do we talk to them is definitely a conversation we’re always having.”