Events
Running Up for Air - Staunton - 24 Hour Team - 4 Person
Running Up for Air - Staunton - 24 Hour Team - 2 Person
Race Website
Additional race information can be found at http://www.upforairseries.org.
Place
12102 S Elk Creek Rd
Pine, CO US 80470
Description
The Up For Air Series is a collection of endurance events created to amplify informed dialogue and empower individuals and organizations actively working on air quality solutions. Proceeds from Up For Air events are directed at carefully selected non-profit groups who demonstrate high value influence strategies and efforts in the battle for better air. The race platform is used to expose participants and the general public to science-based material about the importance of healthy air. All events are conducted with a minimal footprint philosophy.
Running Up For Air-Staunton is the Colorado edition of the Running Up for Air Series: a 3, 6, 12, or 24-hour winter endurance challenge that takes place at Staunton State Park in Colorado. Now in its 6th year, Running Up for Air Staunton was launched in 2017 to raise money in support of the fight for improved air quality for those who live along the front range of Colorado - extending from Ft. Collins to Pueblo. The race concept is pretty simple: participants run a 7.1 mile marked trail loop from the start at the Lazy V parking lot as many times as you can in the allotted time. Each lap is 7.1 miles, give or take, and offers just over 1600' of gain, and conditions can be tricky in the winter months - think snow and ice! The time of year - February - is intentional as it coincides with the latter part of the winter inversion "season" here in Colorado. Given the time of year the route is inevitably almost entirely snow covered and can easily involve harsh winter mountain conditions.
RUFA-Staunton is scheduled for February 24-25, 2023. New this year is the option to do a team for the 24-hour and 12-hour events. In the 24-hour, teams can be 2 or 4 person, and in the 12-hour teams can be 2-person. Here, too, runners are expected to become fundraisers to support the good work of our selected nonprofit partners, the Wilderness Society, Protect Our Winters and Conservation Colorado, chosen for their hard work improving our air quality and preserving and protecting our natural environment.
This year, we have also partnered with Wander Project to ensure all of our athletes have the fundraising supports they need to help us hit our goal of $30,000!
Race Contact Info
Course Images - Staunton
Course images, taken 2/20/22:
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RUFA-Staunton takes place on a beautiful piece of Colorado public land, Staunton State Park, with runnable trails and majestic views, less than an hour from Denver. Runners will do as many loops as possible in their allotted time.
RUFA-Staunton: Directions and important race info.
RUFA - Staunton - 2023: A Green Event
Directions
Staunton State Park is located just 45 minutes from Denver, along highway 285: Staunton State Park is located here: http://bit.ly/RUFA-CO20 . There is a $10/vehicle fee for entering the park. This fee is not part of your race registration, so we encourage you to carpool to reduce both the number of cars going to the park (we are focused on clean air, after all) and the bucks you all spend on getting in. If you do carpool, and share with at least one other registered runner, you will not be charged the normal entry fee.
This map shows the new parking lot and the location of the S/F. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1PTsH-VkKRWGNaVbrUTJd4dzZkjETaG_i&usp=sharing
Cup Free Event
In the spirit of what this event is all about, we are doing everything we can to ensure that we minimize our - and your - footprint (pun totally intended). To that end, we will not be offering cups for runners at the start or at the aid station. Of course, there will be hydration beverages available, but all runners will need to provide their own bottles or reusable cups. Thanks for helping us ensure that we are all doing our part.
Carpooling.
There is limited parking at the race site and we are always conscious of the environmental impact, especially since we are running up for cleaner air, of all kinds of cars, so we ask that all runners please carpool. No one should come with just a single runner in their car.
Directions
Staunton State Park is located here: http://bit.ly/RUFA-CO20 The new course map is available now. Check it out. There will be an aid station at the S/F and an upper aid station, at the upper intersection of Mason Creek and Bear Paw trails.
Course Map and Elevation
Here is new and updated course map for 2023, and the elevation for each lap. This course was new for 2022, and was well received by our runners. One thing we wanted to do is make sure that those of you running for 3 hours could get at least 2 laps in, though you'll still have to hustle a bit.
This year's course will start and finish at the new upper parking lot, the Lazy V, which opened in January 2022. This lot is about 1.5 miles up the park road from the picnic structure (Ranch Hand) that was the S/F of our event in 2020. There are restrooms at the upper lot! We will also have a heated tent at the S/F, which will serve as race HQ and our main aid station.
Each lap of the new course is approximately 7ish miles, less than our 2020 course, with about 1400 feet of elevation gain (and descent). The course is as follows:
Start at the new upper lot, head up from the lot and ascend the Old Mill Trail to where it intersects with the Mason Creek Trail (approx 1 mile) , go right and follow Mason Creek to the upper intersection of Mason Creek and Bear Paw (about 1.2 miles), go right on to Bear Paw and follow Bear Paw to the lower intersection of Bear Paw and Mason Creek (approx 2.3 miles), go left up Mason Creek back to Old Mill, about 2 miles, then back down Old Mill to the Start/Finish area.
Parking/Start-Finish
The map below - also viewable via this link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1PTsH-VkKRWGNaVbrUTJd4dzZkjETaG_i&hl=en&ll=39.51026639179409%2C-105.39327355691528&z=17 - Shows the location of the start finish and race HQ area. There will be NO parking in that upper most lot (the circle) but there is plenty of parking in those longer parking areas, just below the circle.
Fundraising
Thank you for joining us in this year’s Up For Air (UFA) series as a runner, volunteer, and, most importantly, a FUNDRAISER! As you set your goals for the number of those frosty laps you will run or volunteer hours, the UFA series wants to challenge you to set an individual fundraising goal. In turn, you will support the UFA series in reaching its 2023 goal of raising $100,000 by March 31, 2023.
This year we are asking each participant to Become A Fundraiser to support these efforts, and our partners at Wander Project are here to support your fundraising goals. As an added incentive, there will be prizes for the TOP FUNDRAISERS!
We are also bringing charity bibs to our 2023 events to help you turn your passion into purpose.
How does a charity bib work?
A charity bib is a free entry into one of the RUFA Staunton Rocks individual events listed below in exchange for helping raise awareness and funds for an organization of YOUR choice. We have already identified some nonprofits that are doing fantastic work that fits nicely into the RUFA mix, including The Wilderness
Society, Protect Our Winters, Conservation CO, and, of course, us at Suffer Better. However, if you have a cause in your local community that inspires you to do more, you can choose them as the organization you are raising funds for right at registration!
Check out EVENT DETAILS for specific charity bib information about each event.
Utah
Breathe Utah
Utah Clean Energy.
Colorado
The Wilderness Society
Conservation Colorado
Protect Our Winters (POW)
Montana
Climate Smart Missoula
Washington
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