Hit the streets and trails for a healthy way to help out worthy charities.
Hit the streets and trails for a healthy way to help out worthy charities. Whether trotting through paved suburbia on a 5K jaunt or grinding to the top of Jupiter Peak alongside sinewy competitors, the opportunities for conquering little and big goals while amassing good karma and cash for non-profits are boundless.
July 4
JULY 4TH 5K MOUNTAIN FUN RUN
BENEFITTING THE PARK CITY SKI TEAM
It’s tradition. For almost three decades, Parkites have kicked off Independence Day with this popular 5K. Virtually every demographic is represented: elite speedsters cranking out five-minute miles, parents pushing baby joggers, elementary-aged kids and grandparents cruising past the golf course and the surprisingly spritely roll-out-of-bed after-a-night-in-the-bars crowd. The running (or walking) course weaves through Thaynes Canyon and ends within striking distance of Old Town’s all-day July 4th revelry. Let the fireworks begin.
runnercard.com or 435-649-4806 (Cole Sport)
July 21
FRIENDS OF ANIMALS UTAH
5-K9 FUN RUN (& 1K WALK)
BENEFITTING FRIENDS OF
ANIMALS UTAH
Tails can’t help but wag for this canine- friendly fiesta. With a start and finish at Willow Creek Park, about half of the 300-person pack runs with a leashed friend. While pooches lap up the kiddie pools (strategically located for halfway point cool-down), their two-legged sidekicks revel in the bounty of the event’s coveted swag bag. The 5K kicks off the non-profit’s Bark in the Park Festival.
foautah.org or 435-659-9472
Aug 4
TRIPLE TRAIL CHALLENGE. JUPITER PEAK STEEPLECHASE
Aug 18
PARK CITY MARATHON (AND HALF MARATHON)
Sept 3
FUNKY 5K
BENEFITING ARTS-KIDS
In honor of Miners’ Day (a.k.a. Labor Day), this whacky, costume-bedecked run travels a stretch of The Rail Trail with start and finish in City Park. Organizers have beefed up efficiency and instituted CHIP timing, but the funky fun remains intact. The pièce de resistance: the caterpillar category, which requires a team of five to run together
in a connected fashion. Chances are that “Brigham” and four of his wives will make an encore appearance.
arts-kids.org or 435-615-7878
Sept 8
MID-MOUNTAIN MARATHON
BENEFITTING MOUNTAIN TRAILS FOUNDATION
This trio of longstanding, hardcore events is great fodder for post-race bragging rights. Whether embarking on one challenge or all three, runners are guaranteed opportunity to test their mettle while surrounded by breathtaking sites along the trail or road. The steeplechase is a 16-plus mile loop of switch-backs up the highest peak in town (a vertical gain of more than 3,000 feet) with an extraordinarily fast downhill. At 7,000, the out-and-back Park City Marathon is no walk in the park; the 26.2-mile and 13.1-mile courses traverse undulating, dirt and paved pathways through town. For the trail runner, Mid-Mountain Marathon follows the gorgeous and hilly single-track (originally called the 8,000-foot trail) through parts of all three ski resorts. Now, that’s runners’ high.
mountaintrails.org or 435-649-6839
Oct 13
THE PINK SERIES HALF MARATHON (AND 5K)
BENEFITING A TBA NON-PROFIT DEDICATED TO
SUPPORTING CANCER PATIENTS & GIRLS ON THE RUN
Autumn takes on a decidedly pink hue as ladies of all ages—wearing the breast cancer-awareness color in everything from headbands to tutu—weave through town in a high altitude half marathon. In its second year, this empowering, women-only event also includes a 5K option. You go, girls!
thepinkseries.com or thepinkseries@gmail.com
