SUNSET TRAIL RUNNING FESTIVAL
sunday, june 23
Want to be an Event Sponsor? Options - HERE
Want to be a Race Volunteer? Then sign up - HERE
Join us on Sunday, June 23rd, 2024, for the Sunset Trail Running Festival in Gold Hill, CO! Hosted by The Boulder Watershed Collective and in collaboration with T.E.A.M Boulder, all money raised from the event will be donated to the town of Gold Hill, and will fund wildfire preparation and response initiatives such as forest restoration, home hardening, emergency planning, land stewardship, and community resiliency.
This event provides an opportunity for the Front Range trail community, to show its support for small mountain town communities that live with a high risk of disruption and destruction from wildfire, while providing visitors with access to their unique character, beauty, and the surrounding landscapes.
<< 2023 RACE VIDEO >>
Race Details
Runners can choose between a 28K (17.4M), 12K (7.7M), 5K, or Kids 1K trail race. All distances start and finish on the main street of Gold Hill at the Gold Hill Inn, and the longer distances are run, in part, on the National Forest System roads. Runners will enjoy varied terrain of dirt roads and trails through ponderosa pine and aspen forests while taking in amazing views on these challenging courses.
The 28K course heads south to Salina, and then west along Fourmile Canyon Dr to the historic town of Sunset. From there, runners will head north up the Switzerland Trail and back to Gold Hill. The 12K course heads west along Gold Hill Rd to the famous Mount Alto Picnic area and back into town.
Post-race
After the race, celebrate the day with your family, friends, and fellow participants at our after race party! We will have food, drinks, music, and a chance to win trail running gear and local goods!
REMEMBERING THE HISTORY OF SUNSET AND GOLD HILL
Gold Hill is the oldest continuously occupied mining town in Colorado and today is home to around 200 permanent residents. The town was established in 1859 after placer gold was found in the nearby Gold Run Creek and soon became a beacon for economic opportunity as settlers moved west. By the late 1800s, Boulder was a hub of activity that supported nearby mining operations with the help of a rail line, The Switzerland Trail, that wove through and between the canyons and small mining towns west of Boulder.
Sunset, the namesake of this trail running festival, was once a small, bustling mining town and a stop on The Switzerland Trail. During the race, the 28K runners will pass through Sunset around mile 10 before continuing up The Switzerland Trail until they join with the 12K runners at the site of the historic Mount Alto Picnic Area, a resort destination for train travelers.
This more recent history of The Boulder Valley and its historic human-built sites was made possible only by the unlawful and unjust claim of land by white settlers. This theft was in direct opposition to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, which protected the Arapaho and Cheyenne nations and their land, and it went against the agreements prospectors made with Chief Niwot, chief of the Southern Arapaho.
Today, there are ample opportunities to honor, celebrate and learn from the Indigenous Peoples whose homeland we now live, recreate on, and travel on, as well as all of the communities of people, animals, and plants that have existed here through time.
We hope that through this event, runners and spectators reflect on and honor this history and acknowledge the ways to live more mindfully within these wildfire resilient landscapes.
To learn more about the Indigenous history of The Boulder Valley and the ways you can participate in healing with the land and its People, there are many resources including those available through Right Relationship Boulder and the Museum of Boulder.
The Boulder Watershed Collective
The Boulder Watershed Collective (BWC), in partnership with fire districts and many other local, state and federal partners, is working to increase the resilience of our forests and communities through strategic and multi-objective projects that prioritize community safety and adaptation, protection of clean drinking water sources, wildlife habitat, and watershed health. To learn more about their work and mission, visit The Boulder Watershed Collective’s website.
To make a donation to BWC, you can do so - HERE.
Accessibility Accommodations
Please contact Cat (cat@boulderwatershed.org) to let us know of any accessibility needs so we can make accommodations.
Races
Gold Hill Inn - 401 Main St, Boulder, CO 80302
Race Day Information - HERE
ALL RUNNERS RECEIVE -
Finishers Medal
8:00AM - 28K (17.4M) (Participants must be 18 years or older)
Race starts and finishes at the Gold Hill Inn, with the race running through the town of Salina, Sunset, and back to Gold Hill on the Switzerland Trail. (Course Map and Profile)
FREE T-Shirt (If registered before Wednesday, May 29th)
PRIZE MONEY
OPEN MALE & FEMALE
1st Place $150
2nd Place $100
3rd Place $50
MASTERS MALE & FEMALE
1st Place $50
AID STATIONS -
1 - 4.36M - Gold Run Rd/ Fourmile Canyon Dr
2 - 10.06M - Sunset
3 - 14.64M - Gold Hill Road/ Switzerland Trail
9:00AM - 12K (7.7M) (Participants must be 13 years or older)
Race starts and finishes at the Gold Hill Inn, with the course going to the Mount Alto picnic area and back. (Course Map and Profile)
FREE T-Shirt (If registered before Wednesday, May 29th)
PRIZE MONEY
OPEN MALE & FEMALE
1st Place $75
2nd Place $50
3rd Place $25
MASTERS MALE & FEMALE
1st Place $25
AID STATIONS -
2.75M & 4.95M - Gold Hill Road/ Switzerland Trail
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9:00AM - 5K (Participants must be 7 years or older)
Race starts and finishes at the Gold Hill Inn. (Course Map and Profile)
FREE T-Shirt (If registered before Wednesday, May 29th)
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10:00AM - Kids 12 years & under - 1K
Race starts and finishes at the Gold Hill Inn. (Course Map and Profile)
FREE T-Shirt (If registered before Wednesday, May 29th)
BUS TRANSPORTATION
PRICING - To Gold Hill and return to Boulder.
Race Participants - FREE
Adult - $9.00
13 - 19 years - $6.00
6 - 12 years - $3.00
5 years & under - FREE
PLEASE NOTE: We encourage all runners and spectators to utilize the free shuttle to and from Boulder, leaving from Boulder County Justice Center (1777 6th St, Boulder, CO 80302). To ensure minimal vehicle impact and disruption to the Gold Hill community on race day, parking will be very limited. The cost per car will be a required cash donation of $30.00.
Current Bus List - HERE.
BUS TIMETABLE -
BOULDER to GOLD HILL
Leave 6:30AM - Arrive 7:00AM
Leave 7:00AM - Arrive 7:30AM (LAST Bus for the 28K)
Leave 7:30AM - Arrive 8:00AM
Leave 8:00AM - Arrive 8:30AM (LAST Bus for the 12K/ 5K & Kids 1K)
GOLD HILL to BOULDER
Leave 11:00AM - Arrive 11:30AM
Leave 12:00PM - Arrive 12:30PM
Leave 1:00PM - Arrive 1:30PM
Registration
Register - HERE - For the Sunset Trail Running Festival. Registrations will close Saturday June 22nd at 11:59PM. There are NO Race Day Registrations and there are NO Race Refunds!
To get your FREE T-Shirt, your must register BEFORE WEDNESDAY MAY 29.
You don’t want to run, and just want to make a donation to the Boulder Watershed Collective? You can do that - HERE
Race Day Information - HERE
Registration cost per person:
28K (17.4M) (Participants must be 18 YEARS +)
Now - 3/3 $60.00
3/4 - 6/18 $70.00
6/19 - 6/22 $80.00
12K (7.7M) - 20 YEARS & OLDER
Now - 3/3 $40.00
3/4 - 6/18 $45.00
6/19 - 6/22 $55.00
12K (7.7M) - 19 YEARS & UNDER (Participants must be 13 YEARS +)
Now - 3/3 $30.00
3/4 - 6/18 $35.00
6/19 - 6/22 $45.00
5K - 20 YEARS & OLDER
Now - 3/3 $30.00
3/4 - 6/18 $35.00
6/19 - 6/22 $45.00
5K - 19 YEARS & UNDER (Participants must be 7 YEARS +)
Now - 3/3 $20.00
3/4 - 6/18 $25.00
6/19 - 6/22 $35.00
1K - 12 YEARS & UNDER
Now - 3/3 $10.00
3/4 - 6/18 $15.00
6/19 - 6/22 $20.00
* ALL Gold Hill Kids get FREE entry in the 1K!
Cost includes aid station support, timing, T-Shirt (If registered before May 29th), after race food and refreshments, a free Avery Brewing Company beer (must be 21 years or older) and a participant medal.
SPONSORS
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