Emerald Mountain Epic Course Guide

It is genuinely tough for a trail marathon and half. The race's own description calls the course "90% single track, 100% dirt, and major elevation gains," and the Marathon carries two hard intermediate cutoffs, 9:00 AM at 6 miles and 10:30 AM at 12.8 miles, that redirect or pull slower runners before they reach the back half. Formerly known as the Steamboat Stinger, the event has a long reputation as a serious mountain trail race, not a scenic fun run.

The consequences are specific and worth knowing before you start. If you do not reach the Beall/Ridge aid station (6 miles in) by 9:00 AM, you are redirected onto the half marathon course instead of continuing on the full marathon. If you do not reach the Cow Creek/Beall Trailhead (12.8 miles in) by 10:30 AM, you are asked to return to the start/finish line via a race vehicle rather than continuing on foot. Both cutoffs run on real clock time from the 7:00 AM marathon start, so know your pace target for the first 6 and 12.8 miles specifically.

Full Marathon runners pass 8 aid stations and Half Marathon runners pass 5, most stocked with water, premixed electrolyte drink, Sport Gels, fruit, cookies, chips, and crackers, though a few stations (Top of Little Moab and Bottom of Ricky's) are water only. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the marathon, and keep sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, adjusting for a Colorado August morning at real mountain elevation where the air is drier than it feels. Know which of your aid stations are full aid and which are water only so you are not caught short on carbs at a water-only stop. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.

The Full Marathon passes Bottom of Angry Grouse at mile 2.5 (full aid), Top of Wild Rose at mile 5.3 (full aid), Bottom of Ridge at mile 10 (full aid), End of Cow Creek Rd at mile 12 (full aid), Top of Beall at mile 18.4 (full aid, same location as the mile 5.3 station), Top of Little Moab at mile 20.5 (water only), Prayer Flag Rd at mile 21.6 (full aid, same location as the mile 2.5 station), and Bottom of Ricky's at mile 23.8 (water only) before the finish. The repeated locations mean the course revisits some of the same terrain, so plan your effort with that structure in mind rather than expecting new ground at every checkpoint.

The Half Marathon shares the marathon's early aid stations: Bottom of Angry Grouse at mile 2.5 (full aid) and Top of Wild Rose at mile 5.3 (full aid), then Top of Little Moab at mile 7.4 (water only), Prayer Flag Rd at mile 8.5 (full aid), and Bottom of Ricky's at mile 10.7 (water only) before the finish. That is 5 aid stations across a shorter, less exposed version of the marathon route.

The Half Marathon is a reasonable step into serious mountain trail racing, with 5 aid stations and no intermediate cutoff of its own to worry about beyond the overall course close. The Full Marathon is a different proposition: 90% singletrack, major elevation gain, and two hard intermediate cutoffs by mile 12.8 mean it suits a runner who has trained specifically for mountain vert and pacing discipline, not someone chasing a road marathon time on trail. Either way, your entry supports Routt County Riders and Partners for Youth, the event's biggest annual fundraiser for both nonprofits.