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Race
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Race
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REGISTER ONLINE
(Begins 11am PST
4/15/13)
Chosen by Trail Runner Magazine as one of "America's 14 most scenic races"
and by Colorado
Runner as 2008's
Best
Half Marathon, the Salomon Golden Leaf is one of the most beautiful foot races in the Rockies. This 13.3 mile half
marathon traverses from Snowmass Village to the heart of Aspen on mountain trails and roads at the height of
Colorado's breathtaking fall colors.
2012
Race Results
Age Group Results -
click here
Overall by Gender -
click here
Overall -
click here
2011 Race
Results
Age
Group Results
-
click here.
Overall
Results -
click here.
2010
Race Results
Age
Group Results
-
click here.
Overall
Results -
click here.
Registration
(Begins 4/15/13
11am PST)
Cost
$60 (pre-registration through 9/8/13)
$70 (pre-registration thru 3pm 9/20/13)
$80 (race day registration 9/21/13)
(Cost
includes
refreshments,
raffle,
awards &
t-shirt ) |
Sorry, Race Registration is CLOSED as of 4/22/13. The race cap
of 1000 participants (Per the USFS permit) has been reached. There is no
waitlist for the race. Please see
the Race Registration Transfer section on this page in order to obtain a spot
through that method. Thanks. |
Pre-registration -
Is CLOSED as of 4/22/13.
To download a
pdf registration form (Available 4/15/13 11am PST) -
Closed 4/22/13
Online Registration
(available 4/15/13 11am PST)
- Closed 4/22/13
Race Day Registration - the race will probably be
filled prior to race day. In the event it is not, race
day registration is 7-8am
in the conference room of the Westin Snowmass Resort
adjacent to the race start.
Race Registration Transfer
Transfer of registration from one person to another
will be allowed until September 6th. All transfers must
be delivered to the
Ute
Mountaineer, 210 S. Galena St, Aspen, CO 81611. In order
to transfer your registration, you must supply the
following:
1) a letter
from the original participant stating the transfer, the
name of the new participant & contact info of
original participant.
2) A completed registration form for the new
participant and
3) a $10 transfer fee (cash or check
made out to the Ute Mountaineer).
To download a pdf registration,
click
here
on April 15th.
The City of
Aspen has set up a Facebook page to help people hook up
for registration transfers.
Click
here
for the link to
that page.
The new participant will have to
reimburse the original participant for any race fees.
Refunds will not be issued by the race
organizer. Any transfer information that is not complete
or is received at the Ute Mountaineer after September
6th will be sent
back to the return address on the envelope.
PLEASE NOTE: The
race organizers
have the right
to disqualify
any participant
attempting to
sell or buy
entry (via
transfer) into
the race at a
price higher
than the
original
purchase price.
These
participants
will also be
prevented
from entering
future Golden
Leaf Half Marathons.
Please read
waiver agreement
when signing up.
Maximum Race
Participation /
Waves
Maximum Participation:
1000
Waves
Due to the number of participants, 6 wave starts
have been implemented for 2013. The waves will start 5
minutes apart: Wave
1
@ 8:30, Wave 2 @ 8:35, Wave 3 @ 8:40, Wave 4 @ 8:45,
Wave 5 @ 8:50, Wave 6 @8:55.
You can determine which wave
you
are in when you pick up
your bib or check back here for wave postings the week
of the race. Wave placement will be
based on historical and estimated finish times. All
registrations received after Sunday 9/8 (including race day
registrations)
may
be placed
in a later wave if other waves are full.
Historical Time:
Previous Golden
Leaf times will
be used for wave
placement unless
the runner has
has not
participated in
this
event before.
Historical times
will be looked
at for all
competitors.
Estimating Your
Time:
Typically you
can add 30
minutes to road
half marathon
with no
elevation gain
(more if you are
unaccustomed to
an elevation of
8000 feet).
Another way to
estimate your
time is to
compare yourself
to how racers
finished
in 2011. Out of
781
finishers in
2012, the
following
results were
achieved: 1st
place - 1hr
25min; 50th
place - 1:55;
100th
place -
2:03; 195th
place (top 1/4)
- 2:14; 390th
place (middle of
the pack) -
2:31; 585th
Place (top 3/4)
- 2:49. Please
try
to be
realistic
with your time
as this will
allow the waves
to work properly
and reduce
congestion on
the course.
If a time is
not
entered,
participant will
be placed in the
final wave.
Race
Packets
Bibs, Chips &
Goody bags
(including
t-shirts) can be
picked up at the
Ute Mountaineer
on Wednesday
9/18 & Thursday
9/19
9am-8pm and
Friday 9/20 9am-6pm. They
can also be
picked up race
morning from
7-8:15am at the
race start. The
race start
location remains
the same, BUT
race day packet
pick-up is in
the conference
room of the
Westin Snowmass
resort just off
the
Snowmass Village
Mall.
---WE ENCOURAGE
ALL RACE
PARTICIPANTS TO
PICK UP THEIR
PACKETS PRIOR TO
RACE DAY---
Timing Chips
Timing
Chips are
connected to
your bib. If you
lose your bib,
you lose your
timing chip –
there is no
replacement chip
available.
It is the
racer’s
responsibility
to keep track of
their bib/timing
chip.
Race Cancellation
The Golden Leaf has been cancelled 1 time in 34 years (in 2007) - due to snow and treacherous conditions. Under
such conditions, every effort will be made to hold the race, but the director reserves the right to delay, shorten or even
cancel the event. There is also the possibility
that the United States Forest Service can cancel the
race if the trail conditions
could lead to irreparable damage to the trail or safety
issues. There will be no refunds in the event of race cancellation.
Race Results
Race results will be available after the races at the finish line,
at the Ute Mountaineer, and on this website on the
Monday following the race. Race results will be overall, by gender and by age group. The following age group
categories will be used: 13 & under, 14-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69,
70+.
For past race results,
please
click here.
Awards &
Raffle
Awards ceremony will begin at 12:15pm after the race and
raffle will begin at 12:30pm. Awards will be provided to the top three
male and female finishers (Cash: $200 1st, $125 2nd, $75 3rd) as well as the top three finishers in each age group.
All participants and volunteers are eligible for the raffle.
Food Service
Lunch is available to all race participants at the
finish. Just present your race bib. This will be
hole-punched to allow one time
access to food. Food service begins 10:30-10:45am.
Gear Shuttle
There will be a free gear shuttle from the start of the
race to the finish line. We recommend using your own day
pack as that is
usually easier to find at the finish
line. We will have bags and markers available at the
start however.
Course
Start: The race starts at 8:30 on Fanny Hill at the
end of the Snowmass Village Mall. In an effort to reduce
congestion on
the race course, there will be 6 wave starts. Wave placement will be based
on historical and estimated finish
times. Waves
will
be posted prior to packet pick-up
the week before the race. You can determine which wave
you are
in when you pick up
your bib
or by checking back on this website. If you do not provide a time, you
will be placed
in wave 6. The waves will start
5 minutes
apart: Wave 1
@ 8:30, Wave 2 @ 8:35, Wave 3 @ 8:40, Wave 4 @ 8:45,
Wave 5
@ 8:50, Wave 6 @ 8:55. For
directions to the
start, please see the "TRAVEL"
section.
Finish: The finish line for the
course is at Koch Park in Aspen.
Aid Stations/Cut-Off Times:
Aid stations
with medical assistance & beverages will be available at approximately 1.75,
6.5
and
10.5 miles.
This is a running race (not walking). Cut-Off times are approximately 40
min at the 1.75 mile mark(1st
aid
Station), 1 hr 10min at the 4 mile mark (where the
Government Trail leaves the Elk Camp Ski Area Rd) and 3 hours at
the10.5 mile mark(3rd aid station).
If you cannot
achieve these times, you will be asked to exit the race
course and medical
personnel and sweeps will pass by you.
Course Map: To download a
course map with GPS point, please
click here.
Course
Description 2013
(Updated
9/13/12):
The Golden Leaf
starts on Fanny
Hill just off
the pedestrian
mall in Snowmass
Village at an
elevation
of
about 8650ft.
The course
climbs up a ski
area access road
about 400 yards
to a building
where the
road
splits. You will
take the road
that wraps
around behind
the building
(going to the
right). The road
is fairly flat
here until it
reaches
the Dawdler work
road, where it
takes a sharp
left. The uphill
grind continues
here. Follow this
road a couple
hundred
yards to
a
pond where
there is a fork
in the road.
Take the right
fork (the pond
will be on
your
left) & ascend
to the 1st aid
station at about
1.63 miles
(elevation
approx. 9465
ft). The
Government Trail
intersects the
road at
this
point. The West
Government Trail
was
permanently
realigned
on the Snowmass
Ski Area a few
years ago. The
Golden Leaf will
be following
this new
alignment.
The trailturn-off (and
the aid station)
will now
cut off about
two hundred
yards before the
old turn-off
and aid
station. The
trail is
still to the
left (east). It
follows a well
cut and marked
trail (called,
again,
Government
Trail) until it
meets the
old
trail
just before the
broken down
footbridge that
was at the old
two mile mark.
The Government Trail is a single track that contours the mountainsides
between Snowmass
& Buttermilk
before
descending
to
the outskirts of
Aspen. The trail
is dirt with
some obstacles
(rocks, roots,
etc.) and the
terrain is hilly
aspen forests &
meadows. The 1st section
is a rolling
descent across
Snowmass Ski
Area. At about
3.25 miles, the
trail merges
w/a dirt
road
(Alpine
Springs work
road). Proceed
downhill on this
road and look
for the trail to
your right after
100 yards.
Shortly,
you
will make a
steady 100yd
climb up a ski
run to an
abandoned work
road. Follow
this road to the
left and
slightly
downhill until
you intersect
Elk Camp Road
(approx. 4
miles). Turn left
and go downhill
on the road
until you hit
the
Government
Trail turn-off
to the right.
Take this to the
right and you
will be on the
old race course
alignment again.
There
are many
signs and maps
here. The course
then continues
on as it has in
the past.
It goes down a
long gradual
hill to a
meadow. Soon you
will exit the
ski area. There
is a significant
hill climb of
about 300 ft.
just before the
Second Aid
Station (6.5
Miles, elevation
approx. 9360 ft).
Following the
aid station, you
are rewarded w/
some
relatively flat
to declining
terrain.
The next landmark is a Forest Service gate (just after 8 miles) followed
by a very rocky
flat section.
Subsequently,
the course
begins a gradual
descent across
Buttermilk and
then the trail begins an extended
steeper descent
into Maroon Creek. One section of the downhill is a
power line cut followed by an intersection with a
service road.
Abandon the trail and follow the road for about 400
yards, even though the trail falls steeply off to the
left. The third aid
station (10.5 miles) is on this short road section.
The trail from the aid station diagonals across the
ski slope following first a double track then a single
track until it
leaves the eastern margin of the ski area. The trail
then winds down to the Tiehack road which is followed to
the north
until taking a hard right onto the Terral-Wade bridge.
After crossing the bridge the route leaves the asphalt,
taking a trail
to the left (thru the Moore Property). After about a
mile running in the sage the route leads out onto the
Maroon Creek
Pedestrian bridge, takes a left onto the bike path and
takes the next left onto the Castle Creek Pedestrian
bridge. On the
path leaving the bridge where it takes a hard left the
route takes a hard right instead. Follow a single track
by a pond on
the right. The path goes left here and diagonals to the
community garden across the parapet/hanglider landing
zone. The
route goes right where the access to the garden is on
the left and follows double tracks to the bike path
leading over the
Marolt bridge. Taking a left off of the bridge onto 7th
street the route leads to Hopkins Ave. where it follows
the adjacent
bike path a few blocks until the turn up to Little Cloud
Park. After taking this turn, a hard left is taken onto
the dirt path on
the old train right of way. The path is followed a few
hundred yards to the finish line.
PLEASE NOTE
- there may
be changes to
the course based
on ski area
maintenance and
USFS
requirements.
Please check
back 3 weeks
prior to the
race.
Caution!
This is a
backcountry race
course and
contains many
obstacles
including
embedded rock,
loose rocks and
dirt,
roots,
water and more.
In addition to
possibly
hazardous trail
conditions,
weather
conditions can
change rapidly
in the
Aspen
Snowmass
area. Whereas
there are
volunteer
medical
personnel along
the course and
at aid stations,
there is
no
guarantee of
rescue or
medical
attention. Each
participant is
ultimately
responsible for
their own rescue
and preparation
for course and
weather
conditions.
Course Profile:
Travel
Directions to Start: From Hwy
82, turn south on Brush Creek Rd towards Snowmass
Village. Follow Brush Creek Rd
until you hit the Main Bus Stop in Snowmass Village. The
Snowmass Village Mall is on the same level as the bus
stop.
Follow the mall to the end. There will be signs
directing you to registration. The actual starting line is out on the
ski area
slopes at
the end of the mall.
Directions to
Finish:
From
Snowmass Village
Follow Hwy 82
into Aspen where
it becomes Main
Street. Before
the first of
4 consecutive
traffic lights
(just after the
Molly Gibson
Lodge and before
Paepcke Park)
turn right on
Garmisch St. The
race finish is
at Koch Park
which is on the
fourth block on
your right.
Parking in
Snowmass
Village:
There is lots of
free parking in
Snowmass. Lots
1-5, 8, 10-13
are free with no
time limit.
There is also
underground
parking
below
the Snowmass
Base Village
(down the hill
from the start)
Shuttles:
Bus service and race shuttle times have not been
determined.
Please check
back 3 weeks
prior to the
race
for this
information.
Lodging:
For detailed
lodging
information in
Aspen and
Salomon Golden Leaf
deals, please
click
here.
Please mention
that
you are a
Salomon Golden
Leaf
participant. All
rooms are on a
first come first
serve basis. Call Stay AspenSnowmass at
877-831-5645.
Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search & Rescue (CORSAR) Card
Pitkin County requires that all participants obtain a valid CORSAR card for the date of the event. These are available in
Aspen at the Ute Mountaineer and the Tenth Mountain Hut Association.
Or they can be
purchased online
- please click
here.
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