Running Up for Air - Staunton Rocks

that takes place at Staunton State Park in Pine, Colorado. Now in its 10th 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 all the way from Ft. Collins to Pueblo where air quality is a real and significant issue. The race concept is pretty simple: participants run a brand new 4.6 mile marked trail loop as many times as possible in the allotted time. Each lap offers some1000' of gain, and conditions can be tricky in the winter months - think snow and ice! The time of year - winter - 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 and/or ice covered and can easily involve harsh winter mountain conditions. RUFA-Staunton is scheduled for March 12 and 13, 2027. This year, based on feedback from our incredible community we've made some major changes to our event: a new, shorter loop and a March start. The new loop is just 4.6 runnable miles and means you do not go both up and down Old Mill's death ice each loop! Whew.You'll like that. We are offering the 24-hour event, both for individuals and teams of 2 or 4 runners. If, however, we do not have at least 20 individuals registered for the 24-hour event by March 7, 2027, we will be forced to cancel that portion of the event. We do ask all runners to become fundraisers to support the good work of our selected nonprofit partners: Conservation Colorado Education Fund and Western Resource Advocates, both chosen for their hard work improving our air quality and preserving and protecting our natural environment. We do not require any set amount, but fundraising is important to support the work of our great partners. We also have special prize packages for our top fundraisers. We will also be offering some cool fundraising incentives to help you - products from our amazing partners at each fundraising level: $250, $500 and $1000. Wanna run for free: If you raise 10X your registration fee, you will be refunded what you paid to run the race! This year we've also instituted a referral program for all participants. Each registered runner receives a custom code when they sign up that they can share with friends and fellow runners. If 3 people sign up using your code, you receive an automatic partial refund. The goal is to get you to drag your friends along for the ride. Misery loves company, after all.