Lory State Park will host several races in August and the public is welcome to come join in the fun! All spectators driving into Lory State Park will be required to purchase a Colorado State Parks Pass, $7 for a daily pass or $70 for an annual pass, good for 12 months at all state parks.

Tuesdays, August 7/14/21/28: Lory State Park Mountain Bike Challenge 
Registration: 4:30 to 5:45 p.m.; Races: 5:45 p.m.

The Mountain Bike Challenge kicks off its four-week run on Tuesday, Aug. 7 with races for youngsters and adults around the park. The races, co-sponsored by the non-profit Ciclismo Youth Foundation, are the highlight of the grass-roots mountain bike season.

Held on the four consecutive Tuesdays in August – Aug. 7, Aug. 14, Aug. 21 and Aug. 28, the event includes three races for youngsters under eight years old through high school, plus four adult categories. The mountain bike courses vary in length, depending on the rider’s skill level.  Registration, held at the Soldier Canyon Area, runs from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.  Youngsters under 18 race free and adults pay $10, with all proceeds benefiting the Ciclismo Youth Foundation, which promotes and creates youth cycling opportunities in the community. The races start at 5:45 p.m.

Volunteers will direct participants where to park. Car pooling is strongly encouraged.  Most participants and spectators will be directed to the parking lots near Soldier Canyon and along the frontage road to allow the park staff to safely manage all cars and keep parking away from the race area.

Saturday, August 10: XTERRA Triathlon

Lory State Park will host the XTERRA Triathlon on Saturday, Aug. 10th. All trails in the park are open and the trails not included in the race will be available to the public. There are 325 competitors, from beginners to experts, registered for the event. The XTERRA Triathlon series, held at 70 sites in 38 states, is the nation’s premier off-road tri series designed to provide age group athletes with a racing championship opportunity within their geographic region. 

Visitors are welcome to watch the XTERRA Lory Triathlon, which features a one half mile swim in the clear waters of Horsetooth Reservoir, one of the most scenic swims in the state with canyon walls on both sides.  The next phase of the race is a two lap, 12.2 mile single-track bike over rolling terrain, and across the bridges at Lory State Park. The final leg is a challenging 4.8 mile (8k) run through the clouds on single-track trails.

Saturday, August 31: Black Squirrel Half Marathon

The inaugural running of the Black Squirrel Half Marathon, will take place on August 31 at Lory State Park. The half marathon course offers a tour of the outer boundaries of Lory State Park, providing breathtaking views to the east of Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins and the Great Plains; and to the West of the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountain swell.

The race covers a variety of terrain, all of which is highly runnable and largely non-technical. After a mile of dirt roads, the trail ascends a little under four miles and 1,500 feet to the apex of the course at 7,000 feet on Lory’s west ridge.The views are well worth the climb. A rapid and somewhat technical descent follows, leaving three and a half miles of beautiful, gently rolling hard packed single-track into the finish. For more information and registration please visit: http://gnarrunners.com/black-squirrel-half/.

Lory State Park, located in beautiful Bellvue offers visitors a variety of rugged terrain and the stunning vistas of the northern Colorado Front Range. The park covers almost 2,600 acres and features 26 miles of trails that lead through forest, meadows and rock-outcroppings, offering visitors great terrain for mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, bouldering, and horseback riding. Additional information on Lory State Park is available at: www.parks.state.co.us/Parks/Lory.

Logo courtesy Colorado Parks & Wildlife