2024 Dynafit Vail Trail Running Series wraps up Sept. 14 on Meadow Mountain

The Vail Recreation District recently issued the following press release on the finale of the 2024 Dynafit Vail Trail Running Series on Saturday, Sept. 14 :

The Vail Recreation District wraps up the 2024 Dynafit Vail Trail Running Series on Sat, Sept. 14 with the Dynafit Meadowgold 10K & 5K, presented by the Town of Minturn. Sign up now at vailrec.com/register and don’t miss this scenic race, taking place at one of the Vail Valley’s most beautiful venues – Meadow Mountain in Minturn, Colorado. We can’t wait to celebrate the end of a fantastic season with all of our racers!

The 10K starts at 9 a.m. with the 5K start following at 9:15 a.m. 10K runners will ascend technical singletrack on the West Grouse Trail with multiple stream crossings and fields of wildflowers. At the high point and nearly halfway through the 10K race, runners will begin the descent to the finish on a double track with open views of Vail Mountain and the Gore Range. The 10K course climbs 1,362′ in roughly 6.6 miles. 5K runners will enjoy a 1.5 mile double track ascent of 500+ vertical feet through mountain meadows and past old homesteads before making a u-turn and quickly descending to the finish line. Course maps are available here.

The Meadow Mountain course is remote, so please be prepared to be self-sufficient while racing! There will be an aid station on the course at mile markers 1.0 and 2.0 for 5K runners and mile markers 1.0, 3.7, and 5.6 for 10K runners. In an effort to reduce our environmental impact, we have gone cupless! Please bring your own hydration system to refill with water or Skratch Labs hydration mix.

Pre-race registration and bib pickup will be available on Fri, Sept. 13 from 4-6 p.m. at Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea in Minturn. Racers get 20% off bulk coffee, tea, and Vail Brewing Company beer at Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea when they pick up their bib on Friday!

Race day bib pickup and registration are available at the Meadow Mountain race start from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. for the 10K and until 9 a.m. for the 5K. Online registration ends at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13. 

The race starts at the Minturn Ranger Station, off U.S. Highway 24, just north of Minturn. From I-70, take exit 171 toward Minturn. Turn right and you will see signage regarding parking less than half a mile ahead. 

Runners can pick up their custom race T-shirt and a delicious Northside Kitchen donut at the race finish. Join us for the after-party at Magustos Pizza & Burger Pub following the race, where Meadowgold and series awards will be given out! Racers can enjoy free pizza and, for ages 21 and up, free beer from Mountain Time Lager and Best Day Brewing while we celebrate another great season! As always, every runner is entered to win great raffle prizes from our sponsors; the drawing takes place following awards. 

REGISTER EARLY & SAVE!

Visit www.vailrec.com/register and save on individual races by registering prior to race week. Participants do not need to be registered for the series to participate in individual races.

Individual race cost for the 10K is $38 preregistered, $45 week-of and $55 day-of. 5K rates are $30 preregistered, $36 week-of and $45 day-of. Student rates are $25 preregistered, $30 week-of and $37 day-of.

Race details are available at www.vailrec.com. For more information or to become a race series sponsor, call the VRD Sports Department at 970-479-2280 or email sports@vailrec.com.

SERIES POINTS

View series points here. To be in contention for the series champion, runners must have participated in five of the seven series races. Your top five finishes count towards your point total.

For the 5K series, runners must have participated in three of the five 5K races, with the top three finishes counting towards the total. Runners that competed in all of the series races (seven for the series, five for the 5K series) will be given a series award. These awards will be handed out after the Meadowgold race. Please check out the series pointsand notify Wyatt Smith at wsmith@vailrec.com by Sept. 13 if your results are incorrect, missing, or if you have questions on points.

MORE RACING!

Although the Dynafit Vail Trail Running Series is coming to an end, we are excited to offer the NEW Cougar Ridge Classic Vail-Minturn 26K on Sat, Sept. 28! Registration is limited to 175 racers, so sign up now to participate in the inaugural event, starting at 7 a.m. in Lionshead. We will also be hosting the 3rd Annual Mighty Marmot Kids Trail Races this fall with three races taking place around the valley, open to ages 4-10.

Thank you to our racers, spectators, volunteers, staff and sponsors for a great season of trail running! The VRD’s Vail Trail Running Series is yours thanks to our title sponsor Dynafit and our presenting series sponsor Bloch & Chapleau Attorneys at Law. Individual race sponsors include Beck Building, Riverwalk Wine & Spirits, Vail Daily, Town of Eagle, Town of Minturn, Elevated Dental, East West Hospitalityand Mountain Haus. Partners also include Capitol Public House, FirstBank, Steadman Clinic, Central Rockies Mortgage, Jaunt Media Collective, Yeti, Mountain Time Lager, Skratch Labs, Northside, Lululemon, Optic Nerve, Outdoor Tech, Vail Honeywagon, Vail Resorts, Arrowhead, Best Day Brewing, Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea Co., West Vail Liquor Mart, Kahtoola, Black Diamond, Ciele Athletics and Alpine Wine & Spirits.