Join us on a journey from Fort Collins to Loveland. The marathon begins at Edora Park in Fort Collins and ends at Fairgrounds Park in Loveland. The half marathon starts at Fossil Creek Park and also ends at Fairgrounds Park in Loveland. Along the way, whether in the half or the full, enjoy stunning mountain views as you piece together sections of the newly completed Long View and Front Range bike paths.
This is a road/paved race. The marathon course begins just SE of the Edora Pool Ice Center in Fort Collins on the Power Trail. Enjoy a fast downhill for the first quarter mile, then turn west on the Spring Creek Trail and through the underpass of Riverside Ave through Edora Park. On the park&rsquo;s west end, you&rsquo;ll encounter the first of two grade-level street crossings (Welch St) of the trail, as all the rest have pedestrian-only underpasses.
Follow the Spring Creek Bike Path as it traces the tree-lined waterway west-by-southwest across Fort Collins (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 MI) to the base of the foothills where the course tours both Cottonwood Glen and Spring Canyon Parks (6, 7 MI).
Exiting Spring Canyon, the course picks up the Fossil Creek Bike Path and heads in a southeasterly direction under CR38e and through the wide open expanses of Cathy Fromme Prairie (8, 9, 10 MI). Not only will you enjoy Long Views of the mighty Front Range Peaks through this section, but also a gradual 8 mile, 300 foot descent.
After passing through the Shields St. underpass, you&rsquo;ll shortly be on the race&rsquo;s namesake Long View Bike Path, heading south at street level before turning east onto Hilldale Ave for a quick neighborhood tour. In succession, enjoy short stints on Hilldale Ave, left onto Apple Dr, right onto Paradise Lane, right onto Fossil Creek Dr, and then left onto the Fossil Creek Trail through the new Redtail Grove Natural Area. Follow the trail under College Avenue and parallel Fossil Creek Parkway as you approach Fossil Creek Park (11, 12 MI).
The route traces the park perimeter (13 MI), winding by softball fields, historic sculptures and fountains before exiting at the SE corner Lemay underpass (14 MI). The route will head south for just under a mile on the pedestrian trail/sidewalk east of northbound Lemay Ave before connecting with the Front Range Bike Path paralleling Trilby Ave to the underpass that turns south under Trilby towards Carpenter Road. An eastern turn alongside Carpenter (16 MI) for a third of a mile then connects to the Front Range Bike Path&rsquo;s second section, again heading south towards County Road 30 (17 MI).
Cross County Road 30 and turn east to stay on the pedestrian trail just under a mile, then turn right (south) paralleling Country Road 11C to the lighted crosswalk. Turn left (east) across CR11C onto the City of Loveland Recreational Path heading into Boyd Lake State Park (18 MI).
Turn south and follow the Loveland Recreational Path, enjoying the beautiful fall colors as the course meanders along the shores of Boyd Lake and through the park campgrounds (19, 20, 21, 22 MI). The trail exits the park continuing south through the Allendale Park neighborhood to the Eisenhower Boulevard (Hwy 34) (23 MI) underpass heading for the heart of downtown Loveland.
Your next two miles will follow the Loveland-Greeley Canal through town, crossing Boise Ave (24 MI) at street level, taking the Madison Ave underpass, and crossing 7th Street. Just past the Foote Lagoon, the trail crosses 1st Street and heads south on Washington Avenue (25 MI). Hop back on the pedestrian trail at the south end of Washington Ave, turning west under Lincoln Ave (US Hwy 287) and into Fairgrounds Park. Circle the perimeter (26 MI) clockwise up to the main pavilions in the NW corner and finish!

Fun, Picturesque Race between Two Great Towns

The Long View Marathon - Race Reviews