The Pony Express Trail Run is a beautiful 14+ mile trail run around Rampart Reservoir with the trees starting to show their fall colors. The scenery alone on this race will blow you away. By design, this race is small and is a best kept secret, as there is not …
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The Pony Express Trail Run is a beautiful 14+ mile trail run around Rampart Reservoir with the trees starting to show their fall colors. The scenery alone on this race will blow you away. By design, this race is small and is a best kept secret, as there is not enough parking or other infrastructure to make this a large race.
The route is an out-and-back with a loop on a rolling single-track dirt trail. In some places, the trail is rocky with exposed tree roots. The elevation ranges from 9,000-9,400 feet. The total elevation gain and loss is about 1,500 feet. Runners start on the Rainbow Gulch Trail and proceed clockwise around part the reservoir. Runners continue on a loop on the north side of the reservoir that includes the Schubarth Trail and Forest Service Road 307, and then return to the reservoir trail and back up the Rainbow Gulch trail.
The Pony Express Trail Run originated quite a few years ago, as far back as 1977. The initial PPRR newsletter of April of 1977 shows the Pony Express scheduled for October 15th. At that time, the race was run from Woodland Park to Monument. At one time, it was run on the Section 16 trails in SW Colorado Springs. It has been at the Rampart Reservoir location for at least 10 years, if not more.
The event has always made an effort to celebrate all of the runners. Thus overall and age-group awards are not given. Instead, every finisher is given a unique award each year.
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