RUN ITCOMMUNITY 53photo: GamefacemediaMissoula MarathonWhere and When to race
Summer racing season is here, giving most runners lots of opportunities to put their training to
the test. While the heat of the summer can make running difficult in some parts of the country,
you’ll find plenty of races with early or late starts to take advantage of those long summer days.
Here are some of our favorite events in the months ahead.
By Jeff Banowetzhumana rock ’n’ roll chicago
half marathon
July 16, Chicago
Runrocknroll.com/chicagothis summer marks the ninth running of the Rock ’n’
Roll series event in the chicago, and the half mar-
athon has grown to one of the city’s most popular
events. the loop course starts downtown in Grant
park and takes runners on a tour of the near north
and near west sides of the city. the course then
heads south to Burnham park before hitting the
Lakefront for a final 3 miles north with one of the
best views of the city skyline.aspen Valley marathon
and half marathon
July 15, Aspen, Colo.
Aspenvalleymarathon.comtake to the trails of colorado for this scenic race
that offers incredible views of the aspen Valley.
Yes, those traveling from outside colorado have
the added element of altitude, but the mostly
downhill, point-to-point course is surprisingly
fast. the course is on the Rio Grande trail, a mix
of about 80 percent paved trail and 20 percent
hard-packed dirt, that follows the Roaring fork
River for much of the route.missoula marathon
and half marathon
July 9, Missoula, Mont.
Missoulamarathon.orghead to Big Sky country for this summer mara-
thon and half marathon that highlights the area
around this beautiful town on the clark fork River
where five mountain ranges converge, earning it
the nickname “hub of the five valleys.” But while
you’ll see the mountains in the distance, the point-
to-point course is fairly flat. the marathon starts in
frenchtown, mont., and winds its way to a finish in
downtown missoula.marathons/half marathons
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