It was a record-setting morning at the 44th Annual Horsetooth Half Marathon in Fort Collins. Not only did the top three male finishers all finish under the previous course record time, but the event itself broke its own finisher record, welcoming 1,647 finishers.
Racing conditions were ideal, with temperatures starting around 40 degrees and warming up throughout the morning as the sun broke through the clouds. Participants were treated to a picturesque course offering views of the Fort Collins skyline between iconic peaks of Horsetooth Mountain and Arthur’s Rock. While the course is considered challenging, the famed New Belgium Finish Line Party is a finisher favorite, providing free beer, food, entertainment and more.
The Horsetooth Half always puts on a good show, perhaps due to the $4,000 total cash purse on the line, as well as a couple of other hitches race organizers throw in, including the King and Queen of the Mountain cash premiums to the first male and female to reach the timing mat at the top of Monster Mountain. With a stacked field and pristine racing conditions, this year’s race did not disappoint.
The men’s race was exciting, with all three top finishers reaching the top of Monster Mountain together. Tyler McCandless was King of the Mountain, but Gebrekidan Abadi would eventually put the hurt on the rest of the field, blasting the course and taking top honors in 1:07:28. McCandless finished second in 1:09:16, and Scott Dahlberg came in a close third in 1:09:29.
In the women’s race, Margaret Callahan lead wire-to-wire, winning Queen of the Mountain and first female in 1:23:27. Coming in second was Heather Utrata in 1:24:14, with Dani Cook a close third in 1:24:36.