FORMAT
100K, 50 Mile, 50K, Half Marathon, and the Baby Bear 10K.
95% of the course is on soft surface and single track dirt trail.
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The Bear Chase Trail Race
The Bear Chase Race Endurance Festival is a 100K, 50 Mile, 50K, Half Marathon and the Baby Bear 10K trail race at beautiful Bear Creek Lake Park, in Lakewood, CO.
An excellent race for first time trail and ultramarathoners, runners will experience a variety of challenging terrain and sweeping panoramic views throughout the race. The course is pretty fast (by trail/ultra standards), and not overly technical.
Voted Best Trail Race in Competitor Magazine’s “Best Of” runner poll, 2010-2016.
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Elevation
Approximate elevation gain & change:
- Baby Bear 10K = 495 / 990 ft.
- Half Marathon = 820 / 1,640 ft.
- 50K = 2,115 / 4,230 ft.
- 50 Mile = 3,240 / 6,480 ft.
- 100K = 4,050 / 8,100 ft.
Weather
- Date: Last weekend in September
- Avg Low: 41°
- Avg High: 76°
- Record Low: 29° (1985)
- Record High: 91° (1992)
- Avg Precipitation: 0.03″
- Avg Snow: NA
Parking
Runners will be shuttled to the Start/Finish area from an off-site parking lot (details coming soon). Spectators with a daily or annual Bear Creek Lake Park pass may park inside the park at designated lots, (a short walk from the Start/Finish area), or take the free runner shuttle. Volunteers will park in a lot adjacent to the Start/Finish area for free.
Cup-Free Racing
In an effort to minimize trash on the trails, The Bear Chase is a CUP-FREE RACE. We will not provide paper cups for water and electrolyte drink, and all runners will be responsible for carrying their own refillable hand-held bottle or hydration system. With an average distance of only 2.5 miles between each aid station, you’ll appreciate not needing to overload your bottles with fluids. Paper cups will be provided for soda, however you will be required to throw your cup away before leaving the aid station. Also, following the trail runner mantra of “leave no trace”, any runner found intentionally littering on the trail will be disqualified from the race.
Course Cutoff / Limit
There will be a hard cutoff for all ultrarunners at 6:00pm. Any runner who has not started their final lap by 6:00pm will not be allowed to continue. 100K runners missing the hard cutoff will be given credit for a 50M finish, but will be excluded from age group awards. After 6:00pm, we will have rolling cutoffs at each aid station following a 16:45/mile average pace. The course limit is 15 hours for the ultras and 4 hours for the half marathon.
| Distance | Final Lap Start | Elapsed Time/Mileage | Finish Line Closes | Course Limit |
| 100K | 6:00pm | 11 hrs & 30 min / 50 miles | 9:30pm | 15:00 |
| 50M | 6:00pm | 11 hrs & 30 min / 37.5 miles | 9:30pm | 15:00 |
| 50K | — | — | 6:00pm | 10:30 |
| 1/2 Marathon | — | — | 11:00am | 4:00 |
Runner Tracking
Friends and family can follow your progress along the Bear Chase course in real time!
Pacing
100K and 50M runners will be allowed the assistance of pacing after 3:00pm. Runners may only have one pacer at a time and “muling” (i.e., carrying food/fluids/clothing) is not allowed. All pacers will be required to check in at the Start/Finish prior to pacing, and may ONLY begin pacing from the Start/Finish.
Crewing
Runners may receive crew assistance at the Start/Finish area ONLY. Crewing assistance at other locations on the course will not be allowed. Runners may leave a drop-bag at the Start/Finish, and also may receive crew assistance at the Start/Finish area. Any runner receiving crew support outside of the Start/Finish area will be disqualified.
Aid Station Grub
- Gatorade
- Soda
- Water
- Coffee (Start/Finish only)
- Cookies
- Fig Newtons
- Pretzels
- Chips/Crackers
- M&M’s/Skittles
- PB&J Sandwiches
- Bean Tortilla Wraps
- Bananas, Oranges, Watermelon, Pickles
Race Hotels
Recommended lodging information coming soon!
- 100K
- $165 (Thru 4/30)
- $175 (5/1 – 7/31)
- $185 (8/1 – Race)
- 50 Mile
- $145 (Thru 4/30)
- $155 (5/1 – 7/31)
- $165 (8/1 – Race)
- 50K
- $125 (Thru 4/30)
- $135 (5/1 – 7/31)
- $145 (8/1 – Race)
- 13.1 Mile
- $85 (Thru 4/30)
- $95 (5/1 – 7/31)
- $105 (8/1 – Race)
- 10K
- $55 (Thru 4/30)
- $65 (5/1 – 7/31)
- $75 (8/1 – Race)
A portion of every registration goes to the City of Lakewood and Bear Creek Lake Park to help fund open space preservation projects.
Check out the other races in the
Bear Chase Race Series
4 Amazing Trail Races
Rock Hawk
North Fork
Chase the Moon
Bear Chase
Rock Hawk
April 30, 2022
Half Marathon, 10K, 5K
Castle Rock, CO
North Fork
June 4, 2022
50M, 50K
Buffalo Creek, CO
Chase the Moon
July 15, 2022
Team Relay, Solo Ultra
Highlands Ranch, CO
Record Holders
- 100K
- Women
- Men
- 100K
- Kaci Lickteig (8:40:45), 2014
- Cory Logsdon (8:26:37), 2018
- 50 Mile
- Courtney Dauwalter (6:36:14), 2017
- Patrick Stewart (6:36:36), 2015
- 50K
- Kim Dobson (3:54:23), 2018
- Benjamin Zywicki (3:20:32), 2018
- Half
- Corey Conner (1:29:15), 2018
- Joel Hamilton (1:15:16), 2011
- Baby Bear 10K
- Heather Utrata (38:39), 2010
- Matthew Kempton (34:21), 2012
2013 results are not eligible for course records since an alternate course was used due to the massive flooding at the lake. 2020 race not held due to COVID-19.
