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Marathon Details - MountainAir Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > CO > Crested Butte/Gunnison > MountainAir Marathon

MountainAir Marathon

MountainAir Marathon & 10 mile, 5k Trail Run

Crested Butte/Gunnison, CO USA

September 19, 2010

http://www.runmountainairmarathon.com

Marathon Results

By Year:

2010 2009 2008 2007 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

Starting in historic Crested Butte, the course gradually drops 1000 scenic feet, following the East and Gunnison rivers, to end in Gunnison, Colorado.

Contact Information

Name:	Jane Tunnadine
Address:	405 W. Tomichi Gunnison, Colorado 81230
Phone Number:	970-641-3375
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (11)

Course 4.4

Organization 4.5

Spectators 2.8

Write a review

Number of comments: 11 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

S. H. from Minneapolis, MN (9/24/2010) "Beautiful Marathon" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This scenery along this course is spectacular! The race organizers do a great job. Packet pick-up was easy, buses were on-time and got us to the start with no issues, they had Gatorade and GU along the course, and we got a nice shirt and race medal. Even though the altitude is tough, the course is worth it.
D. M. from Fort Collins, CO (9/19/2010) "Gem in the Colorado Mountains" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This marathon is a real gem: - spectacular scenery - excellent organization from packet pick-up through finish - great aid stations run by wholesome and fun men and women from the Western State College of CO (may have the words transposed for the school name) track teams - good pizza for all finishers - nice, first-quality medal (unusual for a small marathon) Special kudos to race directo Jane Tummadine who was gracious and competent from start to finish. Well, there were virtually no spectators... but hey, why spoil the spectacular scenery?
D. P. from Gunnison, CO (9/15/2009) "MountianAir - the perfect race!" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 MountainAir Marathon - the perfect run! I don't know what I appreciated most, the gentle downhill course past auric aspen, running downstream along the Gunnison River, or the cagey fox sprinting across my path, a morning snack in its mouth. But from a practical standpoint, it was the easygoing, flawlessly organized support offered us that I valued so much. From shuttle service to aid stations, cheering supporters and a stadium finish line, race organizers anticipated our needs and cared for our safety. If you're going to run a marathon, this is the one.
Ben Wiley from Longmont, CO / Nashville, AR (9/24/2008) "Can it get much better than this?" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Now that I've had a few days to reflect on the experience (second marathon): Weather was a concern at this elevation, but it was nothing short of perfection on 9/14/08. Chilly at the start and in the shadow of one mountain, but otherwise nothing to dim the luster of a spectacular day. Ah, the course. Except for the altitude, it could be labeled as extremely tame. Yes, it's essentially downhill, with no extreme dips. After minor up and down on mile 19, it flattens out and, yes, that hill at 23 is tough after all that gentle descent. Advice is to physically prepare for the long downhill run and mentally prepare for "flat with a hill or two" in the latter stage. At mile 23, the party was over for me (although I salvaged a secondary goal - with all of three seconds to spare). Still, the supportive people, and the pleasant atmosphere in and around the beautiful stadium on the hill at the end were like sweet icing on a cherished marathon "cake." This one was truly special - despite the relatively small number of participants - and I would recommend it to anyone with the nerve to run 26.2 at 8,000 feet or so. Train smartly and maybe you will have better luck at catching your breath somewhere along the way! The unique medal will be your badge of honor.
G. S. from Colorado Springs, CO (9/23/2008) "Very nice small marathon" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Overall, I think this was a very nice marathon. I would echo most of the previous comments, and I actually didn't mind running on the highway. There was very little traffic and the mountains on either side were very scenic. I also liked the food and the tank of cold water at the end. I only have two real complaints. One is the failure to post results. It's been over a week and they still aren't available. There are only three things I really care about in the organization of a race: 1. the course is accurately measured; 2. the race is accurately timed; and 3. I know how I did relative to the other runners. The first two were accomplished, but not the third. If I want to just run 26 miles and time myself without caring how I compared to other runners, I can do that any time I want. Not knowing the results is pretty frustrating. The other problem is the web site. The information is pretty hard to find, and there's not a lot of it. I hope that will change in the future. Overall, I still liked this race a lot, however.
J. S. from Colorado Springs, CO (9/19/2008) "Fantastic Late-Summer Marathon" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is a well organized, well supported race. Everything from the packet pick-up to the water stations on the course and the finish area was well run. I loved the cold water tubs to soak our legs in after the race - that is the best idea that I have ever seen at a marathon! The area is beautiful, but don't expect a completely downhill course just because you go down 1,000 feet in elevation. There are a few uphills, but nothing too difficult. The only reason I gave two stars for spectators is because this is a very small race, and there just are not any spectators on the course until the last mile, but the people who are out there are wonderful. I have to give credit to the college track team that handled the water stations; they did a terrific job. The college runners who cheered for us as we entered the stadium did a lot to push me through the last 300 meters as well. If you need all of the crowds of a big-city marathon, stay away from this race. But, if you are beyond the big marathons, and enjoy the simplicity of a smaller event, you will love this race. My only suggestion would be to have this race two weeks later so that you have a better chance of seeing the fall colors. Other than that, this is the perfect small marathon.
s. r. from Southwest (9/19/2008) "Organization needs work" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The organization of this race is one extreme or the other. I think the organizer thought of some great things that exceeded expectations: great finish line food, water baths at the finish, very kind volunteers, and nice age-group awards. BUT, they are completely lacking in the most basic of organization. The location of the packet pick-up area was hard to find. The street address indicates the main road, but it is down a side alleyway. Once I finally found it (30-45 minutes before it was to end), they were gone! They left packet pick up early and posted a note that packets would be at the start line. That would have been fine - had they told us WHERE and WHEN the bus transportation to the start line was. Being a small town, I drove around in the morning looking for a bus, but had no choice but to drive the 26 miles toward Crested Butte and hope I find a race. The start line is on some side road that I never would have found had I not started driving back and found a bus to follow. Once at the start, I received my bib number - and after the race realized I never got a shirt. I was also told that there was no organized transportation back to get our cars but "somehow we'll get you there." I had to find my own ride back. This whole ordeal cost me 80 miles of extra driving... not cool. The most frustrating part is that this could have easily been avoided had the info just been posted on the website: i.e., where and when to catch the bus race morning. Also not on the website: nearly a week after the race, there are still no results posted. There was also no clock at the finish line. Really pretty area of Colorado, but unfortunately the course is along the highway.
Michele Smith-Harden from Norfolk, Virginia (9/17/2008) "WELL DONE" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great support from start to finish - starting with Jane at the packet pick-up. She was interested in making sure that I had everything needed to have a great race. The weather was perfect. The water stops were well stocked and the volunteers received us well. The course was beautiful. My only complaint was something that cannot be changed, and that is the altitude. But because of the cooler weather, the affect of the altitude was not as bad as it could have been if it were warmer. Finishing in the stadium was a great idea. The buckets of cold water to stand in after the race was right on time. It made me feel that you all thought of everything you could to make this day as great as it was. The food was very well presented, fresh, and plentiful. This may have been the smallest marathon I have run as of yet, but it was not small in quality.
D. S. from Newport, MI (9/15/2008) "Choose a different route" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Beautiful area (especially Blue Mesa Reservoir). Pros: Well organized (Jane stayed late for packet pickup). Supportive, well stocked water stations. The stadium was a nice place to end the race. A large variety of post-race food to eat. Cons: Running down the side of the cambered highway for most of the race. There has to be a better route with less traffic, even if it is through trails. Go to the race if you want to see the area.
Dick White from Cocoa Beach, FL (9/20/2007) "Big Sky, Big Rainbow, Mountain AIR" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Gunnison is #36 in my quest for 50 states (plus DC). Absolutely fabulous! CO joins MT and UT as the home of some of the friendliest people in the world. Course was well marked and ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! I met runners from Colorado Springs, Boulder, Atlanta and my home state of FL - and we were like old friends by the finish. I've come to enjoy the smaller, more scenic events as I tour the USA. I will emphatically recommend this race at all future marathons.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]



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S. H. from Minneapolis, MN (9/24/2010) "Beautiful Marathon" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This scenery along this course is spectacular! The race organizers do a great job. Packet pick-up was easy, buses were on-time and got us to the start with no issues, they had Gatorade and GU along the course, and we got a nice shirt and race medal. Even though the altitude is tough, the course is worth it.
D. M. from Fort Collins, CO (9/19/2010) "Gem in the Colorado Mountains" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This marathon is a real gem: - spectacular scenery - excellent organization from packet pick-up through finish - great aid stations run by wholesome and fun men and women from the Western State College of CO (may have the words transposed for the school name) track teams - good pizza for all finishers - nice, first-quality medal (unusual for a small marathon) Special kudos to race directo Jane Tummadine who was gracious and competent from start to finish. Well, there were virtually no spectators... but hey, why spoil the spectacular scenery?
D. P. from Gunnison, CO (9/15/2009) "MountianAir - the perfect race!" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 MountainAir Marathon - the perfect run! I don't know what I appreciated most, the gentle downhill course past auric aspen, running downstream along the Gunnison River, or the cagey fox sprinting across my path, a morning snack in its mouth. But from a practical standpoint, it was the easygoing, flawlessly organized support offered us that I valued so much. From shuttle service to aid stations, cheering supporters and a stadium finish line, race organizers anticipated our needs and cared for our safety. If you're going to run a marathon, this is the one.
Ben Wiley from Longmont, CO / Nashville, AR (9/24/2008) "Can it get much better than this?" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Now that I've had a few days to reflect on the experience (second marathon): Weather was a concern at this elevation, but it was nothing short of perfection on 9/14/08. Chilly at the start and in the shadow of one mountain, but otherwise nothing to dim the luster of a spectacular day. Ah, the course. Except for the altitude, it could be labeled as extremely tame. Yes, it's essentially downhill, with no extreme dips. After minor up and down on mile 19, it flattens out and, yes, that hill at 23 is tough after all that gentle descent. Advice is to physically prepare for the long downhill run and mentally prepare for "flat with a hill or two" in the latter stage. At mile 23, the party was over for me (although I salvaged a secondary goal - with all of three seconds to spare). Still, the supportive people, and the pleasant atmosphere in and around the beautiful stadium on the hill at the end were like sweet icing on a cherished marathon "cake." This one was truly special - despite the relatively small number of participants - and I would recommend it to anyone with the nerve to run 26.2 at 8,000 feet or so. Train smartly and maybe you will have better luck at catching your breath somewhere along the way! The unique medal will be your badge of honor.
G. S. from Colorado Springs, CO (9/23/2008) "Very nice small marathon" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Overall, I think this was a very nice marathon. I would echo most of the previous comments, and I actually didn't mind running on the highway. There was very little traffic and the mountains on either side were very scenic. I also liked the food and the tank of cold water at the end. I only have two real complaints. One is the failure to post results. It's been over a week and they still aren't available. There are only three things I really care about in the organization of a race: 1. the course is accurately measured; 2. the race is accurately timed; and 3. I know how I did relative to the other runners. The first two were accomplished, but not the third. If I want to just run 26 miles and time myself without caring how I compared to other runners, I can do that any time I want. Not knowing the results is pretty frustrating. The other problem is the web site. The information is pretty hard to find, and there's not a lot of it. I hope that will change in the future. Overall, I still liked this race a lot, however.
J. S. from Colorado Springs, CO (9/19/2008) "Fantastic Late-Summer Marathon" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is a well organized, well supported race. Everything from the packet pick-up to the water stations on the course and the finish area was well run. I loved the cold water tubs to soak our legs in after the race - that is the best idea that I have ever seen at a marathon! The area is beautiful, but don't expect a completely downhill course just because you go down 1,000 feet in elevation. There are a few uphills, but nothing too difficult. The only reason I gave two stars for spectators is because this is a very small race, and there just are not any spectators on the course until the last mile, but the people who are out there are wonderful. I have to give credit to the college track team that handled the water stations; they did a terrific job. The college runners who cheered for us as we entered the stadium did a lot to push me through the last 300 meters as well. If you need all of the crowds of a big-city marathon, stay away from this race. But, if you are beyond the big marathons, and enjoy the simplicity of a smaller event, you will love this race. My only suggestion would be to have this race two weeks later so that you have a better chance of seeing the fall colors. Other than that, this is the perfect small marathon.
s. r. from Southwest (9/19/2008) "Organization needs work" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The organization of this race is one extreme or the other. I think the organizer thought of some great things that exceeded expectations: great finish line food, water baths at the finish, very kind volunteers, and nice age-group awards. BUT, they are completely lacking in the most basic of organization. The location of the packet pick-up area was hard to find. The street address indicates the main road, but it is down a side alleyway. Once I finally found it (30-45 minutes before it was to end), they were gone! They left packet pick up early and posted a note that packets would be at the start line. That would have been fine - had they told us WHERE and WHEN the bus transportation to the start line was. Being a small town, I drove around in the morning looking for a bus, but had no choice but to drive the 26 miles toward Crested Butte and hope I find a race. The start line is on some side road that I never would have found had I not started driving back and found a bus to follow. Once at the start, I received my bib number - and after the race realized I never got a shirt. I was also told that there was no organized transportation back to get our cars but "somehow we'll get you there." I had to find my own ride back. This whole ordeal cost me 80 miles of extra driving... not cool. The most frustrating part is that this could have easily been avoided had the info just been posted on the website: i.e., where and when to catch the bus race morning. Also not on the website: nearly a week after the race, there are still no results posted. There was also no clock at the finish line. Really pretty area of Colorado, but unfortunately the course is along the highway.
Michele Smith-Harden from Norfolk, Virginia (9/17/2008) "WELL DONE" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great support from start to finish - starting with Jane at the packet pick-up. She was interested in making sure that I had everything needed to have a great race. The weather was perfect. The water stops were well stocked and the volunteers received us well. The course was beautiful. My only complaint was something that cannot be changed, and that is the altitude. But because of the cooler weather, the affect of the altitude was not as bad as it could have been if it were warmer. Finishing in the stadium was a great idea. The buckets of cold water to stand in after the race was right on time. It made me feel that you all thought of everything you could to make this day as great as it was. The food was very well presented, fresh, and plentiful. This may have been the smallest marathon I have run as of yet, but it was not small in quality.
D. S. from Newport, MI (9/15/2008) "Choose a different route" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Beautiful area (especially Blue Mesa Reservoir). Pros: Well organized (Jane stayed late for packet pickup). Supportive, well stocked water stations. The stadium was a nice place to end the race. A large variety of post-race food to eat. Cons: Running down the side of the cambered highway for most of the race. There has to be a better route with less traffic, even if it is through trails. Go to the race if you want to see the area.
Dick White from Cocoa Beach, FL (9/20/2007) "Big Sky, Big Rainbow, Mountain AIR" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 MountainAir Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Gunnison is #36 in my quest for 50 states (plus DC). Absolutely fabulous! CO joins MT and UT as the home of some of the friendliest people in the world. Course was well marked and ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! I met runners from Colorado Springs, Boulder, Atlanta and my home state of FL - and we were like old friends by the finish. I've come to enjoy the smaller, more scenic events as I tour the USA. I will emphatically recommend this race at all future marathons.

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Marathon Details - MountainAir Marathon