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Connexion

Horsetooth Half Marathon Announces Fort Collins Connexion as Presenting Sponsor

The Horsetooth Half Marathon Presented by Fort Collins Connexion, Colorado’s oldest half marathon and Fort Collins’ premier road running event, has announced Fort Collins Connexion as its Presenting Sponsor ahead of the 53rd running of the event on April 19, 2026. Fort Collins Connexion will serve as the Presenting Sponsor for both the 2026 and 2027 races. 

The agreement builds upon Fort Collins Connexion’s existing relationship with the race and expands on their commitment to the local community. Like the Horsetooth Half Marathon, Fort Collins Connexion is community-owned and exists to serve the people of Fort Collins through high-quality and locally-operated services.  

“The runner’s experience is top of mind as we continue to expand our partnerships for the 53rd running of the Horsetooth Half Marathon Presented by Fort Collins Connexion,” said Race Director, Nick Clark. “Being a community race, we’re thrilled to be working with Fort Collins Connexion. They are community owned, just like the race, and dedicated to offering the same level of service to their customers as we are to our runners”

“Connexion is thrilled to be the Presenting Sponsor of the Horsetooth Half Marathon this year! As Fort Collins’ only 100% local internet provider, we love to support local events like the Horsetooth Half that make this community so special,” said Jill Marx Communications and Marketing Director. “Fort Collins Connexion is by the community, for the community. We love supporting events with the same mission!”

About the Horsetooth Half Marathon Presented by Fort Collins Connexion

The race  is owned by the Fort Collins Running Club. The race is known for its challenging course and also for its focus on the participant experience. “The Horsetooth Half Marathon has been our signature event for the past 50+ years, allowing the club to support local causes, showcase the area’s natural beauty and invest in our community’s health.” said Chris McCullough, president of the Fort Collins Running Club Board of Directors. “We’re delighted to work with Fort Collins Connexion, a trusted local service provider, so that together we can make a difference in our community.” 

About Fort Collins Connexion

Fort Collins Connexion is a municipal broadband utility that was created by and for our community – and our sole purpose is to improve life and business in Fort Collins through better, more affordable internet. Connexion offers the fastest internet speeds available with symmetrical multi-gig service, unmatched reliability, all at an affordable price and with no long term contracts. Additionally, Connexion offers competitive phone and TV services.

2020 Race Registration to Open with Door-Buster Pricing

Registration for the 2020 running of the Horsetooth Half Marathon will open on Labor Day, Monday September 2 with door-buster pricing. The 47th running of the 13.1 mile race will take place Sunday, April 19, 2020, starting to the south of the former location of Hughes Stadium on Dixon Canyon Road and finishing by New Belgium Brewing on Linden Street in Old Town Fort Collins. Registrations will be capped at 2,500 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Prices for this year’s race will remain the same as they have for the last four years. Registration will once again open with one-week-only, door-buster pricing of just $65. Regular early bird pricing of $75 will run through to the New Year.  

“It’s our great honor to continue the grand tradition of the Horsetooth Half Marathon. Now in its 47th year, the race has a proud history as Colorado’s oldest road half marathon, and has been a longtime staple of the Fort Collins running community. We’re constantly looking for ways to improve and also to make sure that we offer fantastic value for money by making the race as accessible and affordable as possible,” said race director Nick Clark, owner of race management company Gnar Runners which began managing the race on behalf of the Fort Collins Running Club in 2015.

“All members of the Running Club receive a $20 discount on their registration, which means a $45 race entry if purchased in the early bird window. We don’t think you can find better value than that in Colorado – or across the country – for a major running event. In 2018 & 2019 we saw record crowds with upwards of 2,100 registrations, and for next year’s race we expect to be at our 2,500 runner capacity,” Clark added. 

“The Horsetooth Half is a wonderful community event that celebrates many of the things that make Fort Collins such a great town to live in and visit. We’ve got unbelievable scenery on a challenging course, a wonderful in-race atmosphere,incredible crowd support, the deepest elite field in Colorado half marathoning, and a memorable finish line party at New Belgium Brewing, the epicenter of the Fort Collins craft brewing scene,” Clark said.

“We’re also really excited about the great community partnerships that we’ve been building over the last couple of years among our sponsors and non-profit partners. It was fantastic to be able to make financial contributions to over a dozen non-profit groups and school cross country programs this year through the help of our corporate partners, and we plan to grow both the corporate and non-profit partnerships in 2020.”

The Fort Collins Running Club will support runners training for the race through its Horsetooth Half RunningU program, a free 15-week training program beginning in early January and leading up to the race. The training program includes weekly long runs every Sunday. A number of those runs will start and end at New Belgium, with presentations and drink specials after each one. The group training runs are open to everyone, whether registered for the race or not.

Along with the Horsetooth Half Marathon, the Fort Collins Running Club also puts on the FireKracker 5k, the New Year’s Eve Resolution Run 5k, and the Tortoise and Hare races, a series of seven handicapped races beginning in October and ending two weeks before the Horsetooth Half. The races range in distance from 4k (2.5 miles) to 12k (7.5 miles).