The prize purse for the 52nd running of the Horsetooth Half Marathon has been increased to a total pool of $13,000, with generous support from the Fort Collins Running Club. Payouts go 8 deep and there will be fierce competition to match.
The Women’s Elite Field
Sara Vaughn’s 2021 course record (1:15:16) was taken down in 2024 by the top two female finishers. And both are back this year. Betty Sigei put on a clinic last year, finishing more than a minute under the previous course record in a blazing 1:14:08. She was followed the whole way by Atsede Tesema (Bayisa) who also finished under the previous course record in a time of 1:14:30. Tesema went on to win the Lima Marathon in May in a new PR of 2:24:46. Sigei was fifth in November at the Philadelphia Half Marathon in 1:14:07.
Sigei will be joined by a number of other previous winners and podium finishers on this year’s start line, including a number of the local Front Range Elite (FRE) training group. AnnMarie Kirkpatrick will once again be in the field, having posted numerous podium finishes over the years including the overall win in 2018.
Sarah Anderson will also be representing the FRE group. She has finished fifth and sixth on previous runnings of the race with a best of 1:19:58 in 2021, her very first Fort Collins race when she moved here for vet School. FRE’s Rachael Rudel was sixth last year (1:21:08) and will be a game-time decision for the start line this year due to a flare up of an old injury.
Molly Maksin is a recent college graduate stepping up in distance to the half marathon. She has a collegitae 5k PR of 16:18. Another collegiate stepping up in distance is Summer Olson who raced for the University of Northern Colorado.
Sarah Hutchings Alton ran 2:47:09 at this year’s Houston Marathon and has a half marathon PR of 1:15:59 (2022 Houston).
The racing action starts at 8:00am on Sunday, April 13. Lead runners in the women’s race will hit the finish around 9:15am.