2023 Elite Women’s Field Announced, Course Record Under Threat

The prize purse for the 50th running of the Horsetooth Half Marathon has been increased to a total pool of $12,000, with generous support from the Fort Collins Running Club. Payouts go 8 deep and there will be fierce competition to match.

Sara Vaughn’s 2021 course record (1:15:16) is likely to feel some pressure, amid a women’s race that features an interesting mix of regional, international and collegiate talent.

The Women’s Elite Field

Last year’s winner Liz Lagoy will not be returning to defend her title in 2023, which leaves Sophie Seward as the top returning runner. A member of the local Front Range Elite (FRE) training group, Sophie placed third in 2022 and comes into the race this year with a marathon PR of 2:33:23. Sophie ran 2:35:36 at the 2022 Grandmas Marathon, securing her spot at the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials.

Sophie will be joined on the start line by a number of her FRE teammates, including 2018 Horsetooth Half Champion AnnMarie Kirkpatrick, who is coming off a 2:40:34 at the California International Marathon in December. Others from the FRE team include:

Sarah Anderson – fifth in the 2021 Horsetooth Half (1:19:58)
Mary Katherine Andrews – 2:46:13 at the 2022 Berlin Marathon
Grace Morgan – 2:54 at the 2023 Houston Marathon

Among the favorites for this year’s race will be those coming in from overseas. Top seeded among those runners is Kenya’s Joyline Chemutai. She comes into the Horsetooth Half on the back of a race-winning 1:10:58 effort at the Monterey Bay Half Marathon in November of last year.

Joyline will be pushed by a fellow Kenyan and two Ethiopian runners, also with impressive recent performances:

Sarah Naibei – Broad Street 10 Miler Defending Champion (52:04).
Hirut Guangul – winner of two 2022 Rock n’ Roll Half Marathons: Washington DC (1:14:02) and New Jersey (1:14:46).
Weynshet Weldetsadik – placed an impressive ninth at the recent Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (53:47).

Another angle of interest from the women’s elite field is a contingent of recent CSU cross country and track standouts:

Janelle Lincks has been focussed recently on international mountain running competition, but comes in with a 1:13:06 half marathon PR from 2021 and still holds the CSU 3k steeple chase record (10:00:02), set in 2017.
Ashlyn Hilliard was part of last year’s CSU Cross Country team at the NCAA D1 National Championships. She will be making her competitive debut at the half marathon distance. She comes in with 5k/10k PRs of 16:06 & 34:01.
Claudia Burgess was also on the CSU XC team at the NCAAs. She too will be making her competitive debut at the half marathon distance and comes in with 5k/10k PRs of 16:25 & 34:55

Two other runners in the women’s field come in with sub-2:50 marathon PRs. Shayna Barbash ran a 2:49:34 in November at the Indianapolis Marathon, while Ellie Pell ran 2:41:52 at the 2019 Hartford Marathon to qualify for the last U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

The racing action starts at 8:30am on Sunday, April 16. Lead runners in the women’s race will hit the finish around 9:45am.

Dominic Korir Sets New Course Record at 2022 Horsetooth Half Marathon

The 2022 Horsetooth Half Marathon marked a return to the race’s normal April time slot, with over 1,400 runners from 37 different states celebrating the spring return to racing. Now in its 49th year, race day offered up cool temperatures and some stiff winds out of the west propelling many runners to new personal bests.

None more so than at the front of the field in the men’s race, with first and second both going under the previous course record. The new men’s mark (1:06:51) was set by Colorado Spring’s Dominic Korir, while Salt Lake City’s Liz Lagoy took home the women’s title.

Race times were aided by a strong wind out of the northwest. Although challenging alongside the reservoir as a cross-wind, it turned into a huge tailwind advantage after the turn onto Bingham Hill at the race’s halfway point. Race morning temperatures ranged from the high 30s to low 50s.

In celebration of the beautiful hills that define our state and the course, we annually crown a King and Queen of the Mountain at the course high point just 1.7 miles and +500′ into the race. This year, the crowns went to Liz Lagoy (12:27) and Sean O’Connor (10:13).

Lagoy crested the top of Monster Mountain just 7 seconds ahead of Fort Collins’ Sophie Anders who pressed hard through the hills of Centennial. At the race’s halfway point, Anders had assumed control of the race and held a close to 30 second lead at the race’s halfway point. But while the hills played to Anders’ strengths, the final five miles on the bike path took their toll. With approximately three miles to go, Lagoy reassumed the lead and held it into the finish (1:20:02) where she would need to wait just 30 seconds to see Anders cross the line (1:20:32) and a further three minutes for third place Sophie Seward (1:23:37). Rounding out the top five money spots were Holly McKinney (1:24:58) and Jenna Bensko (1:25:37).

In the men’s race, Sean O’Connor’s early lead on the opening climb was quickly covered by the chase pack, and at the halfway point at the base of Bingham Hill it was Korir and 2012 NCAA Champion Lawi Lalang leading the race with Tyler McCandless just six seconds adrift in third. After giving up more time over Bingham Hill, McCandless would pick up Lalang on the bike path but just fall short of reeling in Korir who held on for the win in a new course record time of 1:06:51. McCandless time of 1:06:59 was also under the race’s previous course record, and Lalang in third posted the race’s fourth fastest time ever (1:07:40). Rounding out the top five were Will Cross (1:08:56) and Sean O’Connor (1:09:46).

It was another fast year and a nice compliment to women’s course record that was set in the fall by Sara Vaughn.

Taking home the wins and prize money in the master’s division were Anthony Bruns (1:11:13) and Janet Clements (1:39:06).

Age group award winners took home beautiful pottery awards from famed local potter Amy Hayman. In addition to our award winners, all finishers went home with a beautiful commemorative pint glass from New Belgium Brewing and a unique finisher’s medal that pairs with the fall 2021 medal to complete a single picture from the Fall/Spring Horsetooth Half Double.

In closing, we’d like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers that helped out in many different capacities to help make the 2022 running of the race a success. Thank You! We’d also like to thank our seven wonderful top-tier sponsors who have supported this year’s event with total enthusiasm.

Please visit our sponsor page to see the full list of business sponsors and non-profit volunteer organizations who helped make this year’s race a success.

Thank You!

Fort Collins Running Club Announces 2022 Elite Field

The Horetooth Half Marathon will again be awarding $8,000 in prize money this year, with generous support from the Fort Collins Running Club.

“The Fort Collins Running Club is committed to supporting runners of all ages, talent, and experience. As part of our mission to support the elite side of the sport in Colorado, the Club has continued its support of the Horsetooth Half prize purse by matching the $4,000 put up by the race, as well as increasing our support of local runners by offering cash awards for our top club members,” said Fort Collins Running Club Vice President, Kate Schulte.

“We love the Horsetooth Half course and its vibe, and want to make it THE race for all Coloradoans, and even all U.S. runners, to add to their bucket list of races. With a challenging and beautiful course, the best post-race party in the state, and now with even more of the best talent in the area, the 49^th running of the race is sure to be exciting!”

For full award details, including age group awards, please visit the awards section of the race website.

Men’s Race

Two past winners (and holders of the second and third fastest race times) will be in the running for the win on Sunday, April 10.

Last year’s winner & a member of the Fort Collins Running Club Racing Team, Tyler McCandless is back on the start line. In 2021, Tyler ran the third fastest time ever on the course (1:07:52) after three years of trying. He also holds the record for the fastest time to the top of Monster Mountain (9:54) and knows the Horsetooth course well. Tyler is coming off a recent fourth place finish (first American) at the LA Marathon.

Tyler will be up against a stout field though, including one runner who has gone faster. Dominic Korir won the 2019 race in a time of 1:07:34, just six seconds off Gebre Abadi’s 2017 course record. More recently, Dominic finished second at the Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon in a time of 1:02:48, suggesting he is in fine fettle.

There will be a strong field pushing our two former winners, including:

Lawi Lalang had a stellar career at the University of Arizona with podium finishes across his career in both XC and track, winning the 2011 NCAA D1 XC National Championship and both the 5,000 & 10,000 races at the 2013 Outdoor D1 Track and Field Championships. Now based in Colorado Springs, Lawi was 10th at the December 2021 USATF Half Marathon Championships in a time of 1:02:49.
Sean O’Connor has come into some form after a DIII career at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He qualified for the 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials with a half marathon time of 1:03:45. More recently, in October, he finished 10th at the Broad Street 10 Miler in Philadelphia in a time of 48:05, a race at which Lawi Lalang was sixth (47:10).
Local CSU standout, Carson Hume was fifth at last year’s Horsetooth Half (1:10:35), his first half marathon since stepping up in distance as part of the Fort Collins Running Club Racing Team after a stellar CSU career.
Another local runner and top 10 finisher from last year, Clint Anders, will be toeing the line again on Sunday. Clint was seventh in November in a time of 1:10:52 and is known to attack the hills hard.
Also returning from last year’s top 10 and another Fort Collins local is Nate Routhier (1:10:50, 6th).
Kurt Roeser also returns to the field after an 8th place finish in 2021 (1:11:14) and a third place finish (1:08:28) behind Dominic Korir in 2019.
Will Cross will be lining up at the Horsetooth Half for the first time. He brings a 2:17:33 marathon PR (Chicago, 2019) to the line, putting him firmly in the conversation.
Others in the field include: Christian Leitner (1:09:55 at the Madison Half Marathon); FCRC Racing Team member Calvin Lehn (1:06:53 at the 2020 Houston Half); and Zeb Hanley (1:08:46 at the 2021 Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon).

Women’s Race

Unlike in the men’s race, there will be no defending champion or former race winner in the women’s field, leaving it wide open.

The top returning runner from last year is Sophie Seward. A member of the local Front Range Elite training group, Sophie placed fourth at last year’s race in a time of 1:19:27 and comes in with a marathon PR of 2:33:23.

Teammate Sophie Anders is coming into form just in time for what could be a really strong run at the Horsetooth Half. Sophie set a new half marathon PR at the Austin Marathon (1:17:40) in February and is coming off a recent 30km trail win at the Behind the Rocks race in Moab, UT.

Salt Lake City’ Liz Lagoy will also be among the favorites on Sunday. She is coming into the race with a newly minted marathon PR of 2:40:15 from the November 2021 Indianapolis Marathon where she finished fifth.

Others in the field who will be among the favorites include:

Molly Callahan – a top 10 finisher from last year (1:24:53) holding a half marathon PR of 1:18:39 from the January 2022 Arizona Half Marathon.
Jenna Bensko – another member of the Fort Collins-based Front Range Elite team who will be vying for a top 10 finish. She comes into the race with a 2:55 marathon PR.
Denver’s Sarah Guhl PR’ed at last year’s New York City Marathon with a time of 2:53:33 and more recently finished third at the Honolulu Marathon.
Jessica Broderick will be running Horsetooth as her second ever half marathon, and she comes in with a PR of 1:21:30 from the Portland Half Marathon.

The racing action starts at 8:30am on Sunday, April 10. Lead runners in the men’s race will hit the finish a bit after 9:30am, with the women close on the men’s heels.