Big Cottonwood Canyon Classic
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Big Cottonwood Canyon Classic
The event is a trail running weekend in Brighton, Utah, hosted on mountain trails around Brighton Ski Resort and Twin Lakes. The event offers two race distances and routes that use resort roads, trails, and lake shore paths.
- Half marathon - about 12 miles, 3500 feet climb
- 5K - route across Mount Milly to Lake Mary and finish on Lake Mary/Catharine's Pass Trail
Half marathon course details: the route begins at the Crest ski lift near Molly Greens at Brighton Ski Resort, crosses the parking area to Milly Chalet, then follows access roads and trails to Twin Lakes and Solitude. The course continues on SolBright and Kruzer trails, descends to the base area, climbs Honeycomb Return Road, then connects to Silver Fork Canyon trail into Little Cottonwood Canyon. Runners traverse Lazy Prince and Grizzley Gultch, pass above Twin Lakes and the dam, then follow trails to Lake Mary and the finish. The course description notes a reworked section that routes over into Little Cottonwood Canyon.
5K course details: the 5K starts at the same Crest ski lift location, proceeds to Twin Lakes, crosses the dam, traverses Mount Milly, circles Lake Mary, and finishes on Brighton's Lake Mary/Catharine's Pass Trail.
Aid and support: one aid station is located at the base of the Twin Lakes dam and is passed twice on the half marathon. Water, electrolyte drinks, and on the second pass a selection of snacks including chips, cookies, soda, grapes, oranges, bananas, and peanut butter and jelly are provided.
Additional items: training plans are offered in 1, 2, and 3 month options with daily workouts, tracking sheets, recovery weeks, race simulations, and a taper; pricing is listed as $25, $35, and $50 respectively. Race entry includes a race shirt, a finisher magnet, and entry into a raffle. Prizes are awarded to the top five men and top five women in both the half marathon and the 5K. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.