Five years and still running strong
By Carin R. Kirkegaard; photo courtesy of Ashley Oxton
Members of Castle Pines Running met at Waterton Canyon for their 5th annual New Year’s Day run. The group meets twice a week for one local run in Castle Pines and one destination run somewhere in the surrounding community.
The commitment to a healthy lifestyle begins with that first step, and for many that first step is taken on New Year’s Day. Castle Pines Running (CPR) held the 5th annual Waterton Canyon New Year’s Day run, offering more than 60 runners an opportunity to take that first step.
The run was 7 miles up the canyon trail for a 14-mile round trip. Ashley Oxton, CPR founder, said they had two start times on New Year’s Day and runners had the option to run as many miles as they wanted, with some running the full trail and others turning around at various points along the way.
For this year’s run, CPR partnered with RNK Running & Walking, a running specialty shop in Parker. The two organizations have a symbiotic relationship, and Oxton partially attributes the growing number of runners to their partnership.
For the past five years, local runners have been meeting for weekly runs on Wednesday in the Castle Pines community and on Saturday at a destination in the area. There is no sign-up required. Interested runners need only show up at the designated spot and time.
During the winter months, runners meet at The Ridge at Castle Pines at 5:30 p.m. for a three to six mile run every Wednesday. It gets dark early and all runners should bring their head lamps to light the way. Once finished, runners gather for a post-run social held at The Ridge. When the clocks spring forward, the group will start meeting on Wednesdays at Coyote Ridge Park in Castle Pines at 5:30 p.m.
On Saturdays, runners meet at a decided location for a destination run. Some favorite spots are Dawson’s Butte, Bluffs Regional Park and the Highline Canal. The best way to stay informed about when and where the Saturday destination runs will be held is to follow the group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Castlepinesrunning/.
The goal of CPR is to bring runners together to not only run, but to socialize, stay healthy, set new goals and accomplish them.
To learn more about Oxton and her journey creating CPR, see the related article on page 31.
