Pioneer Prairie Dog Half, 10k & 5k

Welcome to the Pioneer Prairie Dog Half Marathon event; the one that started the series! With 10k and 5k events too! 

Everyone is back to school and slipping into a routine.  Make this your mental health break as you break away from the chaos of weekly schedules and give yourself a morning to race in the crisp autumn air!  You'll be glad you took time for YOU!

Date: Friday, August 20, 2027 TBC

Time: 4PM - 7 PM

Location: Road Runner Sports Westminster

Address: 10442 Town Center Dr #300, Westminster, CO 80021

APPU FAQs:
Yes, you can pick up for a friend or send someone to pick up for you!
Yes, we will accept walk up registrations during advanced packet pick up.
Yes, you can pick up your packet during advanced packet pick up even if you just signed up!

2023 info: Join us at Buffalo Wild Wings- 10436 Town Center Dr #100, Westminster, CO 80021- after the race for 6 Free Wings!  Bring in your race bib to get this deal.

Sponsor Benefits
Raise Brand Awareness
Community relations
High Visibility
Demonstration/Display opportunities
Product sampling/sale opportunities 
Partner with a charity that reflects your organization’s values
Give back to the community
Employee participation and team building

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Pre-Event Contact
We would love to work with you to feature your product or business with our racers.  There are many ways to be involved and gain exposure, from hosting a packet pick up location or after party, sponsoring a water station (at select events), adding a goody or coupon to the goody bag, providing an in-kind donation/sample for the racers on the course or at the finish line, or setting up a booth on race-day at the expo. 

We can feature your business on the event webpage, racer emails or social media!  All sponsorship payments must be received before your business is included in any kind of mention or posting.

Please contact our marketing team before the race with any questions:

Marketing Contacts:
AJ Benefield 
Email:aj@3wraces.com

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Goody Bag Stuffers
If you have arranged to place something into the Goody Bag, please make sure your 'stuffer' reaches us by the deadline so our volunteers and staff can get it into each racer's goody bag!  Items received after the deadline will not be in the goody bag.

DEADLINE:
FRIDAY before race week.  August 13, 2027 by 4:00 PM

LOCATION:
Mail to: 7960 Hollywood St, Commerce City, CO 80022
(If you would rather drop off in person than mail/ship your items, please email us in advance to make arrangements.)

QUANTITY:
We will stuff 300 goody bags in 2027.

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Tent/Table

TENT/TABLE:  You will be given approximately 12'x12' of space.  Tents and tables are NOT included, however, some of you have already arranged for table/tent rental from 3W Races.  In that case, your tent and or table will be set for you at your designated space.

Generally, tent rental is $95 and tables are $20 each to rent for the event.  3W will bring the tent/table, set it up at your designated location and tear it down at the end of the event.  If you are interested in this arrangement, please coordinate with us at least one week in advance.

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Racer Data

HISTORICALLY:

We've had between 300 and 515 registrations.
6%      18 and under
17%    18-29
31%    30's
28%    40's
16%    50-64
2%      65+

36%     Male
64%     Female
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Race Day Logistics

DATE:
August 22, 2027 (Sunday)

TIME:
6:00-6:45 AM Vendor Set Up, Race starts at 7:15 AM, 10:30 is Tear Down. The finish line officially closes when the last runner crosses.  Click Here for Racer Schedule.

DROP-OFF & PARKING:
All Sponsors will need to drop their booth materials at the curb, park in any one of the nearby lots, and then walk the booth materials down approximately 3 flights of stairs (Or use the ramps at the park if you have a wheeled device/hand truck.)

POWER & WIFI: 
WIFI is not provided at this venue.  Power is available at the park IF the city has it turned on.  This is not guaranteed.

SURFACE:
All Sponsors will be set up in the Westminster Terrace concrete and or grassy area.  Please weight your tent appropriately if you're bringing a tent, stakes are not permitted

ADDRESS:
Westminster Promenade Terrace: 10600 Westminster Blvd. Westminster, CO 80020

PARKING:
Sponsors can find parking by clicking here.

COURSE:
The course is an out-and-back along the Dry Creek Trail. The course starts and finishes at the Westminster Promenade Terrace.

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Race Day Contact

Please check in at the 3W Races tent on race day regarding the specific location of your booth space!

Race Director Direct Number:
Whitney: 720-635-2665
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 SPECIAL REQUESTS
We ask that you please respect the property of our runners and kindly ask that you do NOT paper events. This includes placing advertisements on cars.

10600 Westminster Blvd, Westminster, CO 80020
Westminster Promenade Terrace, Westminster

There is plenty of parking around the race site, but be prepared to potentially PAY.

There is a free lot just west of the race site, but it tends to get filled up pretty quickly. The Westin lot has started charging but has plenty of parking.

 There are other lots around the event site - please use your own discretion when parking.

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Half Marathon Course
10k Course
5k Course

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Course Surface
The course is on both concrete and packed gravel. Strollers and dogs are welcome! 

Support

Porta-Johns will be available at the start/finish expo and at an on-course location that Half Marathon runners pass at approximately miles 2.75 and 10.75. 10K runners will also pass this location on both the outbound and return portions of their course.

Cups are available on the course at each aid station.  There are NO CUPS at the finish line, so be sure to bring your water bottle!  Drinking water is available for water bottle refills at the finish line.

Aid stations are present at approximately every 2 miles starting around mile 3 with water and an electrolyte replacement.

Energy gels (GU brand) will be available at the furthest aid station; please ask a volunteer if you would like one.

Half Marathon Course Cutoff

The Half Marathon finish line closes at 10:25 AM, which is 3 hours 10 minutes after the regular 7:15 AM start.

Half Marathon participants who reach the aid station at approximately mile 5.25 after 8:30 AM may be directed to turn around at that location and return to the finish rather than continuing to the full Half Marathon turnaround.

This early turnaround is used so participants can return to the finish area on their own before the course closes. Runners who are turned around early will not receive an official Half Marathon finish result.

Participants who expect to need more than 3 hours 10 minutes to complete the Half Marathon should use the 6:15 AM early start and follow the early-start instructions listed on the Race Day Schedule page.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome but we ask that you start near the back of the pack and keep your well-behaved, furry friend on a short leash to prevent tripping other participants.

Strollers

Strollers are welcome.  Please make sure that your stroller does not impede other participants on the course.

Out and Back

These courses are an out-and-back format.  Runners must stay to the right for two-way traffic.

Want to win some other cool stuff including 3W Races race entries, gift cards, and gear from our sponsors?  Bring 5 items to donate to our charity partner Growing Home and you'll be entered into the race day raffle!

PREFERRED DONATION ITEMS:

Current high-priority items are hygiene products. This could be anything from toothbrushes/toothpaste, toilet paper, baby wipes, tissues, mouthwash, or anything along those lines.

We are also looking for dry goods and beverages that we can use as well. Overall though, anything helps.

A note from Growing Home: "These items [above] we often have to purchase from our food pantry budget and we are currently experiencing an increase in need from the community as well as an increase in prices.  Having this partnership with the 3W community helps us to continue to provide high-quality pantry essentials during these challenging times."

6:15 AM *Early start for 13.1 walkers/joggers.

6:45 - 8:00 AM Same day registration & late packet pick up

6:45 - 10:30 AM Expo Open

7:15 AM Half Marathon Start

8:00 AM 5k and 10k Start

8:45 AM 5k Awards

9:15 AM Awards for Half Marathon - Overall Winners

9:20 AM  10k Awards

10:00 AM Awards for Half Marathon - Age Groups

10:25 AM Finish Line Closes

*Early start is for half marathon distance participants who would not otherwise finish by the 3hr 10min cut-off.  These participants must pick up bibs at advanced packet pick up and check in with the timer at the start line on race morning.  Early starters are not eligible for overall awards.

We’re excited to announce that we’ve partnered with Sneakers4Good to provide you with a socially responsible way to donate your gently worn, used or new sneakers and running shoes to a good cause we support! The sneakers will help benefit Growing Home as well as give a hand up, not a handout, to micro-enterprises in 25 developing countries. The athletic shoes will be kept out of landfills where they can take decades to fully decompose. Visit Sneakers4Good to learn more!

It's super simple! All you need to do is bring your lightly worn athletic shoes and sneakers to the race (either race day or at packet pick up). We collect them and mail them and a donation is made to Growing Home! 

Please donate only gently worn, used, and new athletic shoes.  These sneakers, trainers, and other athletic shoes will be worn again by people in developing nations, so please make sure there are no holes or soles falling off and that they are in wearable condition.  Dress shoes, sandals, brown shoes, flip flops, cleats, etc. and other shoes that are NOT athletic shoes will NOT be accepted. 

Please tie your shoes together or put a rubber band around the pair! 

The top three men and women of each distance (based on gun time) and top three men and women in each age group (based on chip time) receive a custom made award!  See FAQ page for age group classifications.
 

Awards must be picked up at the event; unclaimed awards will not be mailed.

If you are looking for the Summer Splash Prairie Dog event please use this link: Summer Splash Prairie Dog

Each Registrant:
- Race Day Shirt 
- Finisher's Pint Glass
- Chip Time
- FREE Photo Downloads
- Free GPS Tracking for friends and family
*Those in the HALF MARATHON package receive a Finisher's Medal 

A Gender-Specific Short-Sleeved Tee Shirt is offered for ALL distance participants.
**Available shirt sizes are listed during registration.  In the final few days before the event, some sizes will sell out.  Not all sizes may be available for same-day registration.  Visit the 3W Races table at the Expo after 8:00 AM for shirt exchange if you are interested in trading out the size you ordered for a different size!

We are proud to partner with Sneakers4Good! When you donate your gently used or new athletic shoes, a donation is made to our ongoing charity partner, Growing Home!  Click here for more info!