April Nielson

Name: April Nielson
Start: 2025-04-05T08:00:00-06:00
Location: North Monument Valley Park

Schedule

Sat, 05 Apr, 2025 at 08:00 am

UTC-06:00

Location

North Monument Valley Park | Colorado Springs, CO

There is no race day registration. Pre-registration closes at 5:00pm on the Friday before race morning. Online registration is through RunSignup only.
Please arrive at least 20 minutes early so that we can get bibs distributed to everyone and promptly start the race on time – 8:00am. Due to timing of this event those participants who show later than 8:05am will not be timed, but can participate in the race with no bib.
Race Format
The first time you run this event, you'll establish a base time for yourself. This base time is used to generate a handicap time. The handicap time is calculated using an algorithm developed by Bob Royse, and it's geared to favor a beginning runner and the slower runners. See the Handicap Calculation section for an explanation of the handicap algorithm.
Once you have an established handicap, you are racing against your handicap time. The person who improves the most from their handicap time is the winner. Each month the results are regenerated and all of the handicap times are updated after the latest result data is available.
As mentioned before, the handicap does favor a beginning runner or a slower runner who is putting in a lot of quality training time, as it's these types of runners who tend to have significant time improvements running the same course. But the race is also good for established runners and the swift of feet because it gives those runners a good indication of their fitness level. It's the same 2 mile course each month. Thus given similar weather conditions, you have a very good basis to check out your running fitness from month to month.
Awards
At each monthly race, the person who improves the most over their handicap earns a Nielson shirt.
The shirts are generously donated by Michael Schenk of EON Studios, located at 836 N Institute in Colorado Springs (633-7986). Visit EON Studios for all of your screen printing needs.
Entry Fees
None. Yes, there is a free lunch. Your dad was wrong ;)
Course Information
The course is a flat 2-mile course in North Monument Valley Park. The first mile is an elongated loop, first heading north on the middle trail and then south on the main trail parallel to the creek. The second mile is an out-and-back, heading south on the main trail and then back north again.