Firestone, Frederick gearing up for Carbon Valley Half Marathon

Brenda Ridgley and her brother-in-law, Mike Sindelar, were of the same mind in 2012 — they both love to run and wanted to do something to show off the Carbon Valley to more people.

So they put together the Carbon Valley Half Marathon and other races. Since 2013, it has grown every year and raised $77,000 for autism research at Children's Hospital Colorado.

"He's a serious runner because he does half-marathons and marathons. I ran a half-marathon once and then I said, 'Well, I checked that off my list,'" Ridgley said about Sindelar, who is also her next-door neighbor. "We were visiting one summer in 2012 and I said, 'Gosh, we should bring a race out here.' And he said, 'I was thinking of the same thing and I've even thought about a course. But we need to have a cause.'"

The two came up with autism research because they have friends who deal with raising a child with autism and they wanted to hold an event to raise money and awareness about the disorder.

"What I hear from a good friend who is a mother of a child with autism is that parents feel very alone and misunderstood and judged sometimes because of the complexity of the disorder," Ridgley said. "In social situations, the child may not behave as most people expect one should and it's not because of bad parenting; it's because of this condition of autism and the unique challenges the kids are going through.

"Mike and I wanted to raise awareness so people think twice before they scowl or give a dirty look and instead come at families with love and acceptance," she said.

The first year, in 2013, Ridgley and Sindelar got the word out and snagged about 400 runners for the inaugural runs. This year, they expect between 600 and 700, but are in desperate need for volunteers.

There were still about 90 volunteer positions that need to be filled as of Tuesday afternoon, she said.

When she started planning the inaugural run in 2012, Ridgley had no experience planning large events. There has been a lot of learning along the way, but in the end, it's all worth it, she said.

"It's a big team effort and I've learned that it's a lot of work, but it's always worth it. There is a time every year where I think, 'Why am I doing this?' — about now, actually — but there is so much gratitude and appreciation during and after the event, it's like, 'OK, this is worth it,'" she said.

The May 19 event features the eponymous half-marathon (13.11 miles), a 5K, a half-marathon relay race and a 1-mile fun run for kids. Every participant of drinking age can choose to receive a free beer or cider if they complete their race. Following the races, there will be family entertainment and an expo.

Both the half-marathons and the 5K start at 8 a.m. May 19 with a cannon blast. Ridgley explained that when Skyline High School got rid of its cannon used to mark the start of football games, a Carbon Valley Half Marathon volunteer snapped it up.

Both the half-marathons and the 5K start at the Firestone Regional Sports Complex, then the 5K runners head west and the half-marathon runners head north. Runners from all three races finish at the same finish line at the sports complex.

Karen Antonacci: 303-684-5226, antonaccik@times-call.com or twitter.com/ktonacci