Fruita, Colorado turned into a sea of red shirts and happy dogs Saturday morning as the 18th annual Sweetheart Run hit a new high: exactly 508 runners crossed the start line, making it the biggest in the event’s history.
The trails behind the Fruita Community Center were packed with couples holding hands, friends laughing, parents pushing strollers, and plenty of four-legged participants stealing kisses at the finish.
Biggest Turnout Ever for the Valentine Tradition
Race organizers could barely contain their excitement.
“We capped registration at 500 and still had to turn people away,” said Shauna Harris, Guest Services and Fitness Coordinator at the Fruita Community Center. “We actually ended up with 508 because some last-minute spots opened up. This is the first time we’ve ever been completely sold out.”
The previous record was 425 runners in 2023.
Runners chose between the 5K or the more challenging 10K course that winds through Fruita’s beautiful riverfront trail system. Many participants dressed in Valentine themes: heart sunglasses, red tutus, couples in matching shirts, and at least a dozen people who ran in full Cupid wings.
Puppy Kisses and Happy Tails at Every Turn
The real stars of the morning? The adoptable dogs.
Underdog Animal Rescue and Rehab and Happy Little Rescue brought more than 20 dogs hoping to find forever homes. Volunteers stationed “puppy kiss booths” along the course and at the finish line.
One runner, Melissa Garcia from Grand Junction, stopped mid-race to cuddle a shy pit bull mix named Rosie.
“I came for the run but I’m leaving with a new family member,” Garcia said while filling out adoption paperwork. Rosie was one of four dogs adopted on the spot Saturday.
Every Dollar Stays in Fruita
Unlike many races where registration fees disappear to national organizations, every penny from the Sweetheart Run stays local.
All proceeds directly fund scholarships and programming at the Fruita Community Center.
That means:
- Free or reduced-cost youth sports leagues
- Swim lesson scholarships for low-income families
- Senior fitness classes
- Summer camps
- Facility improvements that benefit every resident
“This race literally pays for kids in our community to play sports who otherwise couldn’t afford it,” Harris explained. “We’ve given out more than $45,000 in scholarships over the years thanks to events like this.”
Runners Share Why They Keep Coming Back
Long-time participant Tom Reynolds has run all 18 Sweetheart Runs.
“I started this race the very first year when we had maybe 80 people,” Reynolds said at the finish line, his 2025 medal joining 17 others around his neck. “Seeing it grow like this makes me emotional. This is what small-town Colorado is all about.”
First-time runner Sarah Chen brought her whole family from Clifton.
“My kids have been talking about the puppy kisses for weeks,” Chen laughed. “They don’t care about my finish time. They just wanted to pet all the dogs.”
The youngest participant was 14-month-old Harper Jones in a jogging stroller pushed by her parents. The oldest was 78-year-old Fruita legend Bill Miller, who completed the 5K walking with his trademark cowboy hat.
Perfect Weather and Community Spirit
Mother Nature cooperated beautifully with clear skies and 45-degree temperatures, perfect running weather for western Colorado in February.
Food trucks lined the community center parking lot afterward, serving breakfast burritos and hot chocolate. Local band The Ordinary Two played covers while runners compared times and new dog parents took photos with their freshly adopted pets.
The growth of the Sweetheart Run mirrors Fruita’s own transformation from a quiet agricultural town to one of Colorado’s fastest-growing communities that somehow still feels small.
When you have 508 people willingly waking up early on a Saturday morning in February to run through dirt trails for a community center, you know something special is happening.
That’s Fruita.
The community already looks forward to the next big race: the famous Mike the Headless Chicken 5K in May, which routinely draws more than 1,000 participants.
But for one perfect morning in February, love was literally in the air, along with plenty of dog breath and the sound of hundreds of feet pounding the trails for a good cause.
What community events make you feel most connected to where you live? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
