By Justin Goodrum for Denverite
Denver’s Colfax Marathon will draw thousands of people — including runners and revelers — to the central city this weekend, May 15-17.
It’s the 20th edition of the annual race, and the organizers hope to bring a “wow at every mile” to the marathon and half-marathon courses.
Here’s what’s on deck:
- Friday, May 15, is the marathon expo
- Saturday, May 16, is the Colfax 5K
- Sunday, May 17, is the marathon, half-marathon, urban 10 miler, and relay races
What are the 'wows'?
Andrea Dowdy, CEO of the Denver Colfax Marathon, said the “wows” could range from hidden gems to lively, high-energy festivities.
“The wows actually vary significantly. For example, we have a couple of wows that are our big tradition, such as running through the stadium and running through Denver Zoo,” she explained. Elsewhere, there will be “dragon boats on Sloan's Lake and we'll have kayakers and paddleboarders” by the South Platte River at Confluence Park.
There will be 40 attractions in all, also including musicians, aerial acrobats, and dancers.
“The coordination is actually very elaborate, not only for the person who's recruiting all the talent, but also placing them, making sure they have everything they need, timeframes, logistics, and that type of thing,” Dowdy explained.
“We think runners will be very excited. Very unique for this particular race in the country,” she said.
What is the Colfax Marathon route?
The marathon begins 6 a.m. Sunday and the half-marathon begins at 6:30 a.m.
A map of the marathon is available online. It begins at City Park and then follows East Colfax Avenue until it reaches Cherry Creek, then continues to the South Platte River. The race then heads west along West Colfax Avenue into Wheat Ridge.
On its way back, the course loops around Sloan’s Lake, then returns along 17th Street downtown and 17th Avenue out of Capitol Hill.
Road closures are expected between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday, with travelers advised to stay south of Colfax and north of 29th Avenue. Road closures are rolling, so sections will reopen as runners finish. Interstate 25 will remain open.
The Colfax 5K on Saturday takes place within City Park and begins at 9 a.m.
Can I still run?
As of May 13, registrations were still available for the Colfax marathon, 5K and relay races.
How was the Colfax Marathon founded?
The marathon is expected to draw 28,000 runners to eight races over two days. Reflecting on the 20th anniversary, Dowdy explained how the race grew from 4,000 runners.
“In the beginning, it was actually a regional effort by the mayors in Denver, Lakewood and Aurora to say, ‘How can we celebrate Colfax Avenue?’” said Dowdy. “Hold on. Wait, we could do a marathon. It's 26 miles of Main Street through these three cities. So it started actually as a collaboration to really bring these cities together. They set it up as a 501(c)(3), so we are a nonprofit. And our mission has been to give back to the community.”
While marathon weekend welcomes runners of all levels, Colorado’s top competitors will battle for a share of $22,560 in prize money, including payouts for half-marathon participants. Athletes who shatter event records will earn an additional $1,000 bonus.
Influencing the next generation of runners, the marathon encourages Denver youth to compete through the Fly Feet and Girls on the Run programs. Fly Feet offers free entries through charitable partners. Girls on the Run challenges participants to run a mile per week, building toward a 5K at the Colfax Marathon.
Philanthropy is a cornerstone of the race, with more than 200 nonprofits partnering with the Colfax Marathon to raise more than $5 million for their causes. Because of the efforts of the marathon runners, the Denver Colfax Marathon’s Charity Partners Program is the 2nd largest in the country, second only to the New York City Marathon.
Dowdy said everyone can be part of the Denver Colfax Marathon’s 20th anniversary celebration, even if they don’t plan to run in any of the races.
“We'll have over 2,000 volunteers on race weekend, which is terrific and people can sign up online to volunteer to do all sorts of things, whether it's handing out bibs at the expo or whether it's handing out a banana at the finish line or serving water, lots of opportunities,” she said.
But, she added: “The final way to get involved is just to come out and cheer.”
Her favorite sign ever? Go, stranger, go!
“They didn't even know anybody in the race,” Dowdy said. “They just wanted to get out there and cheer.”
