Overall a good race experience, I ran the Saturday 5k at city park, and the Urban 10 miler Sunday. The race expo which was at Mile High stadium was easy to navigate through and get to since the 16 bus has a stop near by the stadium. The 5k, Marathon, & half marathon all start and finish at city park while the Urban 10 miler starts at some college near Casa Bonita and finishes at city park. The post race festival is also at city park and has a ton of space for runners and their friends and family that came to support them can hang out. I traveled from LA to run this race pretty much as an excuse to visit other cities, and comparing the prices of most races where I'm from the price of the Denver Colfax marathon is absolutely worth it. The only thing keeping me from giving 5 stars was the road closures updates. The local news and streets had proper notification of street closures. But for some reason Google, Waze, and even Apple Maps had no idea of the street closures. They all gave me the basic directions that I could get to Rockie Mountain college by taking the bus or a taxi down Colfax Ave even though the streets were closed. Even the Uber driver I took couldn't get outside of downtown because the app wouldn't load an alternate to go around. Lucky for me I found a Veo city bike and was able to ride to my start line. Other than the lack of street closures updated to the navigation apps, this is a great overall event. read more

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Participants Perspective - Expo: Exciting and the spacing of vendors made it feel "covid safe." Plus there was plentiful of vendors that commercialized free items to try/ sample. Another thing was bib/ packet pick-up was easily to navigate. - Morning of race aka start line... corral and coordination was seamless - During race... I felt like I saw all the sightseeing highlights of Denver in a 26.2 mile viewpoint. There was plenty of hydration points every 2miles and felt like it was well organized. There was no confusion on where to turn and plenty of volunteers to help the navigation. - Post race... Food from finish to non re-entry of finish line was wonderful. However, I am as not a fun of them offering free "lunch" hard-boiled eggs (vegetarian option) or brats (pork and beef options) with plain lays potato chips. Neither of these sounded appetizing to me after running 26.2 miles. The There was 2 free drinks for runners of all distances which was nice. Spectator Perspective - Expo:My other half has been to several of my race expos and this one felt larger and more exciting - Organization: Other half felt like this is was the best time organized when it comes to expo and actually race event. - Information provided by race committee made it possible for spectators to find runner easily. read more

I can't think of any negatives during this year's Colfax Marathon. I ran the Urban 10 Miler, the race staff provided easy to understand directions and started each runner wave promptly on time. While running, several stations existed for water, Gatorade, energy bars, and energy shots. They also helped with directions during the splits from other race types. I never had to worry about getting water, help, etc. as they put on a great job, definitely a great thing when just focusing on running! read more

Colorado Colfax Marathon - Running through Mile High! - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Overall I really liked the full marathon course and there's a great highlight video of this year's event on their website http://www.runcolfax.org/2015-highlights-video/ Pros: -Free race photos -Lots of free race parking (I arrived at 4:45am for a 6am marathon start) -3 really good hotels (Holiday Inn, Marriott Residence Inn and Hilton Garden Inn) al within a 3.5 mile radius of the race start/finish -Course mile markers were clear and accurate -Run through Sports Authority Field where the Denver Broncos play TWICE -Run through fire station #1 app floor -Run along Cherry Creek (can be crowded in the first half but pretty) -Good weather -Run by capital building -Run around Sloan Lake which is quite pretty with lots of geese, spectators and entertainment -Large Michelob Ultra beer garden at the finish (if that's your thing) -Large reusable bag to collect goodies after the race (sufficient amount of bananas, water, small cans of Pepsi, mini Clif granola bars, hand cream) -Juice and coffee samples at the finish line -Free Jim N' Nick's BBQ sandwich w/chips or Vegetarian pasta option with bib ticket for each runner -Ample spectators and course entertainment -Expo was in a really unique location (Wings over the Rockies Air Museum) -Relatively flat course with subtle elevation changes. No significant hills. -Finishers medals were handed out by firefighters -Spinner medal has a cool design and the size isn't overkill like a lot of races are doing nowadays -Tech shirt has a good design, I like the V-neck Cons: -Water/Gatorade was only every 2 miles. Higher elevation means more thirst -Out and back section on West Colfax Ave had sketchy characters, motels and abandoned businesses -Not a lot of porta potties outside of the relay transition areas which were PACKED with people -Finish line area was a mess with too many different race distances converging in one small area. Only one marathon medal distributor that I could see. -Most of the race participants were relay teams. There were 1000 relay teams that had 5 people for the most part. There were only 1450 full marathon runners. -I didn't find many non-headphoned marathoners to chat with during the race -No freebies at the expo other than a couple of stickers -No petroleum jelly on the course (hello chafe) -Only two Clif Shot stations -Only two different spectator spots that had a couple people handing out oranges. Nobody was giving out any fun items like red licorice, gummy bears, etc -Lots of potholes on the roads from snowfall and poor repair work -Finish area where the beer garden and food was=total mess. Relay team booths and people laying on the grass everywhere plus lack of signage made it difficult to see much of what they had. -Expo was a bit disorganized and crowded in places It was a good race trying to be like a big city race but it has a way to go before it can achieve that status. read more

Colorado Colfax Marathon - 2015 Marathon Medal - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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This was my first 1/2 marathon, and overall, it was fine. The race course could have been a bit more scenic (though running down East Colfax offered some entertainment value). But that I can live with. The major problem I had with this race was the pack pickup. 1/2 star. It was one giant nightmare. There seems to be a general consensus about this, and so I won't belabor the point. However, I would consider NOT running this race again next year because of the packet pickup disaster. Wrong names, hours in line, general confusion overall and very little explanation. I ran the Bolder Boulder two weeks later and the packet pick up of that race couldn't have been easier. I've also run some other races where pickup was far more organized. For such a popular and well-advertised race (Colfax Marathon), there really should be better organization. Also, the full marathon course distance was too long. As a qualifier race, that is a pretty big deal. Since I didn't run the full marathon this time, I guess I shouldn't care. But one day when I can run 26+ miles, I will care. read more

Coming from california this was my first full marathon at altitude. I've done a couple half marathons in colorado while visiting my family on vacation, but decided to run the 2008 Colorado/Colfax marathon. The loooooooooooooooo.......ooooooo.....oooooo.....ng stretch down colfax (I think it was colfax) avenue was a bit brutal. man, I realize it's called the colorado/colfax marathon, but send us down some other streets! All in all I felt good and didn't die which is awesome, and my family was able to see me a few times along the course. Would definitely do it again. They did run out of t-shirts! so I took one that was for the half marathon, but dammit I ran the full!!! read more

I have ran Colfax for over 10 years. I remember when the marathon started at one end of Colfax and ended at the opposing end of Colfax. This race was the race that attracted good strong runners who started off the race season. It was always inspiring to run with others who were focused on executing what they had trained all winter to achieve. (I think Colfax Marathon is a Boston Marathon qualifier. But, I could be wrong about that statement.) This race was also a great way to see various shops, restaurants, and other businesses that are primarily Locally Owned and one could make mental notes of what places you would like to go back and visit. I am not going to cover up the fact that Colfax, the street itself, is notorious for some scandalous characters. But, other than running in the Rock and Roll Las Vegas Marathon, what other race will strippers and "urban campers" cheer you on???? :) Only at the Colfax Marathon!!! Over the years and probably due to an explosion in social media marketing the race has attracted even more participants. Not necessarily my cup of tea when it comes to running around groups of 3 or more participants who decide to run next to each other and take up the majority of the street chit chatting with one another. I try not to complain because it is healthier for them to get together to run instead of being sedentary. Colfax has added other thing along the route to keep the runners entertained as well as mapping out the courses to highlight some of Denver/Aurora/Edge Water/Lakewood's local attractions. Colfax will always have a space in my racing heart. I just miss the days of dedicated runners who have inspired me every year. I miss the days of 7,000 participants compared to the 14,000 participants. I miss the days of being able to just pick up my bib and t-shirt without being forced to walk through all of the vendor areas. I miss the days of the Colfax Marathon but I am usually the first to suggest running/participating in the race. And may I just mention that do they do actually feed you at the end of the race. read more

welp. I finished the Colfax half-marathon....getting to that point was kind of a rough ride. The organization of the race itself was terrible. When I went to pick up my packet the name on my running bib had the name "LEIGH ANN" plastered on it...my name is Liz?! It was just really confusing and there was nobody around to field questions. When you mess up something so HUGE, you need to have some extra staff around to answer questions... The race was fine, no complaints here, great police officers offering high-fives, plenty of water stations, etc. Post-race, we ran into some mo' problems. They corralled you into a "line" of sorts where you were supposed to get all your "goodies". The only problem is you can't corral 6,500 half-marathoners into 2 single file lines...I guess I would have just had the tents with all the goodies out and about, it may have relieved some of the congestion. So, to summarize: Good race, quick course but poor..very poor organization. In truth, i really just care about the running portion, so I will probably do this race again. I will deal with the face that my bib might say "Candi" on it and I will skip the goody line, but I will run again. read more

I honestly expected way more from this race, and the more that I think about it the more upset I get about the disappointments. First off, there were not that many people. Some runners might like this, but I didn't. I like a good crowd, making friends along the way, feeling like you are part of something, and I didn't feel that way at this race. It could have been because I was so slow this year that the sag wagon was literally right on my ass. They had a 6 hour cut off and I finished in 6:05, not pretty. Second, there were SO FEW SPECTATORS!! My first marathon was in Austin, and the streets were packed with people the entire way. The next one was in Big Sur, and there were not many people out, in fact, it was pretty desolate save for the runners. I was really looking forward to the signs, encouragement, and fun of seeing people cheering along the way. People just weren't really out. I could speculate on reasons why, but regardless, they just weren't there. I only saw maybe 2 bands and one of them was breaking down when we went past them. Third- the course was not clearly marked at all points, a couple of times my sister and I got confused about where to go when we were on the portion that runs past Elitch's and beside Cherry Creek downtown. We actually went the wrong way once, only for about 50 ft thankfully, and had to turn around and go back. That's awful!! Another time, the volunteers were kicking it flirting and not paying attention and we had to ask which way to go. I am grateful for the volunteers, but some of them really looked like they were forced to be there and not happy about it. Fourth- the water/medic stations. I only ever saw one medic station. There was one water stop that didn't have water at all. Others just disappeared at the end. I went the last 4 or 5 miles with no water. That's brutal. They were breaking down the water stations already when I came to some of them. C'mon!! I don't need more reminders that I am going slow, I was hurting!! It was like being in a restaurant trying to enjoy your dinner while the servers are putting the chairs up on the tables around you. It was not very encouraging. Fifth- Some random weirdo jumped in on the race and was following me for like 5 miles talking about poison in the water and trying to show everyone where his swim trunks were chafing him. He finished in front of me and was given a medal. He had no race bib, nothing. They just gave this guy a medal. I don't know what could have been done there, maybe not give medals to people who don't have a bib? Whatever. Sixth and last major complaint! The expo was awful. Crowded, hard to walk through, and not very much stuff. Only a couple of clothing vendors, and no shoes. They were pretty quick to get me my bib, and everything was correct on it, so that was good. I think that's about it for the cons, now for some pros. The course was nice, Colfax was pretty brutal coming back after the half turnaround but that's usually when everything sucks anyway. The shirts were nice. The weather was great. I was happy to be running in my home state for the first time. read more

I did the relay component of this years Colorado Colfax Marathon. I live right next to City Park and that's where it started and ended, so that made my life easier. My hubs-to-be ran a leg further down and told me that it was a sh*tshow trying to get back to City Park. The shuttles were not running properly and some people decided they'd be better off WALKING back..... After running all that way, they walked back! The food was good, but the lines were poorly managed. Beer was michelob ultra (coulda done better in my opinion)... I liked the race, I had fun with it, and I'll probably do it again. My experience was better than my fiance's, I bet he'd give it a three-star review. Maybe even two. read more

This was my first full marathon at altitude (I live in the area, but I've only run at low elevations before). I had a blast. There are some things that they could improve next year, but it was tremendous as it stands. Packet pick-up and the Expo were great. I went on Friday afternoon and while it was busy, I didn't wait for anything. The footprints on the carpet were cute, but the people making sure you went the right direction made it easy to get my bib and goodies. The rest of the expo was sufficiently engaging that my pit crew (my wife and son) had fun and spent money. Sports Authority field is the right place to have this, particularly with the run-through the next day - it's a nice tie-in. Parking on Sunday was actually pretty easy, but we had no idea what to do until we got to the neighborhood (the website and the updates just said "find parking", which is less than helpful). Like many of the marathoners, we ended up parking right at the zoo and I wound up less than five minutes from the start line. This was a very good thing after the race. If I could ask for just one thing from the organizers, it would be to give detailed directions on parking and to coordinate it with the museum, the zoo, or whoever else is in charge of City Park parking. Once we realized it wasn't going to be a big deal, it was easy enough, but the angst could have been avoided. The race started promptly and even though I was back in G corral it felt very quick to start. This was a good thing because it was a tad chily (low 50's) and I was shivering and running for the first mile. Other races have been more out-front about wearing a throwaway long-sleeve tee and donating it in the first mile - I think this was an option, but you'd never have known it from the pre-race publicity. I don't like to throw things away, but I'd have donated. On the other hand, and in contradiction to the general rule that "a capella" is Italian for "off key", the National Anthem was really well done. The first six miles were a dream. Mostly a little downhill (yes, you knew you'd pay for that later), cool, and the rain the day before had washed the streets. Mile High (oops - Sports Authority Field) was a nice treat. Colfax westbound was pretty (okay, as pretty as West Colfax ever gets), and Sloan's Lake was one of the best parts of the race. I loved the huge flag at Sheridan hanging from the fire truck ladders. Up until you turned toward RMCAD it felt easy and I was running well - several minutes ahead of my goal time. Then we got to the hills west of RMCAD and it got a little more brutal. I think I just wasn't expecting that much grade that late in the race. I worked through it, though, keeping below threshold and trying to conserve energy, and then hit the LONG eastbound stretch on Colfax. I enjoyed the nice downhill, but it was getting hotter and hotter - so much for 60's and 70's, and it's not as much fun to run as the temperature heads for 80 and there's no relief from the sun. By the second stadium run-through my quads were hurting and I had slowed down quite a bit. You know you're running slower when a barefoot guy in a tutu passes you. The final 6 miles were a grind. Uphill stretches, paying back what you borrowed earlier. The field had stretched out, but the relay runners and the urban ten-milers kept you company. I lost almost two minutes a mile between 22 and 25, but managed to get some kick back at the end, crossed the line with a smile at a sore-footed run, and beat my goal time by two minutes, blowing away my old PR in the process. Then it was collapsing on the grass with a cold beer (almost no line!) and allowing my pit crew to split the barbecue (not much appetite that close to a race, and you gotta pay the crew). Like I said, there are some things that I'd recommend the organizers consider for next year. But even if they do none of them, I'll be back. It was a great time. read more

Most things about this race are really good, but they seem to have a habit of not getting the course length correct. I wouldn't use the marathon for a qualifying time as the course has been too long several times and they have not offered any correction. In 2015, the marathon course was almost exactly 26.5 miles which caused a lot of complaining in the finish chute among the marathoners (that extra 1/4 mile hurts at the end...). Otherwise, it's a really nice race. Good course, good support, and well organized. They almost always seem to have nice weather and it's a fun time. read more

I'm sure this will get no notice but I wanted someone to know that the Colfax Marathon delayed my brother from getting his transfusion at the Colorado Blood Cancer Institute today - yes on Sunday!! We sat in traffic for 30 minutes - I honked and someone ran up to the cop to tell him I needed to get my brother to the hospital and the cop did nothing - told her to call an ambulance!! I maneuvered around to go down a different street to get to the hospital and there was another cop who was there. I yelled to him and honked and he yelled back that I was a pain in the ass! He kept us there for another 10 minutes. When I got my brother here the nurse said that the previous patient had to park 2 miles away and walk in!!!! These are people with cancer moving toward getting a bone marrow transplant!!!!! Unbelievable!! It's unacceptable to have this race go through the hospital district even on a Sunday and it's unacceptable that a cop would not allow someone to go through who needs to go to the hospital!!!!!!! I am only a pain in the ass when a loved one needs to get to the hospital!!!! I am busy taking care of my brother and don't watch tv or read the newspaper. There needs to be signs up telling people what route to use to go to the hospitals or maybe one lane left open. SOMETHING!!! What if someone dies because they can't get their loved one to the emergency room??? Could you please share this message???!! read more

This was my third marathon. The first in Denver. I live and train in the foothills. I wasn't fond of the idea of running up Colfax. I can DRIVE up Colfax. However, a girlfriend of mine had gastric bypass, lost 180+ pounds and trained hard for this race. I ran to support her. I am by no means a fast runner, I average a 10 minute mile, my girlfriend runs a 13-14 minute mile. We knew this was going to be a slow going race, but we knew we could finish in the 6 hour cut off. We crossed the finish line in 6:02 clock time. With absolutely no thanks to the course or the organizers. Colfax is a small race, not a whole lot of runners. And the slower moving racers are even fewer in number. As we reached mile 19, the aide stations were non-existant. It was over 80* in the middle of May, and with runners on the course there was no water from mile 19 on. By mile 20, the sweep staff was trying to coax my friend in to the bus telling her she wouldn't finish in time. When we reached downtown Denver the signs telling us where to go were gone. We could see other runners up ahead and none of us knew where we were headed. As we approached 17th and Colorado we had no idea which way to go. All of the runners in our vision were headed in different directions. It was hot, we were down to the end of the water that we thankfully carried on our own and there was no signage. If there had been signage and the support that should have been there, we would have finished sooner than the 6 hour time limit. I for one will never run this race again and I would not suggest it to anyone else either. Save your money, train for a different race. read more