DENVER — The largest running event in Denver will impact roads and public transit this weekend.
The series of races will force rolling closures of several roads in central Denver and Lakewood on Sunday.
The Denver Colfax Marathon will conduct its marathon, half-marathon, 10 miler and 5K marathon relay on Sunday, leading to rolling road closures between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Colfax Marathon road closures on Sunday
These roads will be closed on a rolling basis as runners pass through the area Sunday:
- Traffic on York between Colfax and 23rd will be closed from 5:45 – 8 a.m.
- Traffic will be closed on 23rd Avenue between York and Colorado Boulevard between 5:45 – 8:15 a.m.
- 17th Avenue from Detroit to York will be closed to vehicles from 6 – 10 a.m.
- Westbound Colfax from Elizabeth Street (just south of East HS) to Speer Boulevard will be closed to vehicles 5:45 – 10 a.m.
- Westbound Colfax from Interstate 25 to Garrison in Lakewood will be closed from 7 a.m. – noon.
- Raleigh from westbound Colfax to West 17th will be a full closure from 7 – 9:30 a.m. Only official event vehicles and emergency vehicles will be allowed on Raleigh during this time.
- The following streets will close at least one lane from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Lawrence Street from Speer to 17th Street, 17th Street to 17th Avenue, 17th Avenue to Vine Street.
- Vine Street from 17th Avenue to 22nd Avenue will be closed to north south vehicles from 7 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
- There will be a one lane closure on 22nd from Vine Street to Gaylord Street.
- Gaylord Street from 22nd to 21st Avenue will be closed from 7 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
5K road closures on Saturday
The event will hold a 5K on Saturday, which starts and ends at City Park.
- York Street will have a partial closure in the northbound curb lane from 21st Avenue to 17th Avenue.
- Partial closure in the westbound curb lane from 17th Avenue to Steele Street from 9 – 11:30 a.m.
RTD bus, light rail impacts on Sunday
D, H and L light rail
- D and H lines will not serve Colfax at Auraria Station through the downtown loop.
- D and H lines will continue to serve 10th/Osage Station, and will detour to serve Auraria West Station, Empower Field Station, Ball Arena/Elitch Station and Union Station.
- The L Line will not be in service, and customers are encouraged to use bus Route 43 as an alternative option.
- Customers looking to connect to downtown can take the Free MallRide to and from Union Station.
- No impacts to RTD rail service are expected to occur on Saturday.
Bus routes
- Saturday only: routes 20 and 24 will have a minor detour around the event, 9 a.m.-noon during the Colfax 5K race.
- Sunday only: the following bus routes will be temporarily detoured in many areas, and will be allowed to cross the marathon route when possible: 0, 1, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 15L, 16, 19, 20, 24, 28, 30, 38, 43, 44, 48, 51, 52, 76, 83L.
After a sold-out race weekend in 2023 with 21,000 runners, Denver Colfax Marathon race registration continues to grow, and participation numbers will break that record this year.
People can register online and at the race expo, which will be held Friday and Saturday.
Race organizers announced course changes in February. Now the marathon can have more marathon and marathon relay teams participate. With one week before race weekend, the full marathon has 30% more participants than ever before.
"The energy and excitement that we've seen so far surrounding the 2024 race weekend is incredible," said Andrea Dowdy, CEO of the Denver Colfax Marathon. "We highly encourage runners to register now to secure a spot in their race of choice. This May, we are expecting more than 21,000 runners and close to 50,000 guests throughout the weekend."
Marathon course
Denver Colfax Marathon organizers announced in February that the event has separated its marathon course (marathon/marathon relay/10 miler) and the half-marathon course for several miles of the race.
Marathon course runners will now "own" the Cherry Creek Bike Path and no longer merge with the half-marathon course and runners.
The marathon and half-marathon courses are also now separated into two lanes for several miles on Lawrence and 17th streets, allowing faster marathon course runners to have a dedicated lane.
Half-marathon course
Half-marathon runners will see the biggest changes in their run through the Denver Zoo. The new route will have runners experience exhibits such as the brand new Down Under and the Flamingo Habitat, along with wider pathways.
“The Denver Colfax Marathon is now the largest marathon weekend in the eight-state Rocky Mountain region,” Dowdy said. “We have one of the most scenic race routes in the country. From the mountains to water views, the iconic local landmarks to the unbeatable entertainment along each race, the magic of the marathon weekend is about to get even better.”
Race training
Dr. Jennell Kopp, Denver Colfax Marathon medical director, said runners need to do more than simply run when training for race weekend.
“You can’t just put in the miles and expect to have a successful training program,” Kopp said. “Just like any good recipe, it is not only one ingredient. All the ingredients – fueling, strengthening, proper rest, mileage, are all needed to have a successful race. If you just put in the miles and forget the other ingredients, you will struggle throughout your training.”
2024 race weekend medals
Race medals
The 2024 race day medals of the Denver Colfax Marathon will celebrate Denver's landmarks as well as award finishers with their own piece of history after completing a race at 5,280 feet above sea level. The Denver Colfax Marathon is one of the only races in the country that highlights the actual racecourse on its medals.
The 2024 marathon, 10 miler and marathon relay finisher medals features an aerial view of Empower Field at Mile High, the Ferris wheel at Elitch Gardens, the clocktower on 16th Street Mall, the Denver skyline, mountains and some of Denver's unique bridges.
The highlight of the half-marathon is running through Denver Zoo with the medal showcasing a lion to commemorate the race.
"Our medals are so unique, they each tell a story," Dowdy said. "They are more than a showcase of accomplishment. Each medal is a piece of artwork that our runners proudly display year after year."
The Denver Colfax Marathon medals come with a stand built into it, allowing runners to display their medal on a desktop, with the option of still hanging it on a door or a knob. There’s also a removeable charm/mini-medal that runners can clip on a backpack or use as a zipper pull.
More than 21,000 runners are expected to participate in the 18th annual Denver Colfax Marathon, which will again serve as a Boston Marathon-qualifying event.
Denver Colfax Marathon registration is available at RunColfax.org.
9NEWS is a sponsor of the Denver Colfax Marathon.
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