DENVER — Several records were broken at the 18th annual Denver Colfax Marathon.
Nearly 25,000 runners took part in the two-day event, making it the biggest race in the city’s history.
Emad Bashir-Mohammed broke the men's half-marathon record with a time of one hour, six minutes and 13 seconds.
“I've been training hard,” he said. “I've been training with world class athletes. They're giving me an opportunity, showing me what it takes to run fast."
Bashir-Mohammed is a refugee. He moved to the United States 10 years ago with his family, and took up running in 2019 as a form of therapy.
"It's life changing,” he said. “I am mentally stronger. The mentally stronger you become, the more you can handle life."
Sunday was the first time Bashir-Mohammed competed in a well-known race.
As the 25,000 runners took to the streets of Denver, even more people stood on the sidelines cheering them on.
"It was the crowd that got me through, especially those grueling hills that I wasn't expecting toward the end,” said Erica Ruiz, winner of the women’s half-marathon. “It was the crowd that just kept cheering for me that got me through."
The man at the finish line, volunteer Stephen Neal, also captured the crowd's attention.
"Brandon, you did it, son,” Neal said as he handed out waters to racers. "Caroline, there ya go! John, you monster. Steve, you beast. You did it. You did it.”
Neal was just one of 1,500 volunteers helping out with the event.
“Somebody has to keep the wheels spinning,” he said. "I just like watching their smiles."
Laurel Kruger broke the record for the women's overall marathon, running 26.2 miles in two hours, 50 minutes and 54 seconds.
Fernando Cabada took home first place in the men’s marathon with a time of two hours, 30 minutes and 13 seconds.
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