My marathons

Colorado Colfax Marathon

May, day not yet published Denver
Colorado State Capitol
Colorado State Capitol. Photograph by Hustvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

The organiser describes the course as an urban tour of Denver that starts and finishes in City Park, runs through Empower Field at Mile High twice and passes along Sloan's Lake, Colfax Avenue and downtown.

The course in short 3 lines
  • City Park to City Park, through DenverStart and finish in City Park, Empower Field twice, Sloan's Lake, downtown.
  • A mile high, a working fire station and a stadiumDenver Fire Station #1, and the stadium at miles 6 and 20.
  • A 6:00am start and a six-hour limit6:00am start on 16 May 2027, 6-hour limit, Boston qualifier.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
Whole courseGeometryCity Park to City Park, through DenverStart and finish in City Park, Empower Field twice, Sloan's Lake, downtown.

The marathon page calls it “the Ultimate Urban Tour of Denver”: start and finish in Denver’s City Park, a run through Empower Field at Mile High “twice”, through Denver Fire Station #1, along seven miles of rivers, lakes and bridges including Sloan’s Lake, then neighbourhoods, historic Lakewood, Colfax Avenue and downtown, with views of the Rocky Mountains.

The start is on the east side of Ferril Lake.

Sourced

Whole courseLandmarkA mile high, a working fire station and a stadiumDenver Fire Station #1, and the stadium at miles 6 and 20.

The organiser’s photo tour says the marathon runs through Denver Fire Station #1, “the only marathon in the world to run through a working firestation”, and names the stadium as “Mile 6 and 20”. It also notes that the 13th step of the Colorado State Capitol is exactly one mile above sea level, 5,280 feet.

The page counts about seven miles of the course beside water, including the Cherry Creek bike path and Sloan’s Lake.

Sourced

Whole courseConditionsA 6:00am start and a six-hour limit6:00am start on 16 May 2027, 6-hour limit, Boston qualifier.

The organiser’s key facts give the date as Sunday 16 May 2027, the start time as 6:00am and the time limit as 6 hours. Aid stations are listed as water and Gatorade every 2 miles, with Honey Stinger energy gels at miles 6 and 20.

The page also lists the marathon as a Boston Marathon qualifier.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Denver, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, by the clock:

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.

Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.

Anti-chafe
Compeed Anti-blister stick
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.

Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.

Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

Compressport Race Belt

Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.

Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.

Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20

One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.

One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.

Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.

Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.

Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi
cut-off
6:00 h

Race week

Timetable

Sunday 16 May Race day

  1. 06:006:00 AM

    Marathon start Start at Denver's City Park, east side of Ferril Lake, as published for Sunday 16 May 2027.

  2. Time not published

    Overall time limit Time limit 6 hours, as published for the 2027 race. 6:00 limit: 8:31/km for 42.195 km6:00 limit: 13:43/mi for 26.2 mi

Times as published by the organiser, in Denver time, checked .

Add to calendar .ics file, times in Denver time

Trip

Getting a place

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

Keep exploring

More races to look at after the Colorado Colfax Marathon.

Marathons people fly to

Races in North America
  • A frame from our Pittsburgh Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth2:01

    Pittsburgh Marathon

    Pittsburgh, United States

    Sun 2 May 202742.2 km151 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • A frame from our Boston Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth3:12

    Boston Marathon

    Boston, United States

    Mon 19 Apr 202742.2 km105 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • Bixby Creek Bridge, Big Sur

    Big Sur International Marathon

    Big Sur, United States

    Sun 25 Apr 202742.2 km288 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Bixby Creek Bridge, by Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Courses on film

All races on film
  • A frame from our Athens Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth3:56Race week

    Athens Marathon

    Athens, Greece

    Sun 8 Nov42.2 km281 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • A frame from our Malaga Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth3:50Race week

    Malaga Marathon

    Malaga, Spain

    Sun 8 Nov42.2 km63 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • A frame from our Porto Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth3:53Race week

    Porto Marathon

    Porto, Portugal

    Sun 8 Nov42.2 km133 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • A frame from our Curitiba Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth3:51Entry open

    Curitiba Marathon

    Curitiba, Brazil

    Sun 15 Nov42.2 km128 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
More races in the United States and in May