Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Hoping for some firm footing

On heels of Colfax, Denver Marathon debut is at hand

Jill Redding, Special to the News

Published October 7, 2006 at midnight

Text size  

More More Outdoors

More stories »

Colorado's capital city is gearing up for its second major marathon in six months as the Denver Marathon is set to debut Oct. 15. The race comes on the heels of the successful Colorado Colfax Marathon, which made its grand entrance May 21.

And based on early registration numbers and the capability of the high-powered Denver Marathon event management team headed by race director Dave McGillivray of Boston Marathon fame, it looks like both races will have made quite an impact once the dust has settled.

"It's a great sign for the state that there would even be a market for two marathons in Denver," said Olympic marathoner Alan Culpepper, of Lafayette, who will run the Denver Half Marathon in preparation for the New York City Marathon in November. "It's encouraging for those of us in the profession of running, and I think it's a natural fit for the city of Denver and the state of Colorado, since it's such a health-conscious place."

The two marathons are decidedly different. Colorado Colfax focused on the revitalization of Colfax Avenue - at 26 miles, one of America's longest continuous commercial streets. The race was run almost entirely on Colfax, with a brief foray into City Park that probably will be eliminated next year, according to race co-manager Creigh Kelley.

On the other hand, the Denver Marathon weaves through the downtown area and beyond, starting and finishing in front of the Capitol and incorporating such landmarks as the Denver Art Museum, the Pepsi Center, Coors Field, the Denver Public Library and several major parks.

Colorado Colfax had more than 5,000 registrants in the marathon, half-marathon and five-person relay, and spokesperson Regan Petersen said the Denver Marathon also is on target to hit 5,000 participants on race day in the marathon, half-marathon and four-person relay.

"Interest is at an all-time high," said McGillivray, who has directed 18 Boston Marathons and has run in 118 marathons. "The health and fitness craze in this country is skyrocketing. I definitely think there is room for two races in Denver, and there is a demand for events like this. Participants are looking for something different, for another challenge."

The two races are spaced far enough apart that participants potentially could run both marathons, or participate in both in other ways.

"Many cities enjoy having more than one major marathon, and we are no different," Kelley said. "I think two marathons six months apart are fine. In conversations with Dave, we both believe that a participant can possibly handle both, but more importantly can do the marathon at one and the half at the next, or can join a relay team at either."

Unlike other state marathons, such as the one in Durango, which eliminated its relay option after the first year after discovering that most of those participants would have run a half-marathon on their own (the half-marathon was added the subsequent year), Kelley said the relay aspect of the Colorado Colfax race will be "significantly enhanced" next year after its resounding success (365 relay teams of five people participated).

Denver's marathon fortunes seem to be changing. Its reputation in the 26.2-mile fraternity was tarnished by the Denver International Marathon in 1993, a financial disaster that left race winners and monitoring police officers without pay until private parties stepped in.

In addition, the Mile High City Marathon had its ups and downs during its four years but ended abruptly in 2004 when the event was canceled 24 hours before the race start because of inadequate financing for street closures. Other city marathons have gone by the wayside, thwarted by lack of interest or organizational problems.

Everyone from luminaries to people of all walks of life participated in Colorado Colfax, and the Denver Marathon will be no different. Petersen reports that Denver firefighters, police officers, Olympians, 12 homeless women from a local shelter, stroke survivors, a 78-year-old woman, legally blind runners and several "50-staters" (people who have run marathons in all 50 states) will be toeing the line on race day.

Denver mayor John Hickenlooper, who participated in a relay in the Colorado Colfax Marathon, is challenging Denver's business community to help combat homelessness by participating in the Corporate Relay, which benefits Denver's Road Home, Hickenlooper's 10-year plan to end homelessness. Hickenlooper's office is registering a team for the relay.

Culpepper said one of the appeals of the Denver Marathon and Half Marathon is that the courses are relatively flat, because running a marathon at altitude is a big enough challenge in itself. In addition, the course was mapped out with more than just the participants in mind.

"The important thing is designing a course that satisfies not just the runners, but the community itself," McGillivray said. "It needs to minimize impact but at the same time showcase the city of Denver and all it has to offer."