Marathoners show heart, soles

By Julie Hutchinson, Special to the Rocky

Published May 19, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Brian Lehmann / Special To The Rocky

Brian Christianson, 22, of Colorado Springs, warms up before the 2008 Post-News Colorado Colfax Marathon in Denver. The race started and finished in City Park.

Darin Mcgregor / The Rocky

Reed Leibbrandt, 10, cools Mike Gallagher down with a spray bottle along a hill on 17th Avenue during the last leg of the race.

Capitol Hill woke up early Sunday as the third Post-News Colorado Colfax Marathon got a running start at City Park and headed west past the Capitol toward Lakewood. Neighborhood residents showed up in force to watch the runners, cheer them on and enjoy the warm spring morning.

Race officials said more than 30,000 people lined the 26-mile route to watch the more than 5,000 runners.

Dominique Haynes and Will Bright,volunteers, East Colfax Avenue and Franklin Street

Among the earliest to show up on the sidelines were FirstBank employees Dominique Haynes and Will Bright , who set up a free breakfast bar in the entryway of the bank's Colfax and Franklin branch at 6 a.m.

Haynes and Bright, who live in Capitol Hill and work as personal bankers, took turns ladling pancake batter on griddles and cheering on the marathoners with cow bells as they ran past.

Haynes said she decided to cook instead of sleeping in.

"Why not?" Haynes said. "I just would have been home asleep."

Bright said he wanted to show his support for all the runners, including a big group of fellow FirstBank employees. He participated in a relay team in last year's run.

Matthew Worden, volunteer, East 17th Avenue

A group of drummers created waves of noise as Denver resident Matthew Worden stood by with his cell phone near the final approach to the finish line.

His job, he said, was to call the finish line and tell them who was passing so officials would know to be ready with cameras.

"Last year they missed the first woman," Worden explained.

And Worden's volunteer spot definitely was not one for the faint of heart: He reported to his assigned spot at 5:30 a.m., he said.

Verne Plath, Janis Webster, Dave Webster, Kiwanis Club of Denver volunteers, East 17th Avenue

A Denver Kiwanis Club watering station near 17th Avenue and Vine Street, one of the last before the finish line, was prepared for a land-office business, but early on there wasn't much for volunteers to do but enjoy their view of the race and socialize with neighbors.

"We're supposedly working," said Verne Plath, of Littleton.

Janis Webster and her husband, Dave, whose house sat directly across the street from the watering station, said they never miss a neighborhood event and couldn't resist the marathon that passed their front door.

Marc Steinmetz, runner, finish line, City Park

At the finish line, runner Marc Steinmetz, a Denver physician, finished his half marathon, to loud applause from hundreds of onlookers. Wearing a bright red T-shirt with "Denver Rescue Mission" in big letters on the front, Steinmetz was sweaty, out of breath and satisfied.

His time for this year's race, Steinmetz explained, was 55 minutes faster than last year's.

Steinmetz works as a volunteer at the Denver Rescue Mission and said he helped in a small way to train a group of 50 representing the mission who participated in the race this year.

"I'm not one of the major people. I'm just a helper," Steinmetz said. He said the marathon offered important lessons for the men from the Denver Rescue Mission who participated this year.

"You can get better if you're having trouble. And the marathon helps encourage them that they will be healthier if they exercise," Steinmetz said.

The Smith family, finish line, City Park

A family of Smiths decided to run as a relay team.

"I bugged them until they agreed," said Jean Smith. She and her husband, Tony Smith, took part along with several other family members and a family friend. The Centennial couple were pleased that the family had come through, and looked forward to going home and resting.

"It was fun," Jean Smith said. "It was early."

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