THE COURSE
 

The Denver Post Colorado Colfax Marathon, Marathon Relay and Half Marathon will start and finish in Denver’s City Park Pavilion area.  Click below for links to the 2009 course maps.

The Denver Post Colorado Colfax Marathon Maps 

Half Marathon
Half Marathon (pdf)
Half Marathon (gpx) 

Start to 5 Miles- this section is flat with some slight up-hills. You will begin with all the full marathoners and 1st relay leg runners in the marathon, starting on the south side of the historic City Park Pavilion Building on the west side of the big City Park Ferril Lake. You will wind thru City Park then kick out at Esplanade and 17th Avenue crossing on the west side of East HS to Colfax at about the 1 Mile point and then onto East Colfax. At about the 2 Mile point (Harrison Street) you leave the marathoners and relay teams behind as you head east across Colorado Blvd.). Just after 5 miles you pass an Aurora landmark, the Fox Theater.
Miles 5 thru 7 – Here the course is a mixture of flat, easy up-hills, then flattens back out in the Anschutz Medical Campus where you leave Colfax by turning left (north) at Quentin. Here you begin the downhill portion. Once out of the Campus you get your first view of the Denver skyline as you run to the west on 17th Avenue in a straight shot back to Denver’s City Park. You’ll pass through some of Aurora’s older neighborhoods. At a point just before 10 Miles you’ll leave Aurora and reenter Denver.

Mile 10 to Finish – A mostly flat and downhill journey cruises you past Johnson & Wales University. After crossing Monaco, E 17th Ave becomes heavily tree lined, with lots of shade! You’ll know you’re close when you leave E 17th avenue and reenter City Park at Harrison (after crossing Colorado Blvd.)! It’s less than ½ mile to your finish line!

Full Marathon
Full Marathon (pdf)
Full Marathon (gpx)
Start thru 5 Miles – this section is flat with some slight up-hills. You will begin with all the half marathoners and 1st relay leg runners in the marathon, starting on the south side of the historic City Park Pavilion Building on the west side of the big City Park Ferril Lake. You will wind thru City Park then kick out at Esplanade and 17th Avenue crossing on the west side of East HS to Colfax at about the 1 Mile point and then onto East Colfax. At about the 2 Mile point (Harrison Street) you leave the half marathoners behind as you turn left (north) onto Harrison, cross 17th Avenue and reenter City Park. Wind thru City Park with the Museum of Nature and Science on your right shoulder and Ferril Lake on your left. You’ll pass the historic Elephant building on your right at the edge of the Denver Zoo, pass the Pavilion Building on your left shoulder and Duck (or “Alligator Lake”) on your right at 3 Miles. At this point you’ll rerun some of the 1st Mile of the course, pass the beautiful Thatcher Fountain again, cross 17th Avenue and pass East HS for the last time as you turn right (west) and with the rising sun at your back, start running on Colfax toward downtown Denver beginning at Mile 4 opposite the Tattered Cover Bookstore. This section also passes the Capitol, Civic Center Park, the Denver Newspaper Agency, and the Mint.

Miles 5 thru 10 – Section has comfortable downhill and flat areas before starting to climb toward Lakewood. Approaching the Auraria Campus you pass the 1st exchange zone for the relay at the 10K point or 6.2 Miles. Now you head up the overpass with Invesco Field on your right. Once past Federal road flattens some and is gradually uphill, getting most of the up-hill portion behind you (about a 300 foot elevation change) by the time you reach the turnaround point on Colfax (just before Simms in Lakewood). You enter into Lakewood as you cross Sheridan and the next thing you’ll see is the 2nd Exchange point at 9.3 Miles (15K at Depew Street). 10 Miles comes up quickly at Newland Street and more than half the gentle climb into Lakewood is behind you!

Miles 10 thru 15 – section has gradual up through the 13 Mile point, you hit the turnaround and now it’s a welcome down-hill from Mile 13 to Mile 15!

Miles 15 thru 20 – section is downhill and flat – continuing downhill you see the 3rd Relay Exchange point (you actually passed it on the way out but you were separated from it) at Mile 15.6 (25K on the east side of the Wadsworth and Colfax intersection). If you’re running the 3rd leg of the marathon relay, this is a good 10K (6.2 miles) to try. It is roughly 3.5 miles half up-hill and then almost 3 miles down-hill! You leave Colfax and Lakewood behind for the last time after you’ve crossed back into Denver after passing Mile 17 at Sheridan. A few blocks later, you turn left (north) onto Wolff Street, crossing 17th Avenue and enter the pathway around Sloan’s Lake. The cooling breezes off the lake are welcome! You’ll follow the border of Sloan’s Lake in a clockwise fashion using the pathway. Just before you complete your journey around the Lake you’ll discover the 4th and final Relay Exchange point (30K or Mile 18.6). Almost immediately you’ll pass Mile 19 where you exit onto 20th Ave. Continuing downhill, you’ll arrive at the 20 Mile point at the northwest corner of Invesco at Mile High!

Miles 20 to Finish – this section incorporates a little of everything…downhill, flat uphill, and flat again – Down 20th with Invesco looming on your right to Clay Street. Turning left (north) onto Clay, you wind right onto 23rd, then over I-25 onto Water St. where you see Children’s Museum, the Aquarium and past the home of REI. Water turns into Platte St where you turn right onto 15th Street.15th takes you quickly to Wynkoop, where you turn left and pass the historic Union Station! Before you get close to Coors Field, you turn right onto 17th Street and journey through the canyons of the business district before turning a slight left as you cross Broadway taking 17th Avenue toward Denver’s City Park and your finish line! There is one more “wake-up call” for you as you push through a brief up-hill near Lincoln and Grant. It’s a gentle up-hill for another mile and then you turn left (north) at Gaylord, a quick right (east) at 23rd, cross York and as you head into the last mile and a half, you’re running in City Park, past Duck Lake and the Zoo for the last time, past and the Museum of Nature and Science on your left shoulder and you’ll likely be able to see your finish line across Ferril Lake to the southwest! You’ll round the corner and with trees overhead you’ll have completed 26.2 Miles!

MapMyRun Maps

Half Marathon
Full Marathon