Denver-Colfax Marathon
May 19, 2024
5:38:54 - 1927/2214 Overall - 6/11 in 70+
Jodi joined
me on Saturday (she was not thrilled to have a 5AM flight out of Fresno) but
arrived early so we could eat breakfast together. The expo was at the the NFL Broncos’
Empower Stadium so I showed Jodi that and then we took an hour and a half tour
of the stadium. It was quite fun and informative to see the press boxes, luxury
boxes, locker rooms, team memorbilia and even walk on the field. We also drove
to see the outside of the Denver Nuggets arena (where they played game 7 that
night and lost) and Rockies ballpark.
Sunday morning it was great to have
Jodi drop me off at the start so I didn’t need to park somewhere. The race
started and ended in a large city park with only street parking. Thankfully it
started early at 6AM because it was 58 at the start and warming quickly.
The Denver-Colfax
Marathon was one of the most challenging marathons I've run due to the
mile-high altitude and thehigh temperatures which reached 82 during my last few
miles. Due to the conditions, I ran/walked 2 min/:30 at the start and later did
1 min/:30 as the temperatures rose. I wore my water belt and was glad to be
able to sip repeatedly as 2 miles between aid stations (which used to be fine
at 15 minutes or so but are now close to half an hour for me) would not have
been nearly enough water to drink.
It was
great to have Jodi meet me at numerous spots with the first one at mile 3 just
before we actually ran through a fire station. She then met me at mile 9 where
there was a loop of Sloan Lake and then at 11 when we completed the loop. When
I headed out further, Jodi was able to do her own loop of the lake and get in
about a 5 mile run/walk before meeting me again at the same spot which was now
mile 19. She was a sight for sore eyes (and legs) as I was getting tired. She
then met me at 24 and the finish line. Jodi commented that it was a very
spectator-friendly marathon meaning she found it was easy to get around to various
spots and that there were many other spectators with her.
We ran
through city streets (Colfax is longest street in America at 26.5 miles https://www.uncovercolorado.com/east-west-colfax-avenue-denver),
residential areas, on the field at Empower Stadium going out and coming back.
There were some moderate hills which weren’t all that steep, but which now
force me to walk much of them.
Saturday night we went to dinner
with 13 other marathoners who were celebrating Penny Willbanks doing her 49th
state. We met her on the plane to the Eugene, OR Marathon in 2019 and also ran
with her in the New Mexico Marathon in January 2023. She's doing #50 at
Anchorage in June.
Photos: https://photos.shutterfly.com/album/1799780969611986
This
was Marathon #186; 44 states+DC on 2nd go-round; All 10 Canadian provinces.
Next marathons: WA 7/27/24
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