THE RUNNER Denver Upcoming Marathon

 Nadene Goldfoot                                        

After watching our own Eugene Marathon, some of the same runners are probably going to enter the one in Denver, Colorado this month. The 20th anniversary Denver Colfax Marathon weekend takes place May 15-17, 2026, with the main marathon, half marathon, 10-miler, and relay races occurring on Sunday, May 17, 2026. It is Denver's largest running weekend, featuring a scenic course, a post-race party at City Park, and a new "Zoo Mile" in the half marathon.

More than 25,000 runners typically participate in the Denver Colfax Marathon weekend, which is the largest running event in the region. For the 20th anniversary in May 2026, organizers are expecting over 27,000 runners across the weekend's various events.  I know our caretaker Lake Oswego runner has already entered, expecting his ankle to have been recovered. Harrumph;  he was born and raised in

Denver. When he's in good form, he's like The Runner (Marvel): Considered the fastest being in the Marvel Universe, this Elder of the Universe channels the Power Primordial and has achieved "Absolute Speed," allowing him to move faster than thought. That's our man.  

Of course, what I first think of are: The "Runners" of 164 BCE: the urgency of the moment of Macabees—seeking pure oil to relight the Menorah immediately upon returning—is a central theme of restoring the Temple, and during one time in Jerusalem, runners had to go to the next town and bring back the pure olive oil..; The Maccabees (Hasmoneans) who liberated the Temple were from Modin, which is about 20 miles northwest of Jerusalem.  A man can run 20 miles in roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes to over 4 hours, depending on fitness and pace. Elite marathoners may complete this distance in about 2:15, while average recreational marathon runners typically take between 2 hours 45 minutes and 3 hours 30 minutes for a long training run of this distance.

                     Denver City Park

Key Details for May 17, 2026:

• Location: Starts and finishes at City Park, Denver, CO.
• Race Day Schedule (Sunday):
  • Marathon & Relay: 6:00 AM start.
  • Half Marathon: 6:30 AM start (includes 1 mile through Denver Zoo).
  • Urban 10 Miler: 7:45 AM start.
• Events Weekend:
  • Expo: Friday, May 15 & Saturday, May 16 at Empower Field at Mile High.
  • 5K: Saturday, May 16.
• Registration: Open now at RunColfax.org .
• Charity: The event supports over 125 local charity partners. 

Highlights:                              

                         7 miles of waterways

• "WOW" Moments: Over 40 special entertainment spots along the course to mark the 20th anniversary.
• Course: The marathon runs through the Empower Field stadium, along 7 miles of waterways, and through the Denver Zoo. [1, 2, 3]
• Now, getting to Denver is another thing. One-way flights from Portland (PDX) to Denver (DEN) in May and June 2026 are available for as low as $44–$59 on budget carriers like Frontier Airlines, with typical fares for other carriers like Southwest or United ranging from $109 to $150+. Nonstop flights average about 2 hours 40 minutes.
•  It takes 2 hours 21 minutes to fly over 981.39 miles.  To drive would take 12 hours 28 minutes to go over 1,243 miles;  or the train that would cost $399 one way, or the bus that would cost $488 one way.  
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