In the middle of 2018, my husband and I decided to set a goal of running a race in every state in the U.S. You can read more about the why behind the goal and see what states we’ve crossed off the list so far in the full post HERE.
Read my review of our Colorado Half Marathon race, course, and if I’d recommend it below! And if you are heading to Denver and looking for recommendations, check out my Denver Travel Guide here.
What half marathon race did we choose in Colorado?
The Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon. We were still pretty new (inexperienced) at finding destination races, as Colorado was just our second state to take on in our Race the States challenge. The Rock ‘n’ Roll series just makes it so easy to plan a trip around their races: they are generally in larger cities with a lot to do, and they are organized so well that they tend to be low stress. I don’t love how crowded the actual race experience is, but there is no denying that their races are basically an easy button for people who are new to traveling for running.
Additionally, we ran the Dallas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half as our first ever state several months earlier and had a great experience, so it was a no-brainer to book another. Rock ‘n’ Roll also has a Heavy Medals program where they send you additional medals when you complete 2 or more of their races in a calendar year, so that was another nice bonus in choosing to do a second of their races.
It was our first time visiting Denver, so this was a great race that allowed us to see a bunch of the downtown. We actually did the Remix challenge which meant running a 5K the evening before the half marathon day, so we got a double race experience and were treated to quite a bit of sightseeing. It was also super easy to book an Airbnb in downtown Denver and walk or use the free 16th Street Mall bus to get around, both to and from the race, and to check out other sites while we were in the area.
How would I review our Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon race experience?
HIGH:
This race had many similar aspects as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half we had run recently in Dallas, but with one very big difference: the scenery. Running with mountains in the background was an experience that I hadn’t had previously (though we’ve gotten to run through some extraordinary mountains since), and I was so thrilled to look around. We stopped multiple times to take photos.
Besides the views, this race has the solid support you can expect at a Rock ‘n’ Roll race: well-equipped aid stations, numerous and helpful volunteers, and entertainment along the course to keep you going.
LOW:
I’m always more fond of a loop course over an out-and-back, and while this race wasn’t a true out-and-back, there was a significant overlap at a few different sections in the course. At mile 6, you are running parallel with mile 12 for a bit, and it’s always just a bit disheartening to see how many runners are close to the finish when you aren’t quite halfway yet.
Then at mile 9, there is an additional out loop where you head the opposite direction than runners at mile 12, which reinforced the “how much longer” that was circling my brain. I already know I am a quite slow runner, and it doesn’t always make me feel incredible to be reminded of it by several thousand people running faster than me, especially if I’m already in the pain cave.
Would I recommend the Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon?
I absolutely would! This is another race that were I in town again on race weekend, I wouldn’t hesitate to sign up. I really liked the course, the location, and everything else about this experience. I would say if you want to run a race in Denver, this one is perfect. Unfortunately, it looks like the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver half is no longer offered; from what I could find online, they haven’t organized a race since 2019.
If you are looking for a similar downtown Denver experience, the Denver Colfax Half Marathon looks to have quite a bit of overlap course-wise, and it also goes all around the Denver Zoo, which I vaguely recollect going near during our Denver half.
Where to next?
Denver was a great October race experience, partially because I was able to use it as a benchmark for my marathon training, which I was in the thick of in the fall of 2018. About one month later, I would run my first ever (and only so far) full marathon in Madison, Wisconsin. While I don’t have a true recap of the Madison Marathon up yet, please enjoy my list of tips for other reluctant runners, straight from my marathon training experience.
Being a first-time marathoner, I was stupidly over optimistic about my recovery, and planned to run another half marathon in Minnesota two weeks after my full. We somehow managed to survived the Moustache Half, bringing our 2018 states total to 4, a great start for the first year of our goal.
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