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Colorado > Rocky Mountain Half Marathon
Denver,
CO
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Date
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Event
Details
The banks of the Platte River that cuts through the heart of the "Mile
High City" are the setting for much of the course along Denver's Rocky
Mountain Half Marathon, which
marked its fourth annual running in the summer of 2008 by welcoming
more than 1,400 runners in both races combined. Begun in part as a
fundraiser for the local chapter of the nonprofit Big Brothers/Big
Sisters organization, the
race takes runners past several of the city's signature tourist
attractions, including Coors Field and Invesco Field, the home of Major
League Baseball's Colorado Rockies and the NFL's Denver Broncos.
Both the half-marathon and the 8K are out-and-back races that start and
finish in Denver's Commons Park area, also known as Riverfront Park for
the housing development that has been built up in the area in recent
years. A former urban brownfield area that was redeveloped in recent
years for in-town residential living, Commons Park now is known for its
open greenspaces, bike paths and pedestrian-friendly avenues, and it's
this scenery that participants enjoy when they're starting and coming
in for the race finish.
From the park start area, runners follow the first few miles of the
course through the neighborhoods just blocks away from the river in
downtown Denver, taking runners down 20th, Arapahoe and 17th Streets
before looping around 19th and Washington Streets. The course takes
runners past the Denver Pavilions and the Denver Performing Arts Center
on its way back toward the Platte River, along the Cherry Creek Trail
as its passes the outskirts of Six Flags Elitch Gardens to the left.
After running past Six Flags, the riverside portion of the course is
next as the route takes runners over the Confluence Park Pedestrian
Bridge to the river's northern side, takikng runners in a southwest
direction along the Platte River Bike Paths. This stretch of the course
also takes runners past Invesco Field on their way to Sloan's Lake,
where participants follow a path that takes them all the way around the
edges of the lake.
Once around the lake, it's time to head back toward Commons Park for
the finish, as runners meet up with 17th Street again and run past the
athletic stadium a second time, and then up the southern side of the
Platte River along the bike path all the way up to the entrance of
Commons Park, and then to the finish. This being Denver, runners of
course need to be ready for a high-elevation race -- there are some
significant uphills, especially between mile markers 1 and 3 and around
the 7th mile marker, when runners ascend the hill known as Marines
Hill, just after passing Invesco Field.
Race
Weather & Climate
The early days of summer tend to offer ideal weather for the event,
with June temperatures that average between 53°F and
82°F. Rainfall is usually low during this time of year, as
Denver
averages just over 1 1/2 inches of precipitation during the month.
Fees
2008 fees:
$55 if registered by February 29, 2008
$65 between March 1 - June 5
$75 on the day of the race
Registration
To sign up for for the summer 2009 running of
Colorado's Rocky Mountain Half Marathon, register online at the event website.
Website
www.rockymountainhalf.com
Half
Marathon Course Map
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Your Race Story
Ever run in Denver's annual Rocky Mountain Half
Marathon?
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your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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