Alan Culpepper knows something about difficult marathon courses. The two-time Olympian from Lafayette ran the grueling 2004 Olympic marathon in Athens, which climbed 705 feet in searing heat and killed the first marathon runner, Phidippides, when he ran the route in 490 B.C.
Ask Culpepper about the challenge posed by Sunday’s Colorado Colfax Marathon, which climbs 600 feet in elevation over the last 8 miles, and it’s clear he’s glad he’s not running it.
“You just have to be really conservative, even if you’re super-fit,” said Culpepper, a former University of Colorado runner who finished fifth in the Boston Marathon last month. “If you’re just hoping to complete it, gosh … And you’re at altitude. That’s tough. I’ve never heard of a course that’s like that.”
The Colfax Marathon has an overall gain of 279 feet from the start in Aurora to the finish at the Colorado Mills shopping center in Lakewood, but that’s with a gentle descent from Aurora to Auraria. There, just as the runners are beginning to confront that physiological trauma known as The Wall – their bodies depleted of glycogen, their legs turning to mush – the climb begins.
“At altitude, that is so tough,” said marathon guru Jeff Galloway, whose books and training groups have helped thousands of ordinary runners become marathoners.
The Colfax race, along with a half-marathon and a five-person relay competition, was created by the cities of Aurora, Denver and Lakewood to highlight the renewal of Colfax Avenue. Net proceeds will go to Colorado Kids, which supports programs that promote childhood fitness and obesity prevention.
As of mid-day Thursday, 957 had registered for the marathon, 1,945 for the half-marathon and 1,740 for the relay.
Proper pacing is always crucial in a marathon, especially this one.
“You have to take into the account the old adage in marathoning of, ‘Be conservative at the beginning,”‘ Culpepper said. “That has to go to a whole new level.”
Galloway, who advocates walking breaks to help runners finish marathons strongly, said his philosophy is even more crucial in this race.
“The secret is to put more walk breaks in,” Galloway said. “That will really take away the adversity of that. Also, to pace more conservatively at the beginning.”
Galloway said runners who believe they are capable of running a 10-minute pace should start out at an 11-minute pace.
“Once you hit the hill (at Auraria), you just walk more and not worry about pace,” Galloway said.
For Joie Adkisson of Arvada, 61, the race will mark eight months to the day since he had open heart surgery to replace an aortic valve. He has finished five marathons and sees no reason to fear this one.
“It’s going to be hard, but I don’t think it would intimidate anybody,” said Adkisson, who hopes to finish in 5 1/2 hours or less. “I think if you take your time and just slow down on the hills …”
Adkisson said he wanted to do the race because it’s in his hometown and it’s the inaugural event.
“I think it’ll be a good run, since we have three cities taking care of it, unlike the last (marathon) Denver had – no one could find where we were going,” Adkisson said. “I think this one is better organized, and it should last a lifetime if the cities keep it up. I’d like to see it get to 40-50,000 (runners).”
