Tina Pachorek ran in the Colorado Colfax Marathon relay last year when she was four months pregnant, but this year she’s really nervous.
Last year she had a relatively flat 5K leg, crossing the city limit between Aurora and Denver. This year she’s running a 5K leg that starts downtown, climbs the steep hill from the Colfax viaduct to Federal Boulevard and finishes at Sloan’s Lake.
“This year I’m extremely nervous, and have been training pretty much on hills,” said Pachorek, 38, the ring leader of a coed team last year that split into rival men’s and women’s teams this year. A silver goblet goes to the winner.
Pachorek isn’t too worried about her competition on that leg, though. It’s her husband, James.
“I already know his training capability versus mine,” Tina said, “so I think we have a slight edge right there.”
One of the things that made the first Colorado Colfax Marathon a success last year was the relay concept. It gave runners incapable of running a marathon a chance to feel part of one, significantly increasing the turnout of participants and spectators. Last year, 375 relay teams took part, and race organizers expect to exceed 400 this year.
The relay follows the same Aurora-to-Lakewood course as the marathon, which is 42 kilometers. The relay rotation is 10 kilometers, 5K, 10K, 5K and 12K.
“The thing I liked about it was, there were actually people that early (in the morning) cheering you on,” Pachorek said. “Being pregnant and not being able to run as fast as I normally could, it was just a great feeling to have complete strangers cheer you on.”
Not all of the relay runners are plodders. Colfax is again hosting the USA Track & Field National Club Marathon Relay Championships, which brought some fast folks to town last year. The men’s title went to the Boulder Express and was composed of runners coached by former marathon world record-holder Steve Jones.
“Everybody enjoyed themselves,” Jones said this week. “Of course, anytime you win, you do enjoy yourself, don’t you? The logistics is a bit of a nightmare, making sure everybody is at the right place at the right time.”
At the other extreme from Jonesy’s group is James Pachorek, who will be shooting for 40 minutes. That’s for 5K, not 10.
“We’ve got some strong guys on our team,” said James Pachorek, who owns a British pub in Aurora. “I’m not one of them.”
Running on a relay team is a great experience, especially with the right people, because of the camaraderie. Colorado Colfax Marathon organizers were shrewd to include it.
“The experience last year was incredible,” said Tiffany Baird, 28, who enjoyed it so much she convinced her employer to sponsor two teams this year. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done. It was just really inspiring to see all those store owners and people who live in the neighborhood with signs and cheering. I thought it was really exciting.”
Baird ran track in high school and has always enjoyed running, but she doesn’t think her body would stand up to marathon training.
“It’s a way for me to get involved in a marathon without having to make a significant commitment or sacrifice of my physical health,” Baird said. “I think a lot of people view it that way. It’s an opportunity for them to get involved on a smaller scale, but still feel like they’re part of a larger event.”
Tina Pachorek used to get most of her exercise by playing tennis, but after having children, she started running to get back in shape. Colfax last year was her first race.
“Here’s something that is historic to Denver, we want to be part of it,” she said. “We don’t really race, but the relay is a great opportunity for us. It actually has stirred interest in doing other races for a lot of us.”
Not her husband.
“I’m kind of cringing a little bit,” James Pachorek said. “I probably haven’t done the best training this year. I’m going to hope those other guys can pull me through. It reminds me of college – I’m going to cram, run two or three times a couple days before. Then I should be ready, right?”
Post-News Colorado Colfax Marathon
When: 6 a.m., Sunday
Where: The marathon and marathon relay start at Aurora Sports Park; the half marathon starts in City Park. Races finish at Colorado Mills mall in Lakewood.
Late registration: Today is the last day to register online. After today, the only registration will take place at the expo at the Colorado Convention Center, Friday and Saturday. There is no race-day registration.
Website: www.coloradocolfaxmarathon.com.
