will be in place for a swath of Denver and Lakewood starting early Sunday, and people should plan to stay north of 29th Avenue, east of Colorado Boulevard, south of 14th Avenue and west of Kipling Street from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m., race organizers said.

Interstate 25 will remain open, and other roads will reopen once runners have passed those areas.

Regional Transportation District bus and light rail routes also will have delays and closures Sunday, including D-, H- and L-Lines and more than two dozen bus routes.

Racers can show their bibs in exchange for a ride on the W-Line and 15, 15L and 16 bus routes between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday.

• D- and H-Line will not serve Colfax at Auraria Station through the Downtown Loop stations on Stout and California streets.
• D- and H-Line will continue to serve 10th-Osage Station, and will reroute to serve Auraria West Station, Empower Field at Mile High Station, Ball Arena-Elitch Gardens Station and Union Station.
• L-Line will not be in service, and customers can use bus Route 43 instead.
• D-, E-, H- and W-Line delays are expected during the event because of increased rail traffic at Union Station.
• Temporary detours are expected for the 0, 1, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 15L, 16, 19, 20, 24, 28, 30, 38, 40, 43, 44, 48, 51, 52, 76, 83L, ART and MALL bus lines.
• Saturday only: bus routes 20 and 24 will have a minor detour around the event, 9 a.m. to noon during the Colfax 5K race.

But when the and associated races kick off Sunday morning, 28 workers with the Colfax BRT project will be running in the marathon relay event, part of which shoots right through the construction zone. And that includes the big boss.

“We really care about Colfax, and we really care about community,” said project manager Jonathan Stewart, who will be running the 6-mile anchor leg on one of seven four-member marathon relay teams composed of BRT project workers. “We are your friends and neighbors. We care about this city as much, if not more than, everybody else. A lot of us live along the corridor.”

Construction that has Colfax restricted to one lane each way is happening from the Capitol at Lincoln Street past Colorado Boulevard, a distance of more than 2 miles. Of that, 1.5 miles of the marathon, half marathon and marathon relay course will pass through the construction zone from the Esplanade near East High School to Lincoln.

About 120 construction workers have been assigned to the project, which is being managed by the city in partnership with RTD and CDOT. They know the project has inconvenienced residents and businesses — and in some cases brought them near to closure.

“Businesses get frustrated with us, as if we are the ones who decided to build this,” Stewart said. “This was a citizens’ initiative. This project was voted (on). It¶¶Òõap not like the construction worker who is pouring concrete has the ability to halt the project. These people they’re getting frustrated with are their friends, their neighbors, their customers who live in this community.”

There’s also construction happening on West Colfax in Denver and in Lakewood that will impact the race there. And then there are the closures that the race itself will cause. Colfax will be closed to motorists during the race on Sunday, and there will be between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m., including southbound Colorado Boulevard between 17th and 29th avenues. RTD bus and train routes also will experience detours. Get information at rtd-denver.com.

To race organizers, it wouldn’t be the Colfax Marathon without its namesake.

“Every single one of these construction entities has been terrific,” said Colfax Marathon chief executive Andrea Dowdy. “We’ve walked the course with all of them, and they’re wonderful. Our runners will be able to run right down the street like they always do — no change to our course.”

Construction workers will even have cheering sections.

“There are other construction groups across the city who have decided to become cheer groups,” Dowdy said, “placing themselves on Colfax in their construction areas to cheer on the runners.”

Training for Sunday has reignited Stewart’s love for running. He was a runner until a decade ago, when foot and leg injuries prompted a turn to cycling.

“I ended up hanging up the running shoes, but I’m finding myself really enjoying running again,” Stewart said. “I’ve really gotten back into it. It¶¶Òõap pretty cool.”

The marathon, half marathon and marathon relay start and finish in City Park. The Urban 10-miler finishes there but starts in Lakewood. The marathon and marathon relay will start at 6 a.m., and the half marathon will go off at 6:30 a.m. Rolling road closures will be in effect.

The half marathon and marathon relay are sold out, but the 10-miler and marathon are still open for registration, as is Saturday’s 5K. The full suite of races attracted 21,000 in 2023 but jumped to 25,000 last year. Dowdy said this year’s number is tracking to be about 25,000 again.

New this year is a $22,560 prize-money purse for Coloradans in the half marathon, called the Colorado Half Marathon Showdown, with the men’s and women’s winners to be awarded $5,280 each. Runners satisfy the eligibility criteria for prize money if they have been current Colorado residents for six months, if they are current USATF Colorado members, if they were raised in Colorado or are current Colorado collegiate athletes.

Next to two photos of Chris Cooke — one with a toothy grin, the other posed — the billboard asked: “Would you date this guy?”

But the man pictured didn’t catch a glimpse of the billboard before it was taken down in early July. And he didn’t see the website it advertised, — at least, not for weeks. He didn’t know they existed until long after the elaborate ploy — masterminded by his twin, Henry Cooke, and their younger brother, Jamie — was well underway.

The sibling pair, who have both committed to their own respective romantic partners, had turned their focus to finding Chris, 34, his future wife — on a time crunch of 30 days, no less.

The idea was first sparked last August during Henry’s wedding celebrations. That weekend, Chris announced that he planned to move to Denver in March, joining his brothers in the city.

“We just figured, let’s do what we can to help him,” Henry Cooke said. “At the end of the day, we want to find him his life partner, but it’s also someone who’s going to be a part of our family.”

Their plan would evolve to rely not only on the billboard, but a TV ad, media exposure and help from the dating app that helped them both find their partners, The League. That’s where Cooke met his wife and where Jamie, 31, first connected with his fiancée.

Early on, as Henry and Jamie Cooke hatched their plan, they staked out a spot at the Denver Colfax Marathon in mid-May, holding signs that read, “Help us find Chris true love” and “Brothers help brothers.”

But the pair has embraced more creative avenues in their quest, including setting the 30-day goal in mid-June. On June 19, they began recording on the social media app TikTok to spread word of their grand plan. The next day, they created to share the same content.

On Day 6 of the mission, the brothers launched the website, where women — ages 26 and older, it specifies — can apply to date Chris. It features a photo gallery of Chris, who’s pictured running, dancing at weddings and grooving to music at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

“Chris is tall (6’4), leads an active lifestyle, and runs half marathons for fun (!), resulting in not just good health but — dare we say it? — a killer body,” says a short biography written by his brothers on the website. “Chris starred in a Harry Potter musical in college, but make no mistake: he’s actually pretty cool.”

They pay tribute to his dancing skills, career motivation and adventurous spirit. There’s also an earnest pitch: “Charming attributes aside, our brother’s just the best. He lives to lift others up — and has a great time doing it. He’s smart, loyal, and a blast to be around. More than anything, though: Chris is a stand-up guy, looking for his partner in life. We’re really excited to help make that happen.”

So far, Henry Cooke said on Monday, the website has received around 100 responses.

On June 24, or Day 11, he and Jamie posted about the billboard on social media. On Day 18, they slapped magnetic bumper stickers — mini versions of the billboard — onto random vehicles throughout Denver.

“We did it all secretly,” Henry said. “We’re finally getting a little bit of traction. It’s been an exciting process.”

Their TV ad premiered Monday, on Day 25.

DAY 25! Remember when we showed you the behind the scenes? Well here it is!

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“If you or someone you know is single, please visit to apply to date our brother,” Henry says in the ad, which aired during a local newscast.

At the end, he and Jamie chime in: “You’re welcome, Chris.”

Early on, the two reached out to The League for help. On Wednesday — Day 27 — their efforts paid off: The app held “Chris Day,” featuring Chris’ profile for every American woman on the app whose preferences overlapped with his.

“Our goal is simple: pull off the ultimate hat trick of finding all three Cooke brothers love on The League,” said Laura Stover, the creative director for The League.

But Day 30 is approaching — technically, Saturday is their deadline.

Denver long has inspired the nickname “Menver” for the perceived excess of available men. Historically, that’s made the search for a girlfriend a little harder. But in recent years, single Denverites say the playing field has leveled out.

No matter the outcome — or the actual timeline for Chris finding a partner — Henry Cooke figures the plan is a good way to help him settle in Denver.

The trio grew up on New York’s Long Island, then went their separate ways for high school and college. During their university years, the twins set down roots in Colorado — Henry at the University of Colorado Boulder and Chris at Colorado College in Colorado Springs.

After graduating, Henry Cooke accepted a job in Denver. “It took me a few years to convince my brothers” to move, too, he added.

He described his twin as an outgoing and friendly romantic who hasn’t had luck in love — at least not yet.

“Hopefully, he’ll find someone who he connects with,” he said.

Chris Cooke finally found out about the scheme on July 5 after his brothers took their case to the national newscast on ABC. A friend sent Cooke a segment of the interview.

“I was kind of in shock and disbelief,” Cooke said. He initially thought it must be a fake, AI-generated video — until he called his twin to confirm.

Two days later, Cooke himself.

“It’s definitely quite a lot of effort to go through for me — and I really appreciate that coming from my brothers,” he said.

In Denver, Cooke spends much of his time hiking, biking and attending electronic music shows.

He’d like to share those experiences with a significant other — preferably, a compassionate and funny woman with a big heart. None of his previous serious relationships have panned out.

“I’ve been ready for love for a while now,” Cooke said. “That’s a big part of the reason why I moved to Denver.”

He previously worked in the finance industry in New York. As a hobby, he taught white-tie ballroom dancing. After switching careers to pursue jobs in the tech industry, he moved to Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and San Diego before joining his brothers this year in Denver.

“Everybody here is so active and attractive and successful,” Cooke said. “I just thought it was a really good city to try and find a good match.”

His brothers have now given him access to his dating profile. He’s started reaching out to women himself. Ideal date spots for him include miniature golf courses, cocktail bars and Colorado Rockies games.

“I’m really hoping it doesn’t take 100 dates,” Cooke said. “I am actually looking for somebody to settle down with.”

As for his brothers’ antics, he said: “I have never been in the spotlight to this capacity before, and I don’t really know how to react. But it’s been pretty wild.”

“It’s back,” said Andrea Dowdy, executive director of Denver Colfax Marathon, “and in a lot of cases, it seems like a resurgence.”

Registration for the Colfax Marathon and its associated events — a half marathon, 10-miler, 5K and marathon relay races, all of which will be held this weekend — have surpassed 24,000. The Colfax races set a record last year with 21,000.

The Bolder Boulder Memorial Day 10K attracted 47,250 in 2019 and dipped to less than 34,000 when the race came back in 2022. Last year, though, it registered more than 40,000, and race director Cliff Bosley said this year’s numbers are tracking with 2019.

“We’re prepared for upwards of 45,000,” Bosley said. “We’ve added 13 more start waves to accommodate a larger field, we’ve ordered more shirts, and we are planning to pack more than 45,000 snack bags.”

The Colfax Marathon races sold out last year. This year organizers redrew one of the courses to eliminate a bottleneck so the race could accommodate more runners.

What Colfax and the Bolder Boulder are seeing is being felt across the country. Eric Cone of RunSignup, the country’s largest race registration platform, said large events such as Colfax and Bolder Boulder are seeing 10% to 15% growth, while smaller races are seeing 7% to 9% percent increases.

” A lot of major races across the country are just seeing so much interest in participation,” Dowdy said. “Running has really come back strong since the pandemic.”

The London Marathon in April broke its record for finishers at 53,000, which was 9,000 more than the previous record for the event set last year. More than 840,000 entered the lottery to get into next year’s race, an increase of 45% over the previous year.

“We could be in the third running boom,” Bosley said.

The first running boom occurred in the 1970s, when there was an explosion of runners and races. The second occurred in the late 1990s an early 2000s. Cone said running seems poised for more growth, in part because of demographics.

Baby Boomers are starting to age out of running, he said, and Gen X was a smaller cohort, but Millennials and Gen Z are larger.

“Millennials are starting to come into their prime running and buying power, therefore we should see significant growth over the coming years as that purchasing power starts to get into the market of running,” Cone said. “We’re in a pretty good spot. Don’t get me wrong, the last four years have been pretty rough for a number of (running) organizations, but I suspect that over the next five to 10 years, we should see consistent growth, very much like the early 2000s.”

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There was another reason he ran, though.

“Life takes you through what I would call the rolling hills of life,” said Rizzo, who retired from professional running in 2020. “You go through the high points, you go through the low points, and there’s no way to avoid either of those. Running keeps it balanced. I’ve gone through some real low points in my life where running is what got me through.”

That’s why Rizzo, 40, is running the Colfax Half Marathon on May 19 as a fundraiser to support a new running program for at-risk youth in the Denver area. He wants young people to learn that what running did for him, it can do for them.

officials this year created the program, called Colfax Fly Feet, to expose at-risk youth and those with chronic illnesses or physical or mental disabilities to the sport. They are helping kids start training and run in the 5K that is part of Colfax Marathon weekend. Those participating will get to run the race for free.

More than 100 have signed up. Colfax Marathon officials are hoping to expand the program in future years, which is part of the reason Rizzo is running the Colfax Half Marathon. To promote the Fly Feet program, Rizzo will start at the back of the pack. For every person he passes, race officials will contribute $1 to Fly Feet. That is expected to generate more than $5,000 to expand the program next year. Rizzo is a Colfax Marathon board member.

Colfax Marathon partners participating in the Fly Feet program include , of Colorado, and .

“The program just fits so seamlessly with the (mission) of Denver Kids — providing support and guidance, opening up opportunities and sharing stuff with (youth) that they may not have interest in at first, or an understanding of how to enter that space,” said Denver Kids board member Michael Macias. “They provide a community to do (the race) with — amazing energy, excitement, bringing people together.”

Before a recent workout at Bruce Randolph School, five seventh-grade girls shared their thoughts about the upcoming race. Their parents asked that their names be withheld, but their enthusiasm was infectious. They spoke through a translator:

• “It¶¶Òõap my first time participating in a race, and I’m really excited to be a part of it.”
• “I think I’m going to have a lot of fun doing the event, and an experience I’ve never had before.”
• “It¶¶Òõap a new opportunity I am being provided in the country. I’m really excited to participate and to have fun with my friends.”
• “I know it¶¶Òõap something I am going to remember forever.”

Macias doesn’t like the term “at-risk” being applied to young people.

“We like to refer to our students as ‘at-potential,’ ” Macias said, “because we think they have the opportunity to dream, and whatever they dream, they can accomplish.”

Colfax Marathon chief executive Andrea Dowdy said the goal is to expand the Fly Feet program to thousands of kids in future years.

“We can offer an opportunity to these kids that they might not otherwise have an open door to,” Dowdy said. “They can walk or run or jog, whatever they want. For us, it¶¶Òõap like, how do you get them started in this sport that¶¶Òõap so accessible, low cost? Our hope is that they will go home and maybe they’ll run around the block with their parents, or they’ll use it to get ready for a soccer program in the fall. We just want to get them launched into running and outdoor activity.”

The Colfax Marathon has had a longtime partnership with , a nationwide running and mentorship program for elementary school girls. More than 2,000 Girls on the Run participants will run the Colfax 5K this year.

“Girls on the Run was a huge step for us,” Dowdy said. “But what about the rest of the kids? What about the at-risk youth in Denver who don’t participate in Girls on the Run? What about boys? We will always keep that Girls on the Run relationship. That¶¶Òõap a phenomenal organization. Those girls train every week to get ready for the race. But we thought, if that works, what else can we do? Who’s been left out?”

Rizzo was a wrestler in high school, but after getting braces on his teeth, he went deaf in both ears. He had to quit wrestling because his equilibrium was affected. He was shunned by classmates and his grades suffered. He poured himself into running.

“I knew, even if I could never hear the rest of my life, I could always run,” Rizzo said before running the 2016 Colfax Marathon, which he won. “I committed myself to being the best runner I could be.”

He later regained hearing in one ear after his braces were removed, revealing the reason for his deafness: He is allergic to surgical steel.

“Getting more kids in a positive outlet like running is such a great way to share what we feel like is a life-changing experience with the next generation,” Rizzo said. “I think, more than ever, teaching young people coping mechanisms that are positive, coping mechanisms for adversity, it’s absolutely essential to be sharing that with the younger generation.”

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Race weekend sold out in 2023 with 21,000 runners and walkers in the marathon, half marathon, marathon relays, 10-miler and 5K, according to the event’s chief executive, Andrea Dowdy, making it the largest marathon weekend in the eight-state Rocky Mountain region.

Race weekend this year is May 17-19, and Dowdy said early registration is already ahead of last year’s record pace.

“We’re really excited,” Dowdy said of the course alterations and the need for them. “It allows us to welcome more runners every year, and we’re super excited that the sport of running in Denver is so popular and so many people love the Colfax experience.”

Several miles where marathoners and half marathoners previously shared the course will be separated this year, expanding overall racer capacity.

For half marathoners, there will be a new route through the Denver Zoo and a new route through downtown utilizing Speer Boulevard. The new zoo mile will be wider and will showcase the zoo’s new Down Under exhibit, which will open later this year.

Marathon runners will no longer have to share the Cherry Creek bike path with half marathoners because the half marathoners will be on adjacent Speer. Marathoners and half marathoners also will be separated into two lanes on 17th Ave., 17th St. and Lawrence St. Details of the new courses are available at the .

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It’s 2024. Leave behind the old-fashioned notions of creating a fitness routine aimed at dropping 10 pounds or fitting into that old pair of jeans — in fact, throw that tired denim away entirely. Instead, find a workout regimen that inspires you to get stronger, feel healthier and, most importantly, keep coming back.

In Colorado, that’s an easier task to accomplish, with the state ranking as the in the U.S. The land of the Rocky Mountains lends itself to plenty of activities that get the blood pumping while — could it be? — having fun.

As one of The Denver Post’s fitness enthusiasts, you can often find me sweating over high-intensity interval training at my locally-owned home gym, at 38 E. 5th Ave. But after Christmas, I decided to challenge myself by racking up 50 workouts, trying new activities in the process.

So, allow me to knock out the hardest part of getting started by recommending four of the most Colorado workouts, tested by yours truly.

1. Cycling

Colorado counts as the for bike friendliness. The League of American Bicyclists lists 23 communities, including Boulder and Fort Collins, as places where cyclists are welcome to roam. But since it’s cold and snowy right now, give a cycling — also referred to as spin — studio a try to mimic the hills and resistance of an actual ride.

My personal favorite: CYCLEBAR, an indoor cycling studio franchise with statewide. The demographic at my location in Denver, 1230 W. 38th Ave., tends to skew younger and female. It’s a good choice if you’re competitive because, throughout the class, you’re vying for a spot on the leaderboard, with the bike keeping track of your speed, mileage and performance.

And if you’re an avid listener of Denver’s burgeoning EDM, or electronic dance music, fanbase, then the playlists will keep you moving (and headbanging) until you reach the final stretch.

For those who prefer a less aggressive atmosphere, at 1270 E. 17th Ave. offers an inclusive environment. Parents can take comfort in the fact that their children are playing feet away in the StarKids Play Lounge under the eyes of caretakers.

And the energy is still high, with coaches like Eli Niebuhr spurring you onward with motivational speeches.

2. Climbing

The mountains are calling, and we must go. Colorado is home to almost 60 14,000-foot peaks, along more than 600 “13ers.” Still, we’re months away from climbing season.

So, you’ve got plenty of time to warm up those limbs at rock climbing gyms, with my friend — a bouldering enthusiast — pointing to , at 3201 Walnut St. in Denver, and , at 1050 W. Hampden Ave., as his fan favorites.

I recently tried what I dubbed “the most Colorado workout class ever” at at 155 St. Paul St. in Denver’s Cherry Creek. The brand’s only brick-and-mortar location offers classes based around its CLMBR machine, best explained as a vertical climber. With lights flashing overhead and music booming, I felt like I was simulating a summit at a rave.

Would I do it again? The Magic 8 Ball says, “Outlook not so good.” But it was definitely an experience.

3. Running

Rain or shine, snow or sun, you’re likely to spot a runner sprinting through the Mile High City. Washington and Cheesman parks are prime locations to get those miles in, with the Cherry Creek Trail counting as another option (although I’ve cursed under my breath after dodging several cyclists who passed too close for my liking).

I’m a longtime follower of the , a women’s group that meets every Sunday at 10 a.m. at Commons Park in Denver for a 30-minute run, walk or jog.

To mix up your cardio, try Orangetheory Fitness, a boutique fitness studio franchise with in metro Denver. During COVID times, I lived across the street from a studio, and the workouts helped me push through the chaos of the pandemic.

Wearing a heart rate monitor, you keep track of the five heart rate zones that determine your fat and calorie burning as you cycle through bouts of running on the treadmill, plus strength training and rowing.

All of that training will have you ready in time for the on May 18 and 19. I’ll see you there!

4. Yoga

Whether you like it or not, the national consciousness often links Colorado to hippie counterculture. Another controversial truth: The hippies took yoga — an ancient spiritual practice tied to Hinduism — and Westernized it.

So, that raises questions on how to practice it ethically, without engaging in cultural appropriation. That can also mean making mindful choices about which studio to frequent.

With its mission to build a network of yoga teachers of color, offers BIPOC community classes at various locations, along with in-person weekend classes. In Five Points, at 2745 Welton St. is a Black- and woman-owned yoga and wellness studio. On top of standard workout classes, it offers classes specifically for people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and couples. And for bold practitioners, there’s even naked yoga.

Honorable Mention: Barre

I’ll admit that it took me a while to embrace the “Colorado casual” dress code when I first moved here. But slowly, I started to forget about the cocktail dresses gathering dust at the back of my closet, growing more comfortable by the day with my loungewear. Now, when I walk into a barre studio, I’m fully reminded that I’ve caved in to the state’s stereotype: Lululemon leggings and all.

Barre is a low-impact, high-intensity workout that combines elements of pilates, yoga and ballet. It’s ranked No. 7 in the top 10 most popular exercise classes in the U.S., falling below yoga, spin and others, according to fitness resource .

And, no, that’s not as easy as it sounds, particularly because it focuses on different muscles than standard weight-lifting. In layman’s terms, you’ll wonder if you’ve ever worked these muscles in your lifetime during class.

My No. 1 choice for studios: , a woman-led, Latino-owned business at 1553 Platte St. Tucked into a plaza off of Platte Street, you’ll spend 45 minutes to an hour putting in work, particularly if Melissa Farrar is your instructor. As she notably said during Wednesday’s class as we crunched our abs, “I want to see your belly button fall off.”

And in three locations across Denver, serves as a reliable option with consistent classes. Wrap some weights around your ankles and wrists, grab a ball to squeeze and enjoy.

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Sunday’s full marathon, half marathon and 10-mile race have sold out. Registration is still open for the corporate relay and Saturday’s 5K. Registration for Sunday’s races has hit 15,000 runners and will result in street closures. The 5K in City Park is expected to attract 6,000.

Much of the race action takes place at City Park, including the starting line for most races and the finish line for all races.

The road closures will be rolling on Sunday, meaning streets will open and close at different times. They include: westbound Colfax between Elizabeth Street and Speer Boulevard; westbound Colfax between 1-25 and Garrison Street; York Street between Colfax and 23rd Avenue; 23rd between York and Colorado Boulevard; and 17th Avenue from Detroit Street to York.

For the full list of closures and times, .

This year marks the first time the marathon distance has sold out, and overall registration suggests the sport is recovering from the downturn that followed the pandemic.

“Coloradans love the outdoors,” said race president Andrea Dowdy. “I think they’re out there and they say, ‘OK, now we’re back, we love that big race experience.’ That’s what we try to offer. We had a lot of runners during the pandemic, not normal numbers, but we had a lot. It just feels like people are really back.”

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In conjunction with USA Track & Field and World Athletics, which is the global governing body for track and field, Running USA released a report on Monday titled, “Gen Z and Young Millennial Attitudes Toward Running,” based on a survey conducted in 2022. The results were announced at the annual Running USA Industry Conference, which is being held in Denver.

“Now that Gen Z is coming of age and millennials are aging, participating in running is threatening to trend downward,” the report states. “The desire for exercise and motivations for being physically and mentally fit are changing drastically.”

The survey queried 2,500 young people, equally split between Gen Z (ages 18-24) and young millennials (25-30). It found that two-thirds of the respondents prefer walking for physical fitness, and that Gen Z participates in fitness sports less than any other age group.

“The primary fitness goal of the generation is not around health but friends, fun and purpose,” the report says. “They are not as competitive as those preceding them.”

The results could be alarming for race organizers because older runners are aging out of the sport while fewer younger runners are taking it up. The percentage of runners in the 35-44 and 45-54 age groups has dropped significantly since 2015, while the percentage of race participants in the 25-34 age group grew only slightly.

“If the running industry ignores this trend,” the report says, “it is at risk of its future growth.”

The first “running boom” of the 1970s, and a second that ran from the late 1990s through the early 2000s, were driven largely by competitive recreational runners. Young people today, if they run at all, are looking for something different from running events, race organizers say. They are seeking social interaction and races with unique themes or causes.

“If we have an aging running demographic, and we’re not backfilling it, and we’re not making running look cool, or running and jogging as an outlet for fitness, I think we as a sport have our work cut out for us,” said Cliff Bosley, race director of the Bolder Boulder. “And if it¶¶Òõap not going to be about the competitive part of the sport but it¶¶Òõap going to be the social, how do we make our events as fun as possible, really connecting with that social thing?”

Despite the concerns over 20-something interest and involvement, the Bolder Boulder may be bucking the trend. Bosley said the percentage of 20-something Bolder Boulder runners as a segment of the overall field has steadily increased in each of the past six races from 14.24% in 2015 to 19.68 in 2022. The race was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.

That may be because the Bolder Boulder offers race-day experiences beyond simply running, including the Memorial Day observance at Folsom Field. The Running USA study says offering ancillary experiences is key in attracting young runners, and Colfax Marathon race director Andrea Dowdy says that’s a key element of her marketing strategy.

“It isn’t just about putting one foot in front of the other,” Dowdy said. “It’s about creating a goal and creating a day that has meaning to folks, whether they are 18-30 or above 30. We do get the demographic that includes Gen Z and millennials. If a race is not paying attention to the fact that it needs to offer a race experience that’s for people of this younger demographic, they will be in trouble.”

Lonnie Somers, a Denver race organizer who puts on dozens of running events across the country, said races have to be personable, engaging and unique to attract young people. His five-event RunDenver Series consistently attracts 900 to 1,100 participants per race. He says race organizers must keep their events fresh to attract and retain young runners.

“They’re doing it more for the social camaraderie aspect of things,” Somers said. “If you bore them, they’re not going to come back. If your event is the exact same every year without offering anything different, they don’t come back. They may do it once, and they’re not coming back.”

The Running USA Industry Conference attracted more than 500 industry leaders, many of them race directors from around the country. Dave McGillivray, longtime race director of the Boston Marathon, said the sport’s tepid growth among 20-somethings is “definitely a concern,” noting that field sizes for many U.S. road races haven’t rebounded from the pandemic.

“When I was in my 20s, I ran competitively,” said McGillivray, who also heads a company that has put on more than 1,000 endurance events since 1981. “Now you’re not seeing that as much. There’s so much distraction, so many other things for kids to get involved in. Now it¶¶Òõap about participation, which is fine. We’ve got the elites, we’ve got the age-groupers (runners who compete to place high in their age group) and the participatory (segment). I want them all. It¶¶Òõap three different subsets, and you treat them differently.”

Running races are competing for Gen Z engagement with companies that spend enormous amounts of money wooing young eyeballs to social media engagement and video games, said Robin Thurston, chief executive of Boulder-based Outside Inc. Thurston gave a presentation on the competition running events are facing and how to address those challenges.

“We have to focus on the things that are going to motivate that next generation, because what we’re battling against is reward systems that are incredibly strong — video gaming manufacturers, screen manufacturers,” Thurston said. “We are a collective industry that has a singular goal. We want people to be out running, we want them out hiking, we want them on bikes. We have a lot of work to do to figure out how the next generation is going to continue being as active as the previous generations, because it is mindboggling how much money is being spent on keeping people indoors.”

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Spring is a busy time for avid road runners thanks to the Runnin’ of the Green 7K that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day, the Colfax Marathon races that typically are held the Sunday after Mother’s Day, and the Bolder Boulder 10K on Memorial Day.

My favorite stretch of races happens in August, though. One is the Evergreen Town Race along Bear Creek from Upper Bear Creek to Evergreen Lake. Following that is the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon, which parallels Clear Creek just far enough away from Interstate 70 to feel peaceful and isolated. Not to be overlooked is Boulder’s Pearl Street Mile. All three typically happen within days of each other.

This year the Evergreen Town Race 10K and 5K will be held on Aug. 7. The course is beautiful, with a fair amount of shade. It’s known for exceptionally fast times because the 10K drops more than 470 feet and the 5K drops 240 feet. Some people like to do the ETR 10K to get a fast qualifying time for the following year’s Bolder Boulder.

Those aren’t the only reasons I love the ETR. There’s always a fun party at the finish with great food, the T-shirt designs tend to be better than what most races offer, and the race benefits the Alpine Rescue Team which conducts searches and rescues in Clear Creek, Gilpin and Jefferson counties. As a mountaineer and backcountry skier, I love supporting the hard-working volunteers who routinely brave harsh and dangerous conditions to save lives. As usual, Flight for Life will do a flyover at the 10K start and then land at the finish, giving kids a chance to get an up-close look.

The Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon has received national recognition in running publications because of its wonderful setting. It begins at an elevation of 8,460 feet near Georgetown Lake and finishes near the ballfields on the eastern edge of Idaho Springs at an elevation of 7,550 feet. You will feel the altitude on rare sections that briefly slope uphill, but for the most part the 900-foot elevation drop over 13.1 miles mitigates the altitude effect.

And while runners are seldom far from I 70, they rarely notice. What they do notice are rugged canyon walls, anglers fishing the creek and the overall beauty of the course.

Both are point-to-point races that utilize shuttle buses to get runners to their starting lines, so you’ll need to study the race schedule when formulating your pre-race logistics.

There’s one other race in August that I highly recommend: The Pearl Street Mile in downtown Boulder on Aug. 6.

The Pearl Street Mile is a Saturday night community happening for Boulder that attracts elite runners and just plain folks running laps around the Boulder County Courthouse and on the Pearl Street Mall, usually in front of 2,000 spectators. To accommodate large numbers on a tight course, there are 12 waves beginning at 5 p.m. and concluding three hours later. The top men’s wave is for those who can run sub-5 minutes per mile, and the top women’s wave is for those who can run 5:45 or better.

Pearl Street used to be a midweek race, which made it easier to combine with one or both of the other races. Now, though, Pearl Street is the night before the Evergreen Town race, so it’s more practical to run Pearl Street or Evergreen that weekend and follow it up with Georgetown the following weekend. Whether you pick one, two or all three, you won’t be disappointed.

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