Colfax Marathon

The 9th Annual Colfax Marathon is Sunday, May 18. The 26.2 mile Denver course starts and finishes at City Park. To avoid street closures, check the route which takes takes runners west to Lakewood passing through many neighborhoods and part of the downtown business district.

General Traffic:

• The marathon will have full and partial closures of westbound and eastbound Colfax from Aurora to Lakewood starting as early as 3 a.m. and ending as late as 1 p.m.
• Roads that cross Colfax Avenue and 17th Avenue could experience significant delays.
• The easiest places to cross Colfax Avenue between Havana and Kipling will be at Interstate 25, Havana and Kipling.
• Drivers are urged to avoid Speer Boulevard and Colfax Avenue altogether until noon.
• Crossing intersections along Colfax will be allowed on a very limited basis when safety allows and only at intersections with uniformed police officers.
• Eastbound Colfax Avenue will be open from Denver’s City Park west to Quitman Street and from Colorado Boulevard east to Ursula Street.
• Westbound Colfax will be closed from Dayton Street in Aurora to Garrison Street in Lakewood in certain sections.
• As the race progresses from Denver’s City Park to Aurora and Lakewood simultaneously, streets will open to normal traffic as rapidly as possible.

Colfax Avenue in Aurora:

The Half-marathon Course will impact Aurora streets from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The race starts at Denver’s City Park, heads east on Montview Avenue to Yosemite Street in Aurora, continues south to East 17th Avenue, then East to Galena Street, then south to 16th Avenue, west to Del Mar Parkway, north to East 17th Avenue, then returns west to Dayton, south to Colfax, west on Colfax to Oneida, north to East 17th Avenue, west on 17th back to Denver’s City Park.

• Westbound Colfax Avenue will be closed from Dayton Street to Oneida Street at 5:40 a.m.
• East 17th Avenue will be closed to all eastbound traffic from Colorado Blvd to Oneida Street at 7 a.m.
• East 16th Avenue will be closed to all east and westbound traffic from Havana Street to Chester Street at 6 a.m.
• Yosemite Street will be closed to all north and southbound traffic from Montview Ave  to Colfax Ave

Colfax Avenue in Denver:

• Westbound Colfax will be closed.
• Colorado Boulevard between Colfax Avenue and East 23rd Avenue will be closed.
• Southbound off-ramp to I-25 at Colfax Avenue will be closed.
• Speer Boulevard at Colfax Avenue in both directions will have very long delays.
• The only places to cross Colfax Avenue will be at I-25.
• Seventeenth Street will be open as the runners will be in the far north lanes only. Some cross traffic and turns will be limited.
• The last runner will cross westbound Colfax Avenue at Speer Boulevard at approximately 7:30 a.m. and the road will open shortly after.
• The last runner will leave Perry and Colfax (they will go north and south on Perry to Sloan’s Lake, encircling it) at approximately 8:45 a.m.
• The last runner will cross westbound Colfax Avenue at Sheridan Boulevard at approximately 10 a.m.
• The last marathon runners will pass through downtown at 11:15 a.m.
• The last marathon runners will cross eastbound East 17th Avenue at Vine Street at approximately 11:25 a.m.
• The last marathon runners will enter City Park at East 21st Avenue & York Street at approximately 11:55 a.m.

Colfax Avenue in Lakewood:

This year’s marathon route in Lakewood will take runners along West Colfax, turning north on Pierce Street, traveling through Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, returning to Pierce Street and heading north to West 20th Avenue. The runners return to Colfax Avenue at Glen Moor Drive, heading east, remaining in the westbound lanes of Colfax Avenue.

• North to south streets that cross Colfax from Sheridan Boulevard to Garrison Street will be closed to through traffic from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• North to south streets that cross Colfax Avenue between West Sixth and West 26th Avenues will be closed to through traffic
• To move traffic north and south through the area, motorists will be funneled on detour routes to Interstate 70 and Federal Boulevard, using West Sixth, West 26th and West 32nd Avenues.
• Kipling Street is open to north/south traffic crossing W. Colfax.
• Traffic traveling east on W. Colfax will be diverted south on Garrison Street, then continue east on W. 14th Ave.
• Traffic will be allowed to proceed westbound on Colfax from Garrison.
• Traffic will be allowed limited access to local only traffic across W. 20th Avenue at signaled intersections, expect delays.
• Local traffic and marathon spectators will be permitted access.
• Access to Colfax businesses open on May 18 will be allowed from side streets either through limited-access lanes on Colfax Avenue marked with cones or through police escorts.
• Access to and from residences and churches adjacent to Colfax Avenue will be allowed through the use of side streets.
• The last runner will be off of Colfax Avenue in Lakewood at approximately 10:30 a.m.
• Colfax Avenue will be cleaned and swept immediately following the passage of runners. 

RTD Operations:

 The marathon will cause delays on RTD routes that run on and/or cross Colfax Avenue. Riders are encouraged to contact RTD directly for full details by calling (303) 299-6000 or visiting www.RTD-Denver.com under Detours and Alerts.