Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon & 1/2 Marathon

Enjoyed the city and enjoyed this race! Always a beautiful run and the crew on hand are always helpful and friendly.

First rock and roll event running and was less then impressed. First of all calling it a Denver Marathon is a joke when ²²⁄₂₆ miles were not in Denver. The course itself was okay and extremely flat but ran mostly on park side walks and trails. The one tremendous negative was the mile or two right next to a sewer plant. With every breath and whiff you literally smelled that. Not extremely pleasant. The 8 o’clock start was extremely late for a marathon but obviously Denver or its residents don’t want this event here which really is a shame. Plenty of volunteers and water and the shirt and jacket were both decent. Would very much consider a rock n roll event again, but would probably avoid the marathon here unless there were significant changes.

I’ve ran a few other races before, Bay to Breakers, random turkey trots, etc., but this was my first real big race and I thought the event organizers did a great job!
I ran the half and based on my estimated finish time, I was placed in the 4^th corral of 18+. I did notice a few people with bibs that should’ve been farther back, but thought that for the most part everyone respected their assigned corral. I also really didn’t have too much of a problem with running around slower people as another Unilocaler mentioned. Of course there were a few, but I didn’t notice any after mile 1.
Also, mad props to the spectators along the course. They really kept the motivation going for my first 13.1 in the places in between the bands. I loved the little kids out wanting high fives from strangers too — so rad! (Yes, I said rad.)
Overall, kudos to Rock ‘n’ Roll on a job well done!

Great event. Good expo, especially since I enjoy Brooks products. The course itself was pretty good, but not overly scenic (very flat though). It was my first half marathon and overall had a very good experience. Also really liked the 2013 medal. Very cool with the CO state logo.

gorgeous course.
used to love it.
–way to crowded– corrals not useful or watched at all, had to run around people for 5 miles that we’re supposed to be my pace.
Hey Rock & Roll, hurry talk to the BolderBoulder about how to handle crowds and let your runners get goal times. Large races are not bad if run well.
Don’t think I’ll run it again unless there are major changes, such a bummer. beautiful location.

This was my fourth Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon.
Overall, I would say it was okay but I probably wouldn’t rush back to do it again.
Expo was nice but small compared to others (especially San Diego), but then again the race was smaller. They said around 15,000 people ran the full and the half.
Volunteers were nice but I spoke to two people who tried to get info on the relay and were given conflicting information so probably need to work those issues out and make sure volunteers have the correct info. And this was at the information tent on race day!
The course had some nice parts, especially running through City Park and Cheesman Park but boy, it’s mostly uphill until you peak a little after mile 11. I don’t know if it was the altitude or the hills but I had my worst time ever at this race. This was my seventh this year and around my 38^th overall and this was a real challenge.
The Jamba Juice at the end was great. I’d say overall the race was fairly well organized but I just wasn’t a fan of the course. I had more fun in Savannah and San Antonio.

My very first Rock ‘n’ Roll series ever, and I decided to do it in Denver! It was time for me to challenge myself with an altitude run. Go big or go HOME, right?!
I attended the health expo on Friday around noon. Therefore, it probably wasn’t as crowded since people were still at work. The expo was located at the Denver Convention Center, and there were a lot of big name sponsors with tons of goodies! I was also able to pick up a running belt for the race, and the beau got some earbuds. We were probably there for a good hour checking out different booths, grabbing samples, and taking pictures. It was a lot of fun and what a great way to prep for the race!
At 7 o’clock the next morning, we walked over to the Civic Center Park where the race start and finish line was. Thousands of people were lined up around, and I squeezed myself through the barricade like everyone else around me. I kept a slow pace throughout the entire race because I was afraid of the altitude. I also wanted to be the tourist and enjoy the city I am jogging through. I loved the course because it stayed mostly flat, and the scenic route thru City Park was just beautiful. Mile markers were visible at every mile, and water stations were right there whenever I feel like it’s time to hydrate again. I finished at 2:36:40, a lot slower than my previous half marathons, but I’m happy to have survived the altitude. I was very happy with the after the race refreshments. There were plenty of goodies to munch on: snickers marathon bar, jamba juice, chocolate milk, fruit cup, veggie chips, and mini sandwiches.
I can’t comment on how the parking situation was though because my hotel was right across the street. But like any race, get there early enough and you won’t have trouble finding parking. The only con I found (and though it didn’t affect me) was that the start time for full marathon is the same as the half. I don’t know about you, but I’d want a head start to beat the sun if I were running a full marathon. Overall, I had a lot of fun at this race. It was very well organized!
Next half: Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles! (can’t wait!)