Colorado Marathon
Colorado Marathon race day weather
Cool start, steady finish
Runners will face a cool morning with a start temperature of 36°F, warming to 56°F by the finish. With light winds from the S at 8 mph, runners can expect a crosswind effect from miles 1-12, shifting to headwinds around mile 13 and again at mile 20. As temperatures rise, pacing should be adjusted accordingly, especially in the latter miles, to combat the warmer finish.
This course drops 1,122 ft from start to finish, so we look at it at 2 points, not just the start line. In a typical year, at 9:00/mi, you start at 36° and finish around 10:25 AM in 56°; typical start-line conditions say 50° then.
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Colorado Marathon route and elevation
The Colorado Marathon course has about 227 ft (69 m) of climbing and 1,340 ft (408 m) of descent, a net drop of about 1,113 ft (339 m). It drops more than it climbs, and its terrain is faster than 97% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 3, with 96 ft (29 m) of climbing.
Biggest climbs
- Miles 2.5 to 2.6: climbs about 95 ft (29 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:26 here (4 minutes faster).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 3:55 here (5 minutes faster).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:25 here (5 minutes faster).
Hills only, priced mile by mile on the course map. The pace calculator above adds the race-day weather.
Even-effort splits for a 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30 finish
| Mile | Climb | Descent | 3:30 | 4:00 | 4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 ft | 46 ft | 8:02 | 9:11 | 10:20 |
| 2 | 0 ft | 89 ft | 7:50 | 8:57 | 10:04 |
| 3 | 96 ft | 171 ft | 7:53 | 9:00 | 10:08 |
| 4 | 9 ft | 69 ft | 7:56 | 9:04 | 10:12 |
| 5 | 3 ft | 64 ft | 7:56 | 9:04 | 10:12 |
| 6 | 0 ft | 67 ft | 7:54 | 9:03 | 10:10 |
| 7 | 4 ft | 45 ft | 8:01 | 9:09 | 10:18 |
| 8 | 7 ft | 73 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:10 |
| 9 | 7 ft | 63 ft | 7:57 | 9:05 | 10:13 |
| 10 | 1 ft | 68 ft | 7:55 | 9:02 | 10:10 |
| 11 | 2 ft | 50 ft | 7:58 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 12 | 27 ft | 99 ft | 7:54 | 9:01 | 10:09 |
| 13 | 1 ft | 43 ft | 8:00 | 9:08 | 10:17 |
| 14 | 1 ft | 44 ft | 8:00 | 9:09 | 10:17 |
| 15 | 2 ft | 28 ft | 8:04 | 9:13 | 10:22 |
| 16 | 1 ft | 17 ft | 8:06 | 9:15 | 10:25 |
| 17 | 2 ft | 22 ft | 8:05 | 9:15 | 10:24 |
| 18 | 17 ft | 68 ft | 7:58 | 9:06 | 10:14 |
| 19 | 48 ft | 21 ft | 8:24 | 9:36 | 10:48 |
| 20 | 3 ft | 101 ft | 7:48 | 8:55 | 10:02 |
| 21 | 0 ft | 32 ft | 8:03 | 9:11 | 10:20 |
| 22 | 5 ft | 25 ft | 8:05 | 9:15 | 10:24 |
| 23 | 0 ft | 26 ft | 8:04 | 9:13 | 10:22 |
| 24 | 1 ft | 30 ft | 8:03 | 9:12 | 10:22 |
| 25 | 5 ft | 28 ft | 8:04 | 9:14 | 10:23 |
| 26 | 26 ft | 10 ft | 8:19 | 9:29 | 10:40 |
| Last 0.2 | 0 ft | 2 ft | 1:47 | 2:03 | 2:18 |
Explore the Colorado Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Colorado Marathon
The Colorado Marathon starts at Stevens Gulch in the Poudre Canyon northwest of Fort Collins and finishes in downtown Fort Collins, with a total elevation loss of roughly 1,200-1,366 feet over the full course. The USATF-certified course (CO 15007DCR) is net downhill, and organizers report 16-18% of finishers qualify for Boston. Half marathon, 10K, and 5K races run alongside the marathon each May. Source
