Estes Park Marathon
Estes Park Marathon race day weather
Cool start, warm finish ahead
Runners will face a cool start at 48°F, with temperatures rising to a warm 71°F by the finish. Light winds at 6 mph will be a non-factor. The course's significant descent from the start will help maintain a faster pace early on, but runners should prepare for a challenging climb from mile 15 to 16. Hydration will be key, especially as temperatures rise, and pacing adjustments may be necessary as the heat sets in.
This course drops 1,562 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 48° and finish around 9:05 AM in 71°; typical start-line conditions say 65° then.
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Estes Park Marathon route and elevation
The Estes Park Marathon course has about 1,082 ft (330 m) of climbing and 2,636 ft (803 m) of descent, a net drop of about 1,554 ft (474 m). It drops more than it climbs, and its terrain is faster than 94% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 16, with 148 ft (45 m) of climbing and a 2.8% average grade.
Biggest climbs
- Miles 6.4 to 7.3: climbs about 140 ft (43 m).
- Miles 12.4 to 13.7: climbs about 160 ft (48 m).
- Miles 14.2 to 16.6: climbs about 325 ft (99 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:28 here (2 minutes faster).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 3:57 here (3 minutes faster).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:27 here (3 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 | 55 ft | 139 ft | 7:46 | 8:53 | 9:59 |
| 2 | 3 ft | 284 ft | 7:16 | 8:18 | 9:21 |
| 3 | 0 ft | 330 ft | 7:13 | 8:15 | 9:17 |
| 4 | 1 ft | 278 ft | 7:17 | 8:19 | 9:21 |
| 5 | 0 ft | 252 ft | 7:20 | 8:23 | 9:26 |
| 6 | 0 ft | 170 ft | 7:31 | 8:35 | 9:40 |
| 7 | 72 ft | 49 ft | 8:17 | 9:28 | 10:38 |
| 8 | 74 ft | 80 ft | 8:03 | 9:13 | 10:23 |
| 9 | 0 ft | 157 ft | 7:33 | 8:38 | 9:42 |
| 10 | 12 ft | 64 ft | 7:54 | 9:01 | 10:08 |
| 11 | 42 ft | 25 ft | 8:14 | 9:24 | 10:35 |
| 12 | 10 ft | 28 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:19 |
| 13 | 69 ft | 37 ft | 8:21 | 9:33 | 10:45 |
| 14 | 108 ft | 26 ft | 8:47 | 10:02 | 11:17 |
| 15 | 124 ft | 22 ft | 8:59 | 10:16 | 11:33 |
| 16 | 148 ft | 0 ft | 9:24 | 10:44 | 12:05 |
| 17 | 58 ft | 58 ft | 8:05 | 9:15 | 10:24 |
| 18 | 72 ft | 168 ft | 7:44 | 8:50 | 9:56 |
| 19 | 23 ft | 78 ft | 7:52 | 9:00 | 10:08 |
| 20 | 5 ft | 120 ft | 7:41 | 8:46 | 9:51 |
| 21 | 72 ft | 102 ft | 7:58 | 9:07 | 10:15 |
| 22 | 95 ft | 26 ft | 8:41 | 9:55 | 11:10 |
| 23 | 12 ft | 169 ft | 7:33 | 8:37 | 9:42 |
| 24 | 35 ft | 18 ft | 8:13 | 9:25 | 10:35 |
| 25 | 38 ft | 30 ft | 8:10 | 9:19 | 10:29 |
| 26 | 45 ft | 21 ft | 8:17 | 9:28 | 10:39 |
| Last 0.2 | 6 ft | 1 ft | 1:50 | 2:06 | 2:22 |
Explore the Estes Park Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Estes Park Marathon
The Estes Park Marathon starts at the Dao House on Highway 7 and drops about 1,500 feet in the first 6.5 miles. The course follows Fish Creek to the Lake Estes Trail, circles Lake Estes, and finishes on the Estes Park High School track. It is held in mid-June with a rolling start from about 5:10 AM, alongside a half marathon, a 7.75-mile Estes Trail Descent and the Longs Peak 5 Miler.
