IS THE COLORADO MARATHON A BOSTON QUALIFIER?
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Yes it is. In fact, all marathons that have a certified course are
Boston qualifiers. Our course happens to be the most successful at
providing qualifying performances. The Colorado Marathon (formerly
The Old Town Marathon) has qualified 16-18% of all entrants in each of
its first 6 years, a higher percentage than any other marathon in the US. The
course was changed slightly in the summer of 2005 and is now faster than
the previous one. The net drop is slightly higher and we have removed
a small out and back portion which included a small up hill section.
WILL
THE RACE ENTRIES BE CAPPED?
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For the safety of our race participants, the entry numbers will be capped
to control the numbers at the Half Marathon and Marathon starting lines.
We would love to be able to let everyone in, but safety requires that
we limit the field. The number of participants for 2007 is capped at 1,000
for the Marathon and 1,200 for the Half Marathon. Register early to ensure a spot.
HOW
DO I REGISTER?
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You can register for all events online at WWW.ACTIVE.COM.
Register in person at the Runner's Roost Fort Collins, or print the ENTRY
FORM and mail it to:
Colorado Marathon
PO
Box 273047
Fort Collins, Colorado 80527 (USA)
HOW
DO I GET MY PACKET?
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All packets must be picked up at the Packet Pickup & Expo on the Friday (4:00 pm - 9:00 pm) and Saturday (10:00 am - 9:00 pm) before the event.
There will be no race day packet pick-up. No
exceptions will be made.
WHERE
ARE THE STARTS & HOW DO I GET THERE?
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The 10k start is in front of the Rio Grande Restaurant at the corner of Mountain Avenue and College Avenue,
in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins, approximately 300 yards from the
event finish line located at Walnut Street and Linden. The start for the
Kid's Marathon is in Lee Martinez Park, on the bike path at the Marathon's
25 mile mark.
The
Marathon start is in the Cache La Poudre Canyon at Steven's Gulch, approximately
17 miles up the Canyon from the intersection with State Highway 287. Buses
to the start leave from the Fort Collins Transportation Center at Mason
and Laporte Streets. Free parking is available at the parking structure
at the same intersection. NO access to the marathon start is available
through the Poudre Canyon. There is no parking available at the marathon
start; however, runners can be dropped off by cars accessing the start
via the Masonville/Stove Prairie Road. Any runners dropped off by cars
accessing the marathon start via the Canyon highway will be disqualified.
The Half Marathon start is located at the Half Marathon point for the Marathon. The Half Marathon start can ONLY
be accessed by the buses provided by the race. Buses to the start leave
from the Fort Collins Transportation Center at Mason and Laporte Streets.
Free parking is available at the parking structure at the same intersection.
No access to the Half Marathon start is available through the Poudre Canyon.
Any runners dropped off by cars accessing the Half Marathon start via
the Canyon highway will be disqualified.
DO
I HAVE TO TAKE THE BUS?
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All competitors in the Marathon and the Half Marathon MUST ride the buses. No parking
is available at either start. Any runner being dropped off via the Canyon
highway will be disqualified.
HOW
DO I GET TO THE PACKET PICKUP & EXPO?
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The Packet Pickup & Expo and packet pickup for 2008 is located at
the
Hilton Fort Collins at 425 West Prospect Road in Fort Collins. All
packets must be picked up at the Sports & Fitness Expo on the Friday
(4:00 pm - 9:00 pm) and Saturday (10:00 am - 9:00 pm) before the event.
There will be no race day packet pick-up. No exceptions will be made.
HOW MANY AID STATIONS ARE ON THE MARATHON COURSE?
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There will be 12 MARATHON
AID STATION aid stations roughly every other
mile. There will be port-o-lets and basic first aid kits at
each one. There will also be HAM or cell phone communications
for emergencies at each aid.
WHAT WILL BE SERVED AT THE AID STATIONS?
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El Dorado Natural Spring Water and HEED Hydration Drink will be served at
every aid station. HAMMER
Gel will be served at aid stations 7, 8, 9, and 10. View
the description of each MARATHON
AID STATION.
Are MP3 players (headphones) alloweD?
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In order to protect the safety of race participants, MP3 Players, IPods or other devices with headphones are highly discouraged. Participants who choose to wear such devices assume all risks associated.
What is the refund policy?
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The event does not refund an entry fee. However, a participant that cannot attend may roll their entry forward to the following year’s event. (Refunds are approved for family emergencies, military deployments and other circumstances that are extenuating).
What is the time limit to finish?
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A participant has 6 hours to complete the marathon and 5 hours to complete the half marathon. Walkers are welcome. No baby strollers or wheeled conveyances are allowed.
Can I switch races?
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Yes, you can but you will need to do it at the Packet Pickup & Expo.
WILL
THERE BE A BAG CHECK SO THAT I CAN RETRIEVE MY BAG AT THE FINISH?
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Both the Marathon and the Half Marathon will have a bag check/retrieval.
We'll do the best job we can to see that your bag is safely returned to
you at the finish line. However, we strongly suggest that you bring
nothing breakable or valuable with you to the start of either race. We
are not responsible for anything that you check as we have 2000 bags
to move in only a short time. Small bags would be appreciated.
WHERE
CAN I STAY IN FORT COLLINS?
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The Hilton Fort Collins located
at 425 West Prospect Road in Fort Collins is the official host hotel
and location of the Sports & Fitness Expo for the Colorado Marathon.
Visit WWW.HILTONFORTCOLLINS.COM or
call (970)
482-2626 for more information about
the hotel. Visit WWW.HILTON.COM for
special rates and online reservations. You can also find more information
about lodging in Fort Collins at WWW.FTCOLLINS.COM or visit the LODGING PAGE.
WHERE
CAN WE FIND PARKING ON RACE MORNING?
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The parking structure adjacent to the bus loading area is convenient for
participants and spectators. It's located at the corner of Mason and Laporte
streets. If you're coming from outside Fort Collins, take the highway
14 (Mulberry St.) exit (#269) and travel West to College Avenue. Turn
right (North) on College Ave and proceed 1/2 mile to Laporte Street. Turn
left (West) and go one block. The parking structure is on the southeast
corner of the intersection. Additional parking can be found throughout
downtown but the parking structure is convenient both to the bus loading
area and the finish line. Parking is FREE on Sundays.
HOW
DO I GET TO THE BUS LOADING ON RACE MORNING?
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If
you're coming from outside Fort Collins, take the highway 14 (Mulberry
St.) exit (#269) and travel west to College Avenue. Turn right (north)
on College Ave and proceed 1/2 mile to Laporte Street. Turn left (west)
and go one block. The very convenient parking structure is on the southeast
corner of the intersection of Mason and Laporte. The bus loading is located
at the transportation center just to the north of the parking structure.
WHERE
CAN I BUY EVENT MERCHANDISE?
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Souvenir logo wear is available at the Fort Collins Runner's Roost (970)
224-9114, or at the race expo on race weekend.
HOW
CAN I DRIVE THE COURSE?
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All but the last 5 miles of the course is accessible by car. To drive
the Marathon course, head north on College Avenue (this is also highways
287 and 14). The road will turn west as it leaves Fort Collins. Follow
it for about another mile until you come to the highway 287 fork (it turns
to the northwest in a gradual right turn).
Stay
on highway 287 until you reach the left turn (to the west) for highway
14 and the Poudre Canyon. This corner is, roughly, the 17 mile mark of
the marathon. Proceed up the Canyon to both the Half Marathon start (at
Gateway Park) and to the Marathon start (at Steven's Gulch). If you look
carefully, mile markers should be visible as painted numbers on the north
side of the road. Retracing your route to the corner of highways 287 and
14 (the 17 mile mark), to see the rest of the course turn right (south)
on highway 287.
The
course then follows highway 287 to the intersection with County Road 54G,
approximately 1.3 miles. Take a right (south) and follow the county road
up and over the course's only hill. Follow the road into the City of Laporte
to Cache La Poudre Junior High. From this point it is approximately 5.5
miles to the finish line, and the course follows the Poudre West Bike
Path (running on the west and south side of the school, then southeast
following the Cache La Poudre River) to Linden Street in downtown Fort
Collins. The last 600m of the course leaves the bike path at Linden St.
and turns southwest on Linden proceeding to the finish at the northeast
end of the downtown walking mall and the corner of Linden and Walnut Streets.
The finish line is roughly 20 feet northeast of the intersection on Linden
Street.
WHERE
ARE THE BEST LOCATIONS TO SEE THE RACE?
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No cars, except local residents, will be allowed in the Cache La Poudre
Canyon during the race. Unfortunately, safety of the participants prevents
our allowing anyone on the first 15 miles of the course of the marathon
and the first five miles of the Half Marathon.
The
16 Mile Mark, (Ted's Place)
The corner of highways 14 and 287 is an excellent first chance location
to see the race. From downtown Fort Collins, head north on College Avenue
(this is also highways 287 and14). The road will turn west as it leaves
Fort Collins. Follow it for about another mile until you come to the
highway 287 fork (it turns to the northwest in a gradual right turn).
Stay on highway 287 until you reach the left turn (to the west) for
highway 14 and the Poudre Canyon. This corner is, roughly, the 16 mile
mark of the marathon. Parking is available on the northwest corner of
the intersection. Please be cautious of the runners on the south side
of the road.
The
21 mile mark, (Cache La Poudre Junior High)
The course follows a fairly narrow road into the city of La Porte and
it's not recommended that spectators follow the course. However, easy
access to the next spectator point can be found by following highway
287 back toward Fort Collins (southeast). Look for county road 21 (North
Overland Trail Road) which forms an intersection with highway 287 at
the top of a hill. Turn right (south) and follow the county road into
the City of La Porte.
Proceed to the traffic light, the intersection of county road 21 and
the race course, county road 54G, and turn right. Go west through the
City of Laporte. Travel about 400m and the school will be on the south
side of the road (on your left). This same location can be reached directly
from Fort Collins by heading north on College Avenue (this is also highways
287 and14). The road will turn west as it leaves Fort Collins. Stay
on the road, heading west, until you reach the City of La Porte. The
first traffic light you come to will be the intersection of county road
21 and county road 54G.
The
23 mile mark, (Taft Hill Road intersection with the Poudre West Bike
Path)
From the City of La Porte, follow highway 14 another mile east to its
intersection with Taft Hill Road. This same intersection can be reached
directly from Fort Collins by heading north on College Avenue (this
is also highways 287 and14). The road will turn west as it leaves Fort
Collins. Stay on the road, heading west, until you reach the intersection
with Taft Hill Road (roughly 1.5 miles after you turn west on College
Ave.)
Turn
south on Taft Hill Road and continue for a little more than a mile,
crossing over the Poudre River. Trail parking will be on the east side
of Taft Hill Road. Please approach this trail intersection carefully
as you can expect a lot of car traffic and pedestrian activity.
The
25 Mile Mark, (Lee Martinez Park)
From the 22 mile mark, follow the course by driving down Taft Hill Road
into Fort Collins to Laporte St. (roughly 3 miles) and turn left (east).
Proceed roughly 1.75 miles to Sherwood Street. Turn left (heading north)
and drive 4 blocks and into Lee Martinez Park. Park and follow the asphalt
path north to Poudre River bike trail (the course). This location is
approximately one mile from the finish.
From
downtown, follow College Avenue through Old Town to Cherry St. (if you
cross the river, you've gone too far). Turn left (west) on Cherry and
proceed 4 blocks to Sherwood Street. Turn right (north) on Sherwood
and drive two blocks into Lee Martinez Park. Park and follow the asphalt
path north to Poudre River bike trail (the course). This location is
approximately one mile from the finish.
The
26 Mile Mark, (The Finish)
The finish is located on the northeast end of the downtown mall. From
the parking structure near the bus loading area, walk east on Laporte
St. across College Avenue and into Walnut St., walk one more block and
you're there.
I
LIVE AT LOW ALTITUDE AND AM UNSURE ABOUT RACING IN COLORADO. WHAT CAN
I EXPECT?
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Human
physiology is variable and so is the reaction to altitude. Everyone will
run a little slower because there is less oxygen at 6,000 feet than there
is at sea level; however, the degree to which it will affect you is dependent
on your own lung capacity, oxygen exchange rate, the size of your heart,
the muscle composition of your legs, and a myriad of other factors (some
of which are probably not measurable or obvious, at all). That's no direct
help to you, we know... and not the answer you were looking for.
The
good news is that our course is VERY fast. The downhill will mitigate
much of the altitude handicap and for most people there will be enough
help left over to run a faster marathon than they might at low altitude.
Everyone enjoys the scenery and we have yet to receive comments from
low altitude runners where they tell us they were disappointed in coming.
We hope you enter, run, and have a great time in Fort Collins. We'll
do our best to see that you do. That's what our race is all about.
If you do decide to come to "Fort Fun" and race in May, here's
some suggestions on dealing with the altitude:
-Make
sure you stay well hydrated through the entire event. Most of us
know that drinking fluids during a long race is important, but at
altitude it is VITAL. Drink plenty of replacement fluid before, during,
and after the marathon. Drinking replacement fluid is better than
plain water. On rare occasions people have "overdosed" on
plain water. Replacement fluid has enough electrolytes to keep your
body in balance and it's safe to drink copious amounts. Our race
offers water and replacement fluid on the course and there will be
plenty at the finish and the starting lines.
-Be
very conservative with anaerobic stress. Even living and training at
5000 feet we know that when we get into oxygen debt at higher altitudes
it's really tough to get back out. You should be cautious about running
any harder than what feels reasonably comfortable. That's a pretty tough
task if you're running a mean uphill or racing closely with another
person, but it's very important. Our race is down hill and flat with
one moderate hill at 17 miles (6 miles in the Half Marathon) so you
won't encounter any tough or nasty sections in either event.
-Be
as fit and rested as you can be when you arrive. This may seem obvious
as it's good advice before any race, but in an altitude marathon it's
even more important. The best way to be prepared is to be well rested
and to have done lots of aerobic work and hill training. This, of course,
includes a good diet and adequate sleep in the last few weeks before
the race.
-Some
people find it helpful to take an aspirin or two before bedtime.
Sleeplessness is a common complaint of "flatlanders" at
altitude and for those of us who aren't aspirin sensitive it's a
good idea to take some before bedtime. Many people feel it's an effective
way of fighting the sleeplessness that accompanies a trip to higher
altitude.
-Finally,
have a conservative race plan. Run the downhill at a pace that's
easy, relaxed, and that you know you can match on the flatter parts
of the course. The Poudre Canyon road offers very "runnable" down
hill and by running it at a conservative pace you save your strength
and energy for the last miles of the race... and that's the real
magic of The Colorado Marathon course.
IS THE MARATHON COURSE CERTIFIED AND WHAT IS THE CERTIFICATION NUMBER?
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Yes it is. The current USATF course certification number is CO 06011DP.
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