The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals.
At 20, most people are still figuring it out. The Denver Colfax Marathon (May 16 to 17), on the other hand, seems to have found its stride. From a 4,000-runner event, the race has grown into a 27,000-strong moving party that passes through memorable Denver locales, including Empower Field at Mile High, downtown Denver, and a working fire station. The half marathon visits the Denver Zoo, whose lions, tigers, and bears encourage participants to pick up the pace.
Read More: The Oversimplified Guide to Training for a Marathon
To celebrate the marathon’s 20th edition, organizers built this year’s route for constant payoff, promising entertainment at every mile to keep the dopamine flowing. Thirty-two performances—from Chinese lion dancers and dragon boaters at Sloan’s Lake to kayakers paddling in the rapids at Confluence Park to a delightfully random cast of Elvis impersonators, aerial dancers, and drag queens—will line the course. For anyone who prioritizes having fun over setting PRs, Colfax Marathon CEO Andrea Dowdy suggests sprinting to City Park, where each of the races ends and a beer garden and local music await runners and spectators alike.
No matter which route you take, the Colfax Marathon is less about your time and more about showing up for the city: Over its history, the race has raised about $10 million for close to 150 charities, such as Food Bank of the Rockies and Golden’s Outdoor Lab Foundation. The mission is for the race to give back more than it takes out of you.
Read More: The True Story Behind the BolderBoulder’s Famous Slip-and-Slide
