At 6 a.m. on Sunday, May 18, over 2,000 runners gathered at the starting line of the Denver/Colfax Marathon in City Park. The race would commence 26.2 miles through City Park, downtown, Mile High Stadium, Sloans Lake, down Colfax Avenue and back. 

The race leaders set a hot pace from the start, with the lead group coming through the first ten miles running at a 5:20 per mile pace. Later in the race, 27 year-old Colorado native Steven Goldy took the lead in the last six miles to close out the race and take first place. He finished with a time of 2:24:20. Chris Catchart and Alexander Burks completed the podium. 

Just over 45 minutes later, University of Denver freshman Charlie Smith crossed the finish line with a time of 3:16:39 in his first marathon. He placed 39th for the men’s 20-29 age group in his first marathon. 

“I’m super happy with my result. I set a somewhat ambitious goal and ended up falling just a minute short…a few months ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of running a time like that,” said Smith. “Running a marathon was one of the last things on my mind.” 

Smith also benefited from the thousands of spectators who came to support the runners. 

“The race atmosphere helped out so much. At times, I was flying through the course, and I wouldn’t even realize it until I looked at my watch,” Smith said. 

Supporters also made a variety of signs to cheer on the runners, with a range of statements from “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 26.2” and “Hot people run marathons,” to “I also like attention” and “Smile if you peed a little.” 

“The signs people made often put a smile on my face and were a constant reminder that this is supposed to be fun,” said Smith. 

Among other friends, freshman John-David O’Hara made the trip out to City Park to support his fellow DU students at the Denver Marathon. 

“Being able to watch so many people materialize their hard work made it so rewarding to support the people,” O’Hara said. 

Freshman Abbey Van-Valkenburg came flying through the finish line with a time of 3:33:20 in her debut marathon. This placed her first in the women’s 19 and under age group and 32nd for all women. Van-Valkenburg’s phenomenal run could qualify her to run the Boston Marathon next April. This prestigious race has always been a dream of hers. 

“I was really happy with my race and had a ton of fun,” said Van-Valkenburg. “We got to run through parts of Denver I’ve never seen before.”

Her training partner and close friend, Adelle Gravina, finished her first marathon with a time of 3:48:15, third in the women’s 19 and under age group. 

“Running a marathon made me feel very accomplished and proud of myself for dedicating so much time and energy into training and seeing it all pay off,” Gravina said. 

DU students ran hundreds of miles in preparation for the race. Some ventured into the Rocky Mountains to run trails, while others stayed nearby and racked up laps around Washington Park. For weekly long runs, students posted up to seven laps of the 2.5-mile outer loop. 

Junior Xander Wiser posted on his Strava after a 13-mile long run, “Lap wash park or die.” He went on to finish the marathon with a time of 3:38:50. 

Sign-ups for next year’s Denver/Colfax Marathon will open in August, with many more DU students and Coloradans setting their sights on the tremendous accomplishment of finishing a marathon in the Mile High City.