Colfax Marathon weekend did not disappoint, attracting over 16,000 runners and walkers to take part in one of the five hosted events throughout the weekend. There was something for everyone: a marathon, half marathon, 10 mile, marathon relay and 5K race. The cool morning temperatures coupled with the abundant sunshine made for the perfect weekend of running and celebrating afterwards!
The top three finishers in the men’s marathon were all out-of-towners; 22-year old Ramon Paredes Becerra of Chihuahua, Mexico took top honors in 2:31:07, just a minute and a half ahead of second place finisher Zachary Meineke of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin who finished in 2:32:33. Rounding out the podium was Chicago’s Brett Burdick in 2:36:36.
The women’s marathon podium was full of Coloradans, with 28-year old Brittany Lee winning in a new women’s course record of 2:52:50. Second place belonged to 24-year old Becky Lynn in 2:54:23, with 24-year old Emily Van Meter finishing in third in 3:15:09.
The men’s half marathon was close, with only six seconds separating first and second place, and all three podium finishers hailing from Colorado Springs. Evans Kirwa came out on top, finishing first in 1:10:14, with Patrick Rizzo a close second in 1:10:20. Rounding out the top three was Awet Beraki in 1:11:18.
In the women’s half marathon, Monica Folts crossed the line first in 1:23:46. Ashley Kempton was second in 1:24:42, with 23-year old Elizabeth Ehrhardt finishing third in 1:25:26.
The men’s Urban 10 Miler saw Albuquerque’s Myles Kloer grab the win in 58:14, with 37-year old Eric Greene of Aurora coming in a close second in 58:41. Third place belonged to Carbondale’s Watkins Fulk-Gray in 1:00:34.
In the women’s 10 mile, 29-year old Alexandra Hempel was first in 1:08:08, 33-year old Muriel Hale finished second in 1:09:29, and Jen Burn of Carbondale was third in 1:12:59.
Finally, in the men’s 5K, 24-year old Connor Winter took top honors in 15:44. Finishing second was 36-year old Adam Rich in 16:02, with 32-year old Yevgeniy Vinogradskiy rounding out the top three in 16:48.
The women’s 5K was close, with all three finishers coming in at the 21 minutes mark; Anna Griffis was first in 21:11 with Ashley Limes crossing the line in second in 21:17. Finishing up in third was 11-year old Aspen Webb in 21:59.
Race organizers are still compiling the results from the 1,200+ relay teams that participated this year; check their website for updates.