Rock 'N' Roll Denver ½ Marathon Rocks New Course

DENVER (CBS4) - Organizers of the Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon & ½ Marathon announced a new course today for ½-marathon runners. The course winds through downtown, past the Pepsi Center, Union Station, and Coors Field; then heads up 17th Avenue to City Park, and ends back at Civic Center Park.

"New is more downtown mileage. So we get to go through the 16th Street Mall and definitely actually some more touring of downtown, which we're excited about, because it's a downtown event …because we want to showcase all that's great about the city of Denver and downtown," said Alan Culpepper, a former Olympic runner and one of the race organizers.

Runners will return to City Park this year. That has been part of the run in years past, but last year planners took the race in a different direction.

"We go back to City Park which is new for the ½ marathon. Last year we tried the Highlands, and tried a different part of Denver to showcase that, and then it really made more sense for us to go back to City Park," Culpepper explained.

Culpepper says he thinks this year's course will be favorable for runners. There's a long hill on 17th to get to City Park, but runners then get to come down that hill toward the finish.

LINK: Rock 'n' Roll Denver ½-Marathon Course Map

"I just think it gives people just a little more opportunity for people to run faster at altitude. We're already at altitude, so we're going to give them as many opportunities to really have a great race and feel good and set a personal record," Culpepper told CBS4.

The new course will also impact runners in the 5 and 10K races. Last year, 10K racers had their own start line near the Highlands neighborhood. This year 10K racers will join 5K and ½-marthon runners at the Civic Center Park start/finish line. The 5 and 10K routes wind through downtown ending at Civic Center Park.

"There are so many people who are just not ready for a ½-marathon or a full marathon, so to be able to be introduced to our brand … to be introduced to a big event but at a shorter distance has really been a nice addition," Culpepper added.

LINK: Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon & ½ Registration

Libby Smith is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. If you have a story you'd like to tell CBS4 about, call 303-863-TIPS (8477) or visit the News Tips section.