Colfax Marathon takes off this weekend with 5K Saturday, marathon Sunday

On your mark, get set...

The Colfax Marathon will take 21,000 runners from across the world through Denver and parts of Lakewood this weekend, spanning across two days with a total of eight races, including a marathon, half marathon, urban 10 miler, marathon relay and 5K.

The event, in its 18th year, is the largest marathon weekend in the Rocky Mountains and will also include food and live music Saturday and Sunday, according to the marathon's website.

Every year, the Colfax Marathon partners with over 200 nonprofits, raising more than $2.5 million over the last five years from runners, according to their website.

The half marathon and Urban 10 Miler are sold out as of Thursday, with the other races quickly filling up.

Here's everything you need to know for the upcoming races.

The races and their routes

On Saturday, the Colfax 5K will kick the weekend off, starting at 9 a.m. and taking participants around City Park and Ferril Lake, beginning and ending at City Park, where the marathon also starts and ends.

An afterparty with live music awaits runners at the end of the race.

Shortly afterward, a second 5K just for Girls on the Run begins at 10:30 a.m.

On Sunday, the marathon begins at 6 a.m. in City Park, taking runners through Empower Field at Mile High, Denver Fire Station #1, along seven miles of rivers, lakes and bridges, historic Lakewood and downtown Denver.

The half marathon begins at 6:30 a.m. at City Park and takes runners along Colfax Avenue, past the Capitol and Civic Center Park, through Denver Fire Station #1 and through the Denver Zoo.

Between 7:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m., the Urban 10 Miler starts at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, winding through Empower Field at Mile High, downtown Denver, Confluence and Cherry Creek, 17th Avenue, and ending at City Park.

The marathon relays begin at 6 a.m. at City Park and include five legs for runners in four different divisions. There is an open relay for any five runners, corporate and government relays for employee teams and a public schools relay team for employees from K-12 public schools.

The Cigna Denver Colfax Marathon Expo is Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., where runners pick up their bibs, shirts and instructions. Runners are required to attend.

Road closures

Courses run through Denver and Lakewood, which will see full and partial road closures Saturday morning and between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday.

I-25 north and south will remain open both days.

Roads will close and open on a rolling basis, opening after the last runner clears an intersection. Crossing traffic will be allowed when runners are not present, according to the Colfax Marathon website.

On Saturday for the 5K, there will be a partial closure in the northbound curb lane of York Street from 21st Avenue to 17th Avenue and a partial closure in the westbound curb lane from 17th Avenue to Steele Street from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

On Sunday, there will be a series of rolling closures, including the following:

• York Street between Colfax Avenue and 23rd - 5:45 a.m. to 8 a.m.
• 23rd Avenue between York Street and Colorado Boulevard - 5:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
• 17th Avenue from Detroit to York - 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Westbound Colfax Avenue from Elizabeth Street to Speer Boulevard - 5:45 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Westbound Colfax Avenue from I-25 to Garrison in Lakewood - 7 a.m. to noon
• Raleigh from westbound Colfax Avenue to West 17th: 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
• Lawrence Street from Speer to 17th Street - partial closure (at least one lane) - 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Lawrence Street from 17th Street to 17th Avenue - partial closure (at least one lane) - 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Lawrence Street from 17th Avenue to Vine Street - partial closure (at least one lane) - 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Vine Street from 17th Avenue to 22nd Avenue - 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• 22nd Street from Vine Street to Gaylord Street - one lane closed
• Gaylord Street from 22nd to 21st Avenue - 7 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.