The 2012 Colorado Marathon in Ft. Collins takes place early on Sunday morning. While there will also be a half marathon, a 10K and a 5K, the real draw is the full 26.2 mile marathon, which is a Boston Marathon qualifier.
The race begins promptly at 6:15 a.m. MT with a downhill run through the Poudre River Canyon. Starting at 6,100 feet above sea level, racers will leave Steven's Gulch Campground and pursue the finish line at the North end of Old Town Plaza.
As we can see in this course layout (PDF), this route consists of many twists and turn in addition to the downhill nature of the valley. However, the 13 first aid stations will be found throughout the course should any assistance be needed.
The course records for the full marathon are 2:25:55.8 (men's, Daniel Shaw, 2004) and 2:46:30 (women's, Kara Roy, 2006).
For updates on results, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more information about the event this weekend, visit the Colorado Marathon's official website.
