Overview The Colorado Marathon runs down Poudre Canyon into Fort Collins: the full marathon starts at 6,111 feet at Steven's Gulch and drops about 1,200 feet along the Cache la Poudre River before the course flattens out in Laporte and finishes downtown. The weekend also carries a half marathon from near Gateway Natural Area, a 10K and a 5K. The Road Runners Club of America made it the Colorado state marathon championship for 2023 through 2026, and the race says it qualifies roughly 16 to 18% of its entrants for Boston each year. On site Race morning starts in the dark. Marathoners board mandatory buses from 4 a.m. at the south edge of Old Town Square, half marathoners at the Fort Collins Transportation Center, and both races go off at 6:30. The full course runs through a tunnel at mile 2.5, follows Poudre Canyon Road for 16 miles, crosses the Overland Trail Bridge at mile 21.5 and finishes on Howes Street beside Washington Park. Aid stations carry water, Gatorade and Honey Stinger gels. Finishers get a medal, a shirt, a limited-edition print and a beer ticket from Odell Brewing Co., and the post-race party downtown has live music, food and drinks. Audience Runners come from across Colorado and from out of state, and the race says 90% of them visit the expo at the Lincoln Center in downtown Fort Collins when they pick up their packets. Spectators have limited access to the canyon, so supporters gather at Ted's Place around mile 17, Cache La Poudre Middle School at 21, Taft Hill Road at 23 and the finish. Track record Logan Martin and Paul Sovik-Siemens became co-race directors in 2013, and in 2017 they also took on the Platte River Half Marathon and Relay. The race says it has given more than $250,000 to local and national charities. Hydrate IV Bar, an expo partner, reported bookings on race weekend both at the expo and at its downtown Fort Collins spa. Brand presence Partners work from booths at the expo, where runners collect their packets alongside their families and the volunteers. The race sells title, presenting and official levels, and it runs a digital goody bag rather than a paper one.