5/5 Stars

Ran with a coach I spoke with prior to the race. Ended up getting a time to qualify for Boston!

I did! This being my third marathon I went from getting a 4:30 in Portland to getting a 3:43 in the NYC marathon and then getting a 3:30:48 with you guys!

Brutal but def worth it! I ran the fastest half marathon I've ever done because of this course!

I did a 16 week training program and ended up running 28-35 miles a week!

Make sure you have good shoes that won't kill your feet! Weather fluxuates but it being June it shouldn't be that cold!

The Mexican restaurants are the best here!

5/5 Stars

a little chilly to the start but the space blankets and gloves that were provided helped a lot.

no I did not

great scenery along the creek and along the whole route.

with the road angles changing on the numerous turns down hill it took a toll on my ankles, I think working with a bosu ball for balance would strengthen my ankles and a better feeling at the end of the day

I live in the area.

4/5 Stars

No issues with the busing up to the start, but did have to wait roughly 30 minutes (5:00-5:30) to use the facilities as there were 24 porta-lets for all of the marathoners amassed in the Echo Resort entrance. Nonetheless, the course was remarkable and I got into a fantastic rhythm, taking in the scenery and not worrying about my pace. Even though it was painful, the most memorable moment of the race for me was collapsing at the Finish Line, giving everything I had physically to ensure a speedy kick. Big shout out to the volunteers and especially the poor soul(s) who had to lay down and pick up 26 miles of cones to ensure that we were safe on race day!

Fortunately, I was able to set my Personal Best at this distance. I PR'd by nearly 10 minutes (2:47 from 2:56) and qualified for Boston for 2018

Serene. The first 10 miles were steep and felt deceptively comfortable with the shade and early morning air conducive for speed. The stretch down Evergreen Parkway was alright, I had planned for the 3 hills and didn't waste too much energy summiting them in the heat. Miles 16-20 were deceptively hard due to the false flat and having to navigate the panoply of halfer's who were walking. The last 10K was ideal, with the gentle, consistent downhill ensuring that I achieved my target goal.

REVEL was my goal race this year and thus I structured my schedule around this race in particular. I was injured over the winter and wasn't able to start running until February, but worked on my form early on in the season. As the days progressed in my 20-week plan I built up my aerobic base and lifted legs hard 3x a week. I then peaked my mileage (53 miles/week) and focused on speed, adding a couple of tune-up marathons (Boston and Colfax) to re-familiarize myself with the distance. I think the strength training component is what I would recommend most to others looking to run well at this race in the future.

Be cognizant of the course profile, especially where the hills and steep gradients are so there are no surprises on race day. Practice your race-day nutrition in your training runs, anticipating the aid stations as they're set up on race day. Wear throw away sweats/sweatshirt to the start (~45F in the morning...) Short sleeves and shorts are recommended to race in as it heats up quick. Racing flats work well if you can handle the added impact.

Live in between Boulder and Denver, so was able to do my pre-race routine in the comfort of my home. Got into the creek after the race to reduce the inflammation! Unfortunately, the venue was difficult to navigate and crowded, so I didn't stick around too long. I liked it better in 2015 when the Finish went up over the bridge and the venue was in the grassy quad by the Post Office, a much nicer place to rest.

5/5 Stars

Perfect weather and all aspects were very well thought out and organized

Nope... missed it by 6 minutes... I think the elevation hurt me

Scenic and fun... elevation was better as the race goes on

Trained hard but a week in Mexico prior to the race may have been counter productive

Just enjoy the run and bring an id if u want a beer

Mt Evans
Bobs burger
Coors
Ran Wyoming
Biked downtown Denver

5/5 Stars

The race day was logistically great. It was chillier than expected waiting to start. Once started, I was happy the up-hills were early on before being mostly downhill. One of my favorite parts was the motivational signs along they way that were set up along the course.

This was my first half-marathon, so yes, it was my PR! :)

Scenery was great. The grade and elevation were what I expected. Not being from Colorado, it took me about 2 miles to get used to the elevation. My breathing was heavier in the first mile or two but then stabilized. Was happy the inclines were early on too!

My longest training run was about 7 miles. Next time, I would probably do one more that was longer. I also didn't train at altitude, but that was a function of not living in the area.

Definitely buy clothes to be prepared to throw off during the race (thus donating). The temperature changed so be prepared for that.

Live in Dallas. Will definitely consider doing this race again!

5/5 Stars

Helped 5+ people achieve PRs

Was a pacer

Course is fun

Much training

Do some downhill training and you will suffer less. And an electrolyte supplement is helpful as this race has a tendency to be hot.

Found a comfortable position to sleep in a two door jeep. Afterwards had margaritas in morrison

5/5 Stars

Crisp and cool beginning to the day. My first Revel event. As the sun came up, the views were breathtaking.

This was my Plan B attempt to qualify for Boston after Eugene Marathon didn't go the way I was hoping. I did qualify for Boston, and I placed 3rd in my age group. It is my new PR by 2 mins 7 seconds. Needless to say, I'm pretty pleased.

Beautiful scenery, but a brutal course. Don't ever let anyone tell you a downhill race is easy. I am still doing the 'marathon shuffle'.

I run 3-4 days a week, incorporating speed and tempo work. I cross train 2 days a week in the gym.

Don't use race day to try new things. Train well, trust your training.

I stayed with friends in Colorado Springs, so we just hung out. I traveled from California.

2/5 Stars

Very well organized

Beautiful great scenery

4/5 Stars

The course was gorgeous! Watching the sunrise at the top was breathtaking and running down by creeks and cliffs (even an elk who looked not so interested in all these runners) was fun. Weather was perfect - unexpected cloud cover made it much more manageable (would have been tough with full sun which was forecast). I had stomach issues which ruined my chance for a BQ, but the course was well supported with portapotties at each water station!

Yes! But only by 35 seconds. This was disappointing as I was hoping to BQ and fell way short of that goal. I had to stop at a portapotty as I had an upset stomach for much of the course, so considering I stopped for a couple minutes I can't complain about still getting a PR. Still, this course is NOT EASY. There is no such thing as an easy 26.2 miles.

The first half is much steeper without long downhill grades. Most of the elevation is lost before mile 13. The second half has some flats, a few short uphills (including a nasty one right around the halfway point when you run up Evergreen Parkway). Most runners seemed to bomb down the first half and then many were totally cooked by the time the course flattened out. I was in 92nd place overall for the first two quarters. My pace slowed considerably in the second half (by 75 seconds/mile) but I passed nearly 20 runners and finished 73rd. Amazing that even with a dramatically slower pace, I started passing more people in the second half - it shows how difficult it was to continue those last 10 miles or so after the screaming downhill in the first half.

I ran the course with a friend in advance. One Sunday we did the upper half and then the next Sunday we did the lower half. We took two cars and left one at the top and one at the bottom. This really helped a lot and is highly recommended if you live locally. The elevation profile on the website is misleading. There are some uphills that it is good to know about in advance.

The 4:15am shuttle meant I had to wake up at 2:45am and leave my house by 3:15. I think waking up in the middle of the night and then trying to eat some breakfast messed with my stomach and was one of the reasons I didn't feel well while running. Not sure how else to schedule it. You really do need to start at 6am as it would be unbearably hot otherwise, and to start by 6 the shuttles need to leave by 4:15. There wasn't that much time to wait around at the top. I would advise future runners not to follow their normal race day diets - consider that you are waking up well before dawn and don't eat so early if that will mess with your system.

I came from Denver and just went home afterwards and SLEPT.

4/5 Stars

The weather was absolutely perfect! We could not have asked for better weather! The run was just breathtaking with the river next to the road the whole day. I loved running with a close friend and talking the whole way. Fastest two hours race ever!!!

No, I did not PR, which kind of surprised me. I was about six minutes slower than my fastest time.

Gorgeous course!!! LOVED IT!! The half was the perfect downhill. There are some tough spots on the knees, but not unbearable.

I believe that overall my training went well. I would definitely try to find some additional downhills, with steeper slopes, to train on before the event. I would encourage others to do the same. It is very different than flat/uphill.

I would advise runners to register early to get the best rates. I would also encourage people to get their early as the parking is a ZOO!!! I would encourage people to dress warm for the start as we were in the high 50s and it was still cool. The gloves/blanket provided came in VERY handy. I would tell people to make sure to bag drop (and do so early) and hit the porta potties early as they are in very short supply.

We are from Greeley, so we did decide to stay down in Denver. We did not stay at one of the "partner" hotels as they had NO idea what we were talking about when we called. And the numbers did not seem to match the hotels listed either. We went to dinner in Denver the night before and attempted to go to bed early since the race starts super early!!