A course strategy – and overall race strategy – is a must for optimal performance on race day. Whether this is your first REVEL Rockies race, and your goal is simply to finish, or you are a veteran aiming for a PR or BQ, you should have a well-planned strategy for how you intend to manage the course!

The head coach of REVEL’s Online Coaching Program, who has run a Boston Qualifying time in all the REVEL marathons, including four times at the REVEL Rockies Marathon, has prepared a detailed description of the 2023 Rockies Marathon and Half-Marathon courses.

Managing the Course Based on Segments

A critical component of your strategy is the course profile itself. Where are the sharp descents? Where are the climbs? Where does the course “flatten” a bit?

You want to plan your race with course segments in mind, and with an overall strategy for varying paces throughout. Your varied paces will be dictated by the elevation losses and gains, and you want to know before the race where those variations will occur.

Generally, the Revel Rockies Marathon course can be divided into five sections:

Miles 1-13:  Fast Half (with 4 subsections)

Miles 14-16: Evergreen Rollers 

Miles 17-20: Steady Drop

Miles 21-22: Flatten Out

Miles 23-26.2: Fast Finish

Similarly, the Revel Rockies Half-Marathon course can be divided into four similar sections:

Miles 1-3: Evergreen Rollers

Miles 4-7: Steady Drop

Miles 8-9: Flatten Out

Miles 10-13.1: Fast Finish

You can study the courses yourself on the REVEL website. You can zoom in, use the interactive elevation chart, and get a feel for what lies ahead of you on race day. 

If possible, you should drive the course before race day to get a feel for what the segments look and feel like. Knowing what to expect, and when, is helpful when preparing your course strategy.

The marathon and half-marathon courses are summarized below based on the segments described above.

THE MARATHON COURSE

Miles 1-13:  Fast Half

Starting at over 10,500' elevation, the first half of the marathon loses nearly 3,000' of elevation, with minimal climbing over that entire first half. The average loss per mile is more than 228' per mile, which is a 4.3% downhill grade. Be wary of the sensation of “running too fast” in this entire stretch of the race. If you feel out of control, or if you feel yourself working “too hard” while running downhill, then slow down.

Generally, it is never a good idea to divide a marathon into "first half/second half" for strategy purposes. The best way to break down the first half of the course is to think of it in 4 subsections:

Miles 1-5, which lose over 1,300' and gain less than 10' overall. In this section, the downhills are sharp at times, and you will want to take advantage of gravity by letting yourself move comfortably fast. Each of these first five miles drops well over 200' per mile, and the only climb - which is minor - is in the first mile. After you pass mile 1, the next 4 miles each drop 250' or more and gain zero.

Mile 6, which flattens out slightly, with a net loss of only 150' while gaining about 10' along the way. After the early miles of higher elevation, you will find it slightly easier to breathe, but you can expect a mild slowdown due to the lesser amount of elevation loss.

Miles 7-11, where the elevation loss is similar to the first 5 miles but has almost no gain at all. The course drops over 1,100' over these 5 miles, and gains zero. Like the opening 5 miles, this section is where you will want to take advantage of gravity and let your pace accelerate to the "comfortably fast" edge of your ability.

Miles 12-13, where you will have turned off Squaw Pass Road onto Evergreen Parkway. Here, you will encounter short, gradual climbs. You will climb a little more than 30' here, which is more in these two miles than you had in the entire first 11 miles of the course. Although you will still be running downhill, the elevation loss of approximately 370' in this 2-mile section, paired with the short bit of climbing, will feel slower than the opening 11 miles. It won't be your imagination: the course will feel slower here.

Miles 14-16: Evergreen Rollers

Just past the start of the half-marathon, the course continues on Evergreen Parkway and gradually rolls through miles 14 and 15, then turns onto Douglas Park Road and Meadow Drive as you approach mile 16. Over this 3-mile segment, the course drops approximately 500'. The challenge is climbing, which will be visible as you run on Evergreen Parkway. Remind yourself that overall, you are still running downhill. The net elevation loss over these 3 miles is about 500 feet!

Miles 17-20: Steady Drop

Not long after you pass mile 16, you will make a hard left turn onto Bear Creek Road. Here, miles 17 to 20 each drop between 71' and 108' per mile. These are much more gradual drops than what you encountered in the first 13 miles and are also less than the elevation loss on Evergreen Parkway in miles 14-16. This is where you want your pace to be steady and even, mimicking the steady, gradual downhill.

Miles 21-22: Flatten Out

Make no mistake: this is where it gets tough for a short bit. Miles 21 and 22 together lose a total of just over 120' of elevation. Compared to the early miles of steady downhill at more than 4% elevation loss, you will notice how in miles 21-22, with a 1% downhill grade, it is harder to hold your pace. Moreover, the climbs that do appear in miles 21 and 22 might slow your pace noticeably. But don’t panic if you find your pace slowing in this segment. You don’t want to “push” yourself to try to match the fast pace that you held in the more downhill miles preceding miles 21-22.

Miles 23-26.2: Fast Finish

Once you reach mile 22, you can say to yourself "Now downhill to the finish!" Even better, the downhill in the closing 4.2 miles is roughly 750’. That is over 180' per mile or approximately a 3.4% elevation loss. You should find yourself able to resume some of the faster paces that you were able to run in the first half of the race.

One word of warning: there is a short 20-foot climb at the very end of the course as you turn onto Bear Creek Avenue and Union Avenue. It is literally within the last .10 mile, but hopefully, at that point, you will be glad to see the finish line ahead of you and won’t notice the short climb as the crowds cheer you on.

Summary of the Marathon Course

The Revel Rockies Marathon course loses over 4,700’ of elevation from start to finish. Over the 26.2-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your speed on the downhill segments. Although it is true that you never want to "go out too fast" in the opening miles of a marathon, remember that gravity is your friend, and you want to take advantage of the benefits of downhill running.

THE HALF-MARATHON COURSE

Miles 1-3: Evergreen Rollers

Starting at 7,500’ of elevation, the course drops almost 500’ total from the start to mile 3. You will encounter a few gradual climbs in these opening miles, but nothing too severe. What you want to do at this early stage of the race is take advantage of the downhills, and take it easy on the uphills. The downhill is noticeable but comfortable – not too steep, but just enough to let your legs turn over quickly. At the same time, be wary of the sensation of “running too fast.” If you feel out of control, or if you feel yourself working “too hard” while running downhill, then slow down. But be mindful that it is expected for you to be ahead of goal pace at times during the downhill segments. Meanwhile, don’t push your pace on the gradual climbs. Remind yourself that overall, you are still running downhill and that the net elevation loss over these 3 miles is about 500 feet!

Miles 4-7: Steady Drop

Not long after you pass mile 3, you will make a hard left turn onto Bear Creek Road. Here, miles 4 to 7 each drop between about 50' and 105' per mile. These are more gradual drops than what you encountered on Evergreen Parkway in miles 1-3. There are no steep, fast drops, but also no hard climbs. As the course gradually drops, you want to maintain a steady level of effort to hold your pace.

Miles 8-9: Flatten Out

Make no mistake: this is where it gets tough for a short bit. Miles 8 and 9 together lose a total of just over 160' of elevation. Moreover, the climbs that do appear in miles 8 and 9 might slow your pace noticeably. But don’t panic if you find your pace slowing in this segment. You don’t want to “push” yourself to try to match the fast pace that you held in the more downhill miles preceding miles 8-9.

Miles 10-13.1: Fast Finish

Once you reach mile 9, you can say to yourself "Now downhill to the finish!" Even better, the downhill in the closing 4.1 miles is steady and gradual, dropping over 700’. That is more than 170' per mile or approximately a 3.4% elevation loss. You should find yourself able to resume or exceed some of the faster paces that you were able to run in the earlier miles of the race.

One word of warning: there is a short 20-foot climb at the very end of the course as you turn onto Bear Creek Avenue and Union Avenue. It is literally within the last .10 mile, but hopefully, at that point, you will be glad to see the finish line ahead of you and won’t notice the short climb as the crowds cheer you on.

Summary of the Half-Marathon Course

The Revel Rockies Half-Marathon course loses over 1,700' of elevation from start to finish. With an average loss of around 130' per mile, this is one of the fastest half-marathon courses you will ever run. Over the 13.1-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your speed on the downhill segments.

Paul Carmona is the Online REVEL Coach who has designed training plans specifically for REVEL downhill courses. He is a 29-time REVEL marathon finisher and has run multiple Boston Qualifiers on every REVEL course. His streak stands at 24 successful BQ efforts in a row at REVEL marathons.