April 6, 2008- The Platte River Half Marathon was in it's sixth year.  It's a popular race that attracted
over 800 runners.  The race began in downtown Littleton and finished in Denver at the Buckhorn
Exchange Restaurant.  The course was a USATF certified course with a net elevation drop of 120
feet.

Registration was $40 for early entry, $50 for late entry and $55 for race day entry. The race
benefited the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Greenway
Foundation - Preserving Metro Denver’s Urban Waterways Since 1974.

The race offered a pre-packet pick up at Runner's Roost with a small expo.  Runner's Roost also
offered 20% off that day for participants of the Platte River Half Marathon.  It's great to be able to
pick up your race bib the day before race.  The shirt was a long sleeved cotton t-shirt (see picture
below).  I'd say the shirt is average and I would think that a race this size should be giving out a tech
shirt.  One thing I noticed at the start of the race were how many runners were wearing a tech shirt
from a previous race.  It's a great way to advertise, because no one is going to race in a long
sleeved cotton shirt, but they will race in a tech shirt.  Also, this race is getting large enough that chip
timing is a must.

The race seemed well organized.  I think they could use some more port-o-potties.  I did not have to
use them, but the line looked rather long before the race.  They also had Gatorade and Water at the
start of the race and this is an important feature that many races often overlook.  My one complaint
is I have no idea what happened at the start of the race.  All of a sudden the starter yells into the
microphone "Go", without any warning.  It was really weird because I was five feet from the start line
with no one in front of me.  Normally at the start of the race the runners are toeing the line and it's
packed tight.  Not so at the race.  I asked two other runners after the "gun" went off and they also
commented that the race started without any warning.  I saw several runners running from the other
direction, it was a bit chaotic.

The course changed a bit from 2007.  In 2007 the race veered off the Plate River Trail and up a
slight hill before coming back onto the trail.  I'm guessing that part of the trail was under maintenance
that year.  However, that also means that the course in 2007 was a bit tougher than 2008, due to the
added hill.  Overall the course is easy, with the one tough hill coming during the last mile as the
runners climb the 8th avenue viaduct.  The course is run on the trail, thus racers have to share the
trail with cyclist and this can become problematic since it is not a closed course.  I'm also not a fan of
running on concrete and 11 out of the 13 miles are on the concrete path, which definitely gives the
legs a pounding.

I give the post race party high marks.  Plenty of refreshments and lunch is provided by the Buckhorn
Exchange Restaurant.  They also had fondue from The Melting Pot, plastic glasses of beer and fruit.  

Overall this is an excellent race, that is well ran.  

Platte River Half Marathon Web Site


Relevant Data:
Start Elevation (ft): 5,351
Finish Elevation (ft): 5,236
Min. Elevation (ft): 5,201
Max. Elevation (ft): 5,359

Weather Data Average
Temperature (°F) 41
Relative Humidity (%) 29.5
Wind Speed (mph) 8.6
Platte River Half Marathon '08 Course Elevation:
Platte River Half Marathon '08 Race Shirt:
Platte River Half Marathon '08 Course Map:
Start:
Finish: