Running Red Rocks
Red Rocks is one of the country’s most scenic concert venues. Turns out, it’s also a pretty great place to get a workout in as well and should be on every runner’s bucket list of places to run.
My girlfriend and I headed out to Red Rocks on Monday morning because we wanted to see the venue but didn’t want to drop $200 apiece on tickets to see Stevie Wonder that night. We’re both running the Chicago Marathon and New York City Marathon this year and since we both needed to get a three mile training run in, we figured we’d take the opportunity to do it as we were enjoying the scenery at Red Rocks.
So, we made the 20 minute drive from our Airbnb in Denver’s Baker neighborhood west on I-70 to Exit 259 to run Red Rocks.
Getting to Red Rocks itself was incredibly easy and — surprisingly — free. Turns out you can just show up at Red Rocks and go inside without paying a penny when there’s not a show going on. The venue closes a few hours before a concert so staff can get ready.
One of the first things you notice about Red Rocks once you get there, besides the fact that it is just as beautiful as everyone says it is, is just how steep and intimidating the seating bowl can appear, especially at elevation. You’ll also notice if you’re there to exercise that you’re not alone. When we got there at around 8:30 on a Monday morning, there were about a dozen others there doing everything from walking the stairs to running back and forth along the rows of the seating bowl.
So what’s it like to run Red Rocks?
In a word, challenging. After all, you’re running at altitude and regardless of whether you choose to go up or down, you’re going to be tackling a lot of stairs along the way.
The first few rows of the venue were closed off so that crews could get them ready for the evening’s concert. From where I started at the first row that was available to the public to the top of the venue itself was about 2.3 miles.
The setting itself was downright serene, with a soundtrack consisting only of crews power washing the rows of seats and ambient chatter from those visiting the venue. I decided I was going to run up rather than down because I felt like it would be easier to control my body when going from row to row.
The rows themselves aren’t terribly long, which means you’re not going to be able to get into a rhythm while running, and you’re going to have to get used to going up stairs every 20–30 seconds. Because of this, you’re also not going to be able to go terribly fast — I ran my 3.3 miles at a pace about a minute plus slower than my normal pace.
The rows are wide enough so that if someone else is exercising or taking a picture, you can get past them with ease.
Once you get to the top, you’re treated to the most incredible view of Colorado laid out before you, the mountains and the greenery and of course a top level view of the venue itself your reward for getting up and working out.
If you’re going to go, make sure you go in the morning while the temperature is still comfortably cool, and make sure you’re considerate of others who are running/taking pictures/enjoying the venue themselves. And if you’re a runner, definitely make it a priority to run Red Rocks sooner rather than later.
I’m running the 2019 Chicago Marathon and New York City Marathon to raise money for the American Heart Association to honor my late mother. To donate, please click here.
