The Christmas Carol 10K is run at City Park in Denver as are many runs in Denver. It just so happened that we had snow about a week prior to the run. I contacted the run management to ask about the course two days prior to the run. I was told that the course had been cleaned and all would be fine. We had sunny, warm days (for December) the day prior to the run so I felt good that the course would be fine. When I showed up, what I found was ice for the first 25 yards leading up to the start line and 10 yards past the start. That meant we were not able to get a good start...people were walking and sliding everywhere.

The majority of the course had been cleaned, but there were a few corners that were icy. Over the 10k course, I fell 3 times because of ice. The finish line was the same as the start so instead of sprinting the finish, I had to walk gingerly to make sure I did not go down for the fourth time. The kicker was that after I finished, got my water, and was heading out, they were finally cleaning the ice off of the finish line.

The aid stations, difficulty, scenery, and parking were the same as any other run at City Park. That does not change much no matter who is managing a run at the Park. However, I refuse to run any event operated by the company that put not he Christmas Carol 10k after this event.

The start/finish line is one of the most important areas and that should have been cleaned. The ice on the course should have been marked. I saw at least one person who was not able to get up after falling on the ice. This could have been avoided if the management really had cleaned the course and any small ice patches properly marked.