Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre will shut down its surrounding roads for a few hours on Oct. 11 as thousands of runners and walkers descend on the venue for the 21st annual Run the Rocks, a fundraiser pitting participants against 193 stairs at 6,450 feet above sea level. The event is the only race permitted inside the park, and this year it carries a fundraising goal of $215,000 for lung cancer research and patient support across Colorado.
According to Denver7, which partners with the American Lung Association on the event, the race offers both a 5K course and a shorter 1.3-mile run/walk, with live music and an afterparty featuring vendors, activities and refreshments afterward. Organizers designed the event for participants of all fitness levels, and the field typically includes lung cancer survivors, people living with lung disease, caregivers, families, friends and company teams. A kids zone will be set up on site, and participants are welcome to bring their dogs along for the walk.
As of early October, more than 900 registered participants and 70 teams had raised over $141,000 toward the $215,000 goal, according to the American Lung Association. Per the same event registration page maintained by Red Rocks, online advance sign-up costs $40, with day-of registration priced at $45. Check-in opens at 8 a.m., and the surrounding park roads close at 9 a.m. to secure the course for runners.
A Steep Physical Test at High Altitude
The course itself is part of the draw. Red Rocks Amphitheatre sits at 6,450 feet above sea level, and the race route sends participants up high-altitude park roads before they tackle the amphitheatre's signature 193 stairs, which climb 100 vertical feet from the stage to the top plaza finish line, the venue's event page notes. The amphitheatre's elevation is another feature of the course.
Red Rocks has operated under the City and County of Denver since 1927; the amphitheatre was formally dedicated in 1941, after the site's public grand opening in 1906. The amphitheatre's seating area has a capacity of 9,525 between two 300-foot sandstone monoliths, according to Wikipedia's entry on the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The venue's acoustics and dramatic geology earned it such acclaim that Pollstar magazine renamed its annual Best Small Outdoor Venue honor the Red Rocks Award in 1999, after the site won the category eleven consecutive times.
Why the Fundraiser Matters for Colorado
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in both Colorado and the United States, and the American Lung Association has reported that someone is diagnosed with the disease about every two minutes. Survival rates have improved in recent years, a trend the organization attributes to greater awareness along with advances in detection and treatment. Nationally, the five-year lung cancer survival rate climbed 26% over five years to reach 29.7%, according to the Lung Association's research updated in 2026.
Colorado's numbers tell a more complicated story. The state's 2025 State of Lung Cancer report ranked Colorado 4th best in the nation for new lung cancer cases, recording 37.3 cases per 100,000 people against a national average of 52.8. Yet the same report ranked Colorado 48th out of 51 states and Washington, D.C. for lung cancer screening among high-risk individuals, a gap that fundraisers like Run the Rocks are aimed at closing through research investment, screening awareness and stigma reduction.
How to Join Run the Rocks
Funds raised through Run the Rocks go toward lung disease prevention and improving the lives of people living with lung conditions statewide, with the American Lung Association in Colorado hosting the race for the 21st consecutive year. Participants can register online at runtherocks.org ahead of the Oct. 11 event.
