Colorado Colleges for Track

Colorado colleges, located at high altitudes, provide an ideal environment for track programs, allowing runners to train with less oxygen and build stamina. Those programs provide Colorado college student athletes with the opportunity to participate in a wide range of events, ranging from sprints to distance races. From indoor track in the winter to outdoor track in the spring, a wide variety of venues on the college level exist in Colorado's colleges athletic programs.

  1. Major Colleges

    • The State of Colorado contains two major Division I state-supported universities: Colorado State University at Ft. Collins and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Both schools, through their respective athletic departments, offer a track program.

      A review of the rosters for men and women at both universities reveals that the programs draw athletes from numerous states, such as California, North Carolina and New Jersey.

      Events on the roster include sprints, middle distance, distance and hurdles.

    Military Academy

    • Colorado is home to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. This school, in Division I, fields both a men's and women's team with athletes from every part of the United States, reflecting the makeup of the cadets at the academy.

      The Air Force Academy hosts track meets and travels to meets across the country, in addition to being members of the Western Athletic Conference. One example is the Air Force Invitational Indoor Track Meet in February 2011. Both major Colorado schools, the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, were invited as part of an approximately 20-school roster.

    Small Schools

    • Adams State College, a Division II school in Alamosa, is an example of a small Colorado college with track programs for both men and women. One of the top Division II schools, ranking number six in the country in 2011, Adams State offers a track athlete the opportunity to compete at the national level in a small school setting.

      Another small Colorado college is Western State College of Colorado in Gunnison, another Division II school. Located at an elevation of 7,700 feet, it offers a full track program in all events.

    Private Schools

    • Colorado College, a Division III school in Colorado Springs, is a private, liberal arts and sciences college. It fields track teams for both men and women, with their teams being awarded All-Academic Honors in 2009-2010.

      The teams have competed in events at the Air Force Academy, demonstrating the ability of small schools in track to compete with larger schools due to the fact that track is primarily an individual sport.