Diplo’s Run Club draws 8,000 runners for first Denver race

July 13, 2026

Cooper Castelar and Nell Rojas win the inaugural Denver 5K as Diplo’s Run Club opens its national season at Cheesman Park

DENVER (July 13, 2026) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Diplo’s Run Club brought the heat to Denver on Sunday, both on the course and at the finish line.

More than 8,000 runners filled Cheesman Park for the inaugural Denver event, turning a warm summer morning into a summer fitness festival, neighborhood spectacle and full-scale dance party. The 5K opened Diplo’s Run Club’s 2026-27 national season and gave Denver its first look at an event built around running, music and the Grammy Award-winning artist who helped create it.

Diplo ran the race alongside participants before taking the stage for the post-race concert, opening the 2026-27 national season for a series that blends running, music and wellness.

“Exercise, being fit, being well, having a happy mind – all that stuff should involve music, should involve having fun,” Diplo said. “That’s going to make people more addicted to healthy activities, and I want to be part of that.”

Cooper Castelar, 25, won the men’s race after moving to Denver from North Carolina about a year ago. He said the heat and early pace did little to dull the atmosphere.

“Oh, it was a blast,” said, Castelar, who finished second at Diplo’s Run Club San Diego 5K last year. “So many people got to rave after it. It was just a great time.”

Nell Rojas, one of Colorado’s top professional runners, won the women’s race and said the event stood apart from more traditional road races.

“This is different,” Rojas said. “It’s more fun.”

Rojas joked that she had given herself no choice but to win.

“I was talking mad smack to everyone, so thank goodness I won,” she said.

The chance to go on stage with Diplo after the race did not hurt, either.

“That’s the only reason I went for it,” Rojas added.

The course started and finished at Cheesman Park, sending runners through one of Denver’s most recognizable neighborhoods before returning to a finish-line festival filled with music, sponsor activations and bright race-day energy.

For Diplo, the Denver debut carried its own significance.

“I love Denver,” he said. “It’s a beautiful city that’s always supported me.”

A portion of proceeds from the event will support youth across Colorado through PLUS1 and Good Sports, helping provide sports equipment, footwear and apparel to children in high-need communities.

After opening its season in Denver, Diplo’s Run Club heads to Philadelphia this weekend for its next 5K and post-race music festival at Lincoln Financial Field. The July 18 event brings the series back to one of its strongest markets and a hometown connection for Diplo, who attended Temple University before launching his music career in the city’s music scene there.

For complete results, photos and more, visit www.DiplosRunClub.com.