Contemplating Crawford | Coffin races return to Manitou for a 30th year
Oct. 11, 2024
Photo taken by Jenna Gallas
This is part 1 of the “Contemplating Crawford” series. Part 2 will be available on Oct. 24; it will highlight more of Crawford’s story and offer additional perspectives on the races.
The Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival are sliding into Manitou Springs on Oct. 26, and this year is the city’s 30th year of hosting this history-honoring tradition.
The day’s events will begin at 10 a.m. and are free to attend. A live stream of the races and a virtual leaderboard will be available for those who cannot attend in person.
Event lineup and transportation information
Jenna Gallas, the events manager for Visit Manitou Springs, said attendees shouldn’t park in Manitou Springs on the day of the event, but several transportation options will be available. Off-site parking and $5 shuttle rides will be provided at the Citizen Service Center; a free bike valet will also be available offsite.
As people come into Manitou, they can visit the Fan Zone, where all of the coffins will be on display until the parade starts at noon.
Gallas said the parade goes down Manitou Avenue and is made up of community groups, sponsors, hearses and the competing teams. “Once they all make their way back down the avenue to the start line, that's when we'll kick off the races,” Gallas said.
Photos and video taken by Jenna Gallas
The races will begin around 1 p.m., and the teams will gradually file into Soda Springs Park after competing, where the afterparty will begin around 2 p.m.
Gallas noted the afterparty will have live music from a local band, and the park will be full of booths to explore.
“We'll have live music this year, with Family Elephant, a really beloved local group of folks that play, and then we have drink vendors, food vendors, retail vendors [and] sponsors with swag,” Gallas said.
The award ceremony will also take place during this time, and all of the coffins will be on display throughout the park.
How the races work
Up to 70 teams can participate in the Coffin Races every year. According to Gallas and the rules of the race, in order to compete, a team must build a coffin that meets the specifications outlined in the rules. Each team needs to have five members aged 18 or older, four “pallbearers” to push their coffin and an “Emma” to ride in it.
The teams compete in heats, racing head-to-head on Manitou Avenue, and the three fastest teams overall are awarded.
Video taken by Jenna Gallas
“We'll have up to 70 teams, up to 35 heats of racing, and as soon as those teams finish, they kind of head into Soda Springs Park there at the roundabout. Then we time everybody, so our winner is going to be our fastest overall. We'll have winners in each heat, [but] it'll ultimately be first, second [and] third place for those with the fastest times,” Gallas said.
The team with the fastest time will race against the winner of the Estes Park Frozen Dead Guy Days Coffin Race for a chance to win the Coffin Cup.
Gallas noted that teams can also receive awards for Best Coffin, Best Team Theme, Best Entourage and Best Emma.
The main event’s origins
According to Gallas and the Manitou Springs Heritage Center’s publication “Emma Crawford, her life and legacy,” 26-year-old Crawford moved to Manitou Springs in 1889. She had tuberculosis, and Manitou was said to be a place with natural health benefits for tuberculosis patients.
The Heritage Center’s publication notes that Crawford enjoyed spending time in nature and decided to climb Red Mountain despite being advised not to.
After completing her hike, Crawford told her alleged lover, Wilhelm Hildenbrand, that she wanted to be buried at the top of the mountain when she died.
While Crawford died in 1891 and had her wish fulfilled, she later had to be relocated to another part of the mountain because Hildenbrand did not own the land where she was initially buried.
According to Gallas, city legend states that some hikers found her remains in 1929 after flooding carried them down the mountain.
“After many years of flooding and erosion on the mountain, some boys hiking had found remnants of her coffin and some bones on the west end of Manitou Springs that they believed to be Emma's. So, they were brought to City Hall, and actually, she was buried a third time and is buried currently in Crystal Valley Cemetery here in Manitou in an undisclosed grave,” Gallas said.
In 1995, the Manitou Chamber of Commerce came up with the idea for the Coffin Races. According to “Emma Crawford, Her Life and Legacy,” they were brainstorming ways to bring more visitors to Manitou Springs when one of their members, John Tschannen, brought up Crawford’s story.
Video taken by Jenna Gallas
Gallas said these races started with a few local teams but have become more of a production in recent years, often with over 10,000 people involved. She noted that every volunteer, attendee and supporter plays a part in making this event happen and hopes to see more community members engage with it this year.
“Everybody is there and has put so much into it, and [they] do it for themselves and 10,000 people with smiles, and joy and laughter. There is nothing like that in the world,” Gallas said.
Additional information
More information on the race and festival can be found on the event’s website. Some announcements and additional information can be found through the event’s Facebook page and the Visit Manitou Springs accounts on Instagram, X and Threads.
A map of road closures for the race and available detours is available through this link.
