Manitou Springs' coffin races are back on

John Frank

Close-up of a person wearing a glossy black Bell helmet with pale, zombie-like makeup, dark eye shadow, and red lipstick, against a gray textured wall. — A participant in the Emma Crawford Coffin Races in Manitou Springs on Oct. 30, 2010. Photo: Courtesy of Brokentaco

The annual coffin races in Manitou Springs are back from the dead after city officials presented a refreshed security plan.

Why it matters: The Emma Crawford Coffin Races, a quirky fall tradition organized by the Manitou Springs tourism arm, draw more than 10,000 people to the tiny mountain town.

Yes, but: The spectacle strains the city. Police Chief Bill Otto told City Council members this month that his department needed more help to secure the event, in part for insurance reasons.

Other concerns include growing crowds and the national political environment, KRDO reports.

The latest: Otto presented a new plan Tuesday that calls for 25 sworn officers, with 10 being from his department, the Gazette reported.

Seven would enforce road closures and the rest would patrol the event.
"I would not recommend 25 officers if I did not think it would be adequate," Otto said.

The other side: The plan didn't satisfy everyone. Councilwoman Julie Wolfe wanted more security guards and floated the idea of discontinuing shuttle bus services to reduce crowd size.

More than 2,000 people used the shuttles to attend the event last year, the city's tourism arm estimates.

What's next: The council plans to talk about additional crowd-control measures ahead of the Oct. 24 event.

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Manitou Springs' coffin races are back on

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