![]() However, there are no exposed ledges, so there is little danger of falling off the trail!įrom the Manitou Springs City Hall, the races proceed west on Manitou Avenue for 0.42 miles to Ruxton Avenue. The trail is often narrow, winding, and may be gravel, rocks or dirt with sharp turns and abrupt changes in elevation or direction. The race courses donotuse any part of the famed Pikes Peak Highway (which is on the north and west flanks of the mountain). Barr Trail is a US Forest Service trail that is on the east face of Pikes Peak. While both races begin in the city (and the Marathon finishes in the city) the majority of both races are run on Barr Trail in Pike National Forest. The races begin in front of the City Hall in Manitou Springs, a city of some 5,000 population, located approximately 6 miles west of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Ascent (and ascent leg of the Marathon) has very few stretches which are not going uphill, with the average grade being 11%. The Ascent finish/Marathon turnaround is at approximately 14,050'. In other words, the downhill is not free, and there are even a few ups on the way down!Įlevation gain (start to summit) is at 7,815' (2,382m) the start is at 6,300' (1,920m) and the summit is 14,115' (4,302m). The average descent time is about 63% of the runner's Ascent time. Otherwise, add 1/2 hour to your flatland marathon time. ![]() In general, if you live at altitude, go with your flatland marathon time. In fact, many flatlanders find that it can take much longer! On the other hand, if you have trained in high altitude, it is possible to go a little faster than your flatland marathon time during the Ascent. The Ascent or ascent portion of the Marathon can take as long, or longer, than a full flatland marathon. After all, it’s always best to cook raw meat.īecause the Ascent and Marathon are so unique and so physically demanding when compared to other half-marathons or marathons, having a general understanding of the courses is the key to planning your training. Meanwhile, the temperature has often risen by more than 30 degrees since the start of the race. Along the way protruding rocks and roots are waiting to send you crashing to the ground mangling flesh and only temporarily masking the pain of blood filled blisters. It’s at this point if you are on the deluxe tour you must turn around and run back down the mountain for the second half of the Marathon. Adding insult to injury it might start to snow. ![]() ![]() It’s a death march right out of a scene from Dawn of the Dead. What little air remains can’t satisfy the endless stream of zombies hoping only to survive their next step. Above tree line most runners take 30 minutes or more, some much more, just to cover a mile. They can’t! Makes one wonder if trees are smarter than runners. There’s a reason trees don’t bother growing above 12,000' on Pikes Peak. But it won’t be until the next three miles, with still over 2,000' of vertical to go, that you will realize where the Marathon got its moniker -America’s Ultimate Challenge. But your first left turn will have you turning in the direction of up! During the next 10 miles, as you gain almost 6,000 vertical feet, your legs, lungs, heart and mind will be worn to a ragged nothingness. Sure, they start out like a lot of races on Any Street, USA. A Journey to the Top and Perhaps Back The Pikes Peak Ascent ® and Pikes Peak Marathon ® will redefine what you call running. ![]()
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