Race map and details
Welcome! This blog gives a summary of each marathon with finish time/place, course info, conditions, and links to performance data and travel photos. There are also separate pages listing marathons in different countries/continents, states, and Canadian provinces as well as general info about my running background, frequently asked questions, and advice for anyone looking to start running or exercising more. This blog is linked on my Facebook page, but I'm very rarely on social media otherwise.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Marathon #19 (state #8): Pikes Peak Marathon, Manitou Springs, CO
7:25 finish, 428/729 place overall. Hardest running event I've ever done. Although my finish time was a personal worst by almost three hours, that didn't matter because the winners finished around the same time I do on an average road marathon. "Hilly" does not properly describe the course. It is literally a 13-mile, 7,000+ foot climb up a mountain trail, topping out at over 14,000 feet of altitude at the summit of Pikes Peak, followed by over 7,000 feet down the same trail for the second half. Aside from the first and last miles in Manitou Springs, the entire course is on a trail, much of which is very technical with rocks, roots, and plenty of chances to get hurt - especially on the downhill. Combine that with the fact that the lowest point of the course is higher than the summits of most mountains in the East, and you have a recipe for a challenge like no other. At higher altitudes, above treeline, this marathon was more of a glorified hike - running was impossible due to the lack of oxygen and the inability to pass people on the narrow trail. It took me longer to reach the halfway point at the summit than it does to complete most marathons. Even with a 7:25 finish, I view this as my greatest accomplishment in running.
Race map and details
Race map and details