All Discussions Tagged 'Trail' - Pikes Peak Sports2024-03-28T21:05:44Zhttp://pikespeaksports.us/group/roadtrailrunning/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=Trail&feed=yes&xn_auth=noLook out Pikes Peak, here comes the worldtag:pikespeaksports.us,2019-08-22:5021591:Topic:8423422019-08-22T17:17:17.704ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3441889175?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3441889175?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="650"></img></a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><strong>Jordi Saragossa photo</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>64th Pikes Peak Marathon fields are stacked</b></span></p>
<p><strong>From Tim Sweeney</strong>, Salomon Golden Trail World Series…</p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 500;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3441889175?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3441889175?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="650" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><strong>Jordi Saragossa photo</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>64th Pikes Peak Marathon fields are stacked</b></span></p>
<p><strong>From Tim Sweeney</strong>, Salomon Golden Trail World Series</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">The fifth race of the 2019 Golden Trail World Series is perhaps the most famed trail race on American soil, and this year the Pikes Peak Mountain Marathon will play host to the elite athletes of the sport. Spain’s Kilian Jornet (Team Salomon) leads an all-star cast from around the globe that will take to the starting line on Sunday morning, August 25</span><span style="font-weight: 500;">th</span><span style="font-weight: 500;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">The 42km race is the highest in altitude on the Golden Trail World Series. It begins and ends in Manitou Springs, Colorado and climbs 2,382 meters to an elevation of 4,302 meters—the top of the famed Pikes Peak. It’s also a race with a seemingly unbreakable course record. The men’s record time of 3:16:39 has stood since 1991.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">With Jornet on hand, as well as a deep field of elite runners in the women’s race, what is “unbreakable” may be called into question this weekend. The Spaniard is coming off a legendary performance two weeks ago at the ultra-competitive Sierre-Zinal race in Switzerland, where he shattered the 16-year-old course record by three minutes and 37 seconds and left behind a field of elite athletes from a variety of running disciplines. Pikes Peak, however, is a different animal.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">“Pikes Peak Marathon is one of the oldest mountain races,” said Jornet, ever a student of the sport. “The Ascent race dates from 1936 and the marathon from 1956. It was the third marathon in the US and the first one to allow women to participate. The race is very logical. Run up to the summit and down, and the history behind it is what attracted me to run there.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">The 2018 men’s race winner, Colorado native Dakota Jones (Team Salomon), will miss this year’s race due to injury, but a host of top talent will be there to throw their best effort at Jornet, who comes in as the clear favorite.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">Swiss star Rémi Bonnet (Team Salomon), who had strong races at Sierre-Zinal and the Marathon du Mont Blanc, will bring his considerable climbing skills to Pikes Peak. Two of Team Hoka’s top runners—Italy’s Francesco Puppi and Colorado resident Sage Canaday—will also look to crack the podium, and Mexico’s Juan Carlos Fererra (Team Buff) could also be heard from. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">France’s Thibaut Baronian (Team Salomon), who was 3</span><span style="font-weight: 500;">rd</span> <span style="font-weight: 500;">at Zegama, will also be in the hunt. Swiss athlete Marc Lauenstein (Team Salomon), a former winner at Pikes, is making a comeback from a foot injury and says he is full-go this weekend, while American trail veteran Max King (Team Salomon) will relish the rare chance to run on home soil against top European talent. Peruvian Jose Manuel Quispe (Team Lippi), who was the 2</span><span style="font-weight: 500;">nd</span> <span style="font-weight: 500;">runner to the top of the climb at the Dolomyth Runs in July, will also be looking for top result at Pikes. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">“When I ran here in 2012, I remember it was a fun race and it was great to feel the ambiance,” Jornet added. “It is a very runnable race, but it’s hard. The ascent is not big and isn’t steep either, but the altitude is a huge factor. Probably the key to being successful in the race is to be well acclimatized and to not start to strong because after that the altitude really hits you.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">Last year, Salomon athlete and Colorado resident Megan Kimmel (Team Salomon) relied on her high altitude conditioning to break the women’s course record, winning in 4:15:04 to better the mark that had stood since 1981 by 14 seconds. Kimmel will not compete in this year’s race, but a top group of women will see if they can handle the altitude of Pikes and possibly challenge her record time. Maude Mathys (Team Salomon) is coming off a course record-breaking win on her home soil at Sierre-Zinal and her skills as a climber should send her to the front in the early going, and maybe to stay. Mathys was 3</span><span style="font-weight: 500;">rd</span> <span style="font-weight: 500;">at the Dolomyths Sky run in Italy as well.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">She will be challenged by a pair of Adidas TERREX runners in Great Britain’s Holy Page and Norway’s Yngvild Kasperson. Team Salomon athletes Eli Gordon (Spain) and Megan Mackenzie (South Africa) should also be in the chase for podium results, as will France’s Amandine Ferrato (Team Hoka One One).</span> <span style="font-weight: 500;"><br/></span><span style="font-weight: 500;"><br/></span><b>ABOUT THE GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES:</b><span style="font-weight: 500;"><br/></span><span style="font-weight: 500;">The elite runners of the Golden Trail World Series are trying to earn points in the season-long chase for a spot in the Grand Final, which will take place in Nepal in October. The athletes must participate in three of the six races during the series in order to be eligible for the final. The Top 10 men and women with the most points in their three best races will earn a trip for themselves and a person of their choice to the Grand Final. The overall final standings (and the men’s and women’s champions) of the Golden Trail World Series will be determined again by the runners’ three best finishes during the season, plus their result at the Grand Final. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 500;">For photos and more, visit</span> <a href="http://www.goldentrailseries.com"><span style="font-weight: 500;">www.goldentrailseries.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 500;">. </span></p>
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<p><a href="https://www.goldentrailseries.com/results-2018/results-gtws-2019/"><span style="font-weight: 500;">For up-to-date Golden Trail World Series standings</span></a><span style="font-weight: 500;">. </span></p> Kilian Jornet: Nothing is unbreakable, but Pikes Peak Marathon record poses a challengetag:pikespeaksports.us,2019-08-21:5021591:Topic:8421742019-08-21T22:56:37.489ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3440529435?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3440529435?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="300"></img></a> Kilian Jornet has covered a lot of ground since he last raced at Pikes Peak and won in 2012. He has captured championship titles in most of mountain running's major races - some of them multiple times. He dislocated his shoulder in the early miles of the the 2017 Hardrock 100, and then won with his arm in a sling. If mountain running has a household name,…</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3440529435?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3440529435?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="300" class="align-left"/></a>Kilian Jornet has covered a lot of ground since he last raced at Pikes Peak and won in 2012. He has captured championship titles in most of mountain running's major races - some of them multiple times. He dislocated his shoulder in the early miles of the the 2017 Hardrock 100, and then won with his arm in a sling. If mountain running has a household name, it's his.</p>
<p>And now he's back at Pikes Peak, running in Salomon's Golden Trail World Series. And he is at the top of his game. Listen to the chatter among those who know him and there is an underlying vibe. Jornet wants to break Matt Carpenter's longstanding marathon race record of 3 hours, 16 minutes, 39 seconds, a mark that has been untouchable - as in no runner besides Carpenter has come close to it in 25 years.</p>
<p>Can the Spanish-born Jornet make history at Sunday's Pikes Peak Marathon? We caught up with him earlier this summer. Here are his thoughts about Pikes Peak, running in thin air, and his appreciation for Colorado's wide open spaces.</p>
<p><strong>What attracted you back to Pikes Peak?</strong></p>
<p>Pikes Peak Marathon is one of the oldest mountain races, the ascent dates from 1936 and the marathon from 1956. It was the third marathon, including road ones, in the US, and the first one to allow women to participate. The race is very logical. Run up to the summit and down, and the history behind are the facts that attract me.</p>
<p> <strong>When you think back on your 2012 win in the Pikes Peak Marathon, what memories stand out?</strong></p>
<p>It was a fun race, It wasn’t much exciting since since the first kilometers positions were kind of set but I remember all the time there was great, to feel the ambiance, and it’s hard, it is a very runnable race since is never steep or technical but the altitude factor makes difficult to run fast.</p>
<p> <strong>Some people think Matt Carpenter's record of 3 hours, 16 minutes 39 seconds is unbeatable. It is extremely fast, but what do you think? Can the record be broken and who could break it?</strong></p>
<p>Nothing is unbreakable, but Matt’s performance that day is one of the most incredible in mountain running. Conditions should be perfect, a race with fight with very talented runners.</p>
<p> <strong>Pikes Peak's altitude: 4,302 meters at the summit. The race includes about 2,382 meters ascending. How do you approach this challenge?</strong></p>
<p>The ascent is not big and isn’t steep either, but the altitude is a huge factor, probably the key to being successful in the race is to be well acclimatized, to not start to strong because after that the altitude really hits you!</p>
<p> <strong>The Golden Trail World Series includes some of the world's greatest mountain races, what would it mean to you to win the overall championship?</strong></p>
<p>I think what’s great about the circuit is that it joins the dream races, the ones that every mountain runner wants to run once in life. A victory in one of those is a life goal for any athlete. And being in a circuit the field level is even more impressive.</p>
<p> <strong>You have raced some of the bigger races in the US and particularly here in Colorado. What does Colorado symbolize to you as an outdoor playground and what do you like about coming here to race</strong>?</p>
<p>Colorado is a great place to play outdoors, it has everything; huge mountain surface, cold and snowy winters, and great weather. It is accessible from cities but still wild and remote some areas. From Front Range to San Juan’s, the possibilities are unlimited. From the Diamond in Long’s to climb or Eldorado, to the snow quality to ski during winters, to remote mountains to run and scramble in the south, it has everything!</p> Golden Trail Series: Colorado runners win at Pikes Peak Marathontag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-08-20:5021591:Topic:8068082018-08-20T05:04:07.899ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
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<p><strong>From Salomon's Tim Sweeney, <span>Senior Manager, Global Communications & PR</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, U.S.A.</strong><span> </span>— The Pikes Peak Marathon, the fourth stop on the <a href="https://www.goldentrailseries.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Golden Trail Series</a>, may have featured…</p>
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<p><strong>From Salomon's Tim Sweeney, <span>Senior Manager, Global Communications & PR</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, U.S.A.</strong><span> </span>— The Pikes Peak Marathon, the fourth stop on the <a href="https://www.goldentrailseries.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golden Trail Series</a>, may have featured another world-class field of trail runners from around the globe, but<span> </span><span>on Sunday</span><span> </span>it was a couple of Colorado locals who owned the day.</p>
<p>Dakota Jones and Megan Kimmel, both residents of the state that straddles the Rocky Mountains, relied on their high-altitude conditioning on a morning that was perfect for racing to the top of 14,115-foot (4,302-meter) Pikes Peak and back down to Manitou Springs. Kimmel (Team Salomon) set a new women’s course record, winning in<span> </span><span>4:15:04</span><span> </span>to break the mark that had stood since 1981 by 14 seconds.</p>
<p>“I did not expect this, but I didn’t rule it out either, and the main reason I didn’t rule it out was because it’s my home turf and if there is one thing I’m good at, it’s running at altitude,” said Kimmel, who lives about three hours away from the race. “I knew what the record was coming into the race, but I didn’t think it was at all possible with the splits I needed to have. I just kept a healthy pace because I didn’t know who was behind me and I was thinking the record might still be possible. Then, about a mile out, someone said that if I kicked it in, I could get it, so I went all-out.”</p>
<p>Jones, a Team Salomon athlete who has battled injuries for much of the last two seasons, got himself back to full health in recent months with an eye on Pikes Peak and proving he is still among the sport’s elite. The plan came to fruition<span> </span><span>on Sunday</span><span> </span>morning. He bested a strong field of international talent to win in<span> </span><span>3:32:19</span>. In doing so, Jones ran the fastest downhill time (<span>1:13:53</span>) in the race’s rich 63-year history, one minute and 40 seconds quicker than the previous best descent, recorded in 1993. He did all that after cycling 250 miles over four days from his hometown in Durango, Colorado to Colorado Springs for the race, all in an effort to raise funds for Protect Our Winters. </p>
<p>“It’s the first real competitive race I’ve done in a year and a half and I was curious to see how nervous I’d get before the race because I haven’t raced in a while,” Jones said. “There were a lot of guys capable of winning and I knew I was one of them, but everything has to go right. It always goes right for one person and you hope it’s you.”</p>
<p>Oriol Cardona Coll (Team Dynafit) was 2<sup>nd</sup><span> </span>in<span> </span><span>3:37:19</span>, Darren Beck Thomas was 3<sup>rd</sup><span> </span>in<span> </span><span>3:37:34</span><span> </span>and Team Salomon’s Stian Angermund-Vik continued his consistent season with a 4<sup>th</sup><span> </span>place finish in<span> </span><span>3:37:48</span>. With a solid effort in his first trip to the U.S., Angermund-Vik jumped to the top of the Golden Trail Series standings with 238 points in the four races this season. </p>
<p>Jones was with the other eventual top-10 finishers on the ascent and said he felt like he was “falling apart.”</p>
<p>“Running in front of Stian is nerve-wracking because I know what he is capable of and I was running outside of what I know I could do on the way up,” he said. “So I thought: Don’t blow it here and let’s see what I can do. Because it’s such an international field, I’m kind of a local boy even though I’m not from right here in this area. So it’s fun to come out here as a Colorado boy and represent.”</p>
<p>In the midst of what has been a solid but not outstanding season by her own lofty standards, Kimmel got the big result she was hoping for<span> </span><span>on Sunday</span>. She arrived at the race’s halfway point at the summit looking fresh and strong, and didn’t give the rest of the women a chance to get close from there. </p>
<p>“As far as how I was going to feel coming in, it was a wild card being that I ran (at Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland) last week,” she explained. “I wasn’t sure how to tackle the race itself, except I knew that for me it was important to stay centered and stay in control for the whole course, so I went out at a comfortable pace.”</p>
<p>Chasing Kimmel all morning were 2<sup>nd</sup><span> </span>place finisher Laura Orgue (Team Salomon) of Spain (<span>4:30:52</span>), Colorado Springs local and defending champion Kristina Marie Mascarenas (3<sup>rd</sup><span> </span>in<span> </span><span>4:37:00</span>), American Emily Elizabeth Schmitz (4<sup>th</sup><span> </span>in<span> </span><span>4:44:45</span>) and France’s Celine Lafaye (Team Merrell), who was 5<sup>th</sup><span> </span>in<span> </span><span>4:51:16</span>. With the win, Kimmel jumped into third place in the season-long Golden Trail Series standings. Mascarenas ran the fastest downhill time ever run by a woman on her way to her 3<sup>rd</sup><span> </span>place finish.</p>
<p>“I feel really happy with how I ran Sierre-Zinal and I’m happy with where I’m sitting in the Golden Trail Series and hoping to make the top-10 so I can get out to the Otter Trail (in South Africa),” Kimmel said. “It seems like that will be a really fun course.”</p>
<p>Both Kimmel and Jones used Salomon S/LAB Modular apparel on what was a warm day at the start/finish area and a clear, chilly one on top of Pikes Peak. Jones used the Salomon S/LAB Sense 7 Soft Ground shoes, while Kimmel used a prototype version of the Salomon S/Lab Ultra shoe.</p>
<p><strong>GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES STANDINGS (after 4 races)</strong><br/> <strong>MEN:</strong></p>
<p>Stian Angermund-Vik – 238 points</p>
<p>Kilian Jornet – 200 points</p>
<p>Aritz Egea Caceres – 171</p>
<p>Stephan Wenk – 165</p>
<p>Marc Lauenstein – 160</p>
<p><strong>WOMEN:</strong></p>
<p>Ruth Croft – 250 points</p>
<p>Ida Nilsson – 247</p>
<p>Megan Kimmel - 233</p>
<p>Laura Orgue – 232</p>
<p>Eli Gordon – 199</p>
<p><br/> <strong>ABOUT THE GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES</strong></p>
<p>The Golden Trail Series combines five of the most iconic “short-distance” trail races on the planet into a dream tour for both athletes and fans. A €100,000 prize pool will be shared equally among the overall top 10 men & women at a Grand Final at the Otter Trail in South Africa in October. Each of the top 10 will travel with a friend or partner of their choice for the trip of a lifetime to compete for their chosen cause or charity.</p>
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<p style="font-weight: 400;"><br/> MORE INFO:</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">For photos and more, visit<span> </span><a href="http://www.goldentrailseries.com/"><span>www.goldentrailseries.com</span></a></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">To watch/follow the race online, visit these Salomon’s social media channels:</p>
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/salomonrunning/?hl=en">Salomon Running Instagram</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/salomonrunning/">Salomon Running Facebook Page</a></li>
</ul> Ethiopian-born Serkalem Biset Abrha claims women's Pikes Peak Ascent titletag:pikespeaksports.us,2017-08-19:5021591:Topic:7757792017-08-19T21:00:58.914ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432748?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432748?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="650"></img></a></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><strong>Photos by Bryan Oller</strong></p>
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<p>Serkalem Biset Abrha kept her focus on the rugged singletrack before her as she ascended Barr Trail on Saturday in the 62<sup>nd</sup> running of the Pikes Peak Ascent.</p>
<p>She sprinted to an early lead – something most runners are afraid to do in a race that begins in Manitou Springs…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432748?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="650" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432748?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="650" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><strong>Photos by Bryan Oller</strong></p>
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<p>Serkalem Biset Abrha kept her focus on the rugged singletrack before her as she ascended Barr Trail on Saturday in the 62<sup>nd</sup> running of the Pikes Peak Ascent.</p>
<p>She sprinted to an early lead – something most runners are afraid to do in a race that begins in Manitou Springs and ends at the peak’s 14,115 foot summit. Biset Abrha, 30, of Albuqurque, N.M., climbed through the twisting switchbacks, gaining altitude with each stride. She powered her way to Barr Camp, roughly halfway through the race. Then came timberline, and she looked up.</p>
<p>“There is nothing like it,” she says. “We don’t have this (in Albuquerque.)</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433525?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433525?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a>It’s a common belief among most Pikes Peak veterans: Runners like Biset Abrha don’t always perform well in the Ascent, which includes a leg-crushing climb of 7,815 feet. She specializes in road races, and has a personal best of 2:31 in the marathon. She trains to be fast … on flat roads. Her performance on the peak's granite sides, however, may cause that "common belief" to become a myth.</p>
<p>She led from the gun and would not be caught. The Ethiopian-born runner pranced through the final switchbacks at the summit – and side-stepped a male runner who collapsed at the finish line - to win in 2 hours, 42 minutes, 19 seconds.</p>
<p>“This was very hard and I can’t breath,” she said at the finish.</p>
<p>Winning on Pikes Peak is never easy. Biset Abrha’s lower back began to seize in muscle spasms and a leg cramp prevented her from running efficiently over the last three miles, where the views stretch all the way to Kansas.</p>
<p>“I just kept going,” she said.</p>
<p>A pair of Colorado runners on the Salomon U.S. team, Anna Mae Flynn and Addie Bracy, cut into Biset Abrha’s lead in the thin air, but ran out of trail.</p>
<p>“I felt like I was gaining ground on her at the end when the trail became more technical, but there just wasn’t enough room,” said Flynn, who placed second in 2:43:14.</p>
<p>Flynn’s race, like Biset Abrha’s, was a new experience. It was her first Pikes Peak Ascent attempt. She generally competes in races that include steeper climbs, Vertical Ks, that force the best runners in the world to power hike. And she recently won the Speed Goat 50K in Utah, where a slower pace is required on tough grades. Pikes Peak, she says, is a whole new ball game, allowing elite runners to run nearly the whole distance. But that becomes tricky when the oxygen levels at cloud level begin to drop.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656434323?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656434323?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-left"/></a>“I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” she said. “I felt a little better on the upper part of the mountain. I feel like I’m strong, but I don’t have the endurance. This is definitely a lot more runnable than my current training.”</p>
<p>Bracy clocked in at 2:47:55 to place third. She is relatively new to mountain running, and the sport has been good to her. She is the two-time defending U.S. Mountain Running Champion, and won a team gold medal at the 2017 world championships.</p>
<p>“I actually felt pretty good the first, maybe, eight or nine miles,” she says. “But I ran here last year and I know the race doesn’t really start until you get above treeline and things start to get real. The last two miles I was feeling pretty rough.”</p> How to watch the Pikes Peak Marathon & Ascenttag:pikespeaksports.us,2017-08-13:5021591:Topic:7753922017-08-13T17:20:32.761ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span><span>While the runners in the Pikes Peak Ascent are having their fun, race fans will<br></br> have the opportunity to see the finish at the summit of Pikes Peak.<br></br> Here are some tips to help the day go smoothly.</span></span></b></div>
<div><br></br> <span><span>The starter's pistol reports with a sharp crack and runners spring from the starting line in the Pikes Peak Ascent.<br></br> You cheer for your runner as he or she begins the long climb to the summit of…</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span><span>While the runners in the Pikes Peak Ascent are having their fun, race fans will<br/> have the opportunity to see the finish at the summit of Pikes Peak.<br/> Here are some tips to help the day go smoothly.</span></span></b></div>
<div><br/> <span><span>The starter's pistol reports with a sharp crack and runners spring from the starting line in the Pikes Peak Ascent.<br/> You cheer for your runner as he or she begins the long climb to the summit of Pikes Peak. It's an exciting time for the families and friends of these brave athletes.<br/> <a href="http://ppm.fusesport.com/_uploads/img/2288_542523l.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://ppm.fusesport.com/_uploads/img/2288_542523l.JPG?width=300" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>But now what do you do? How do you get to the finish line at the top of a 14,115-foot mountain? And what can you expect from this experience? Here are some tips to help you reach the top of America's Mountain for a race finish you'll never forget.</span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span><span><b>The drive:</b> To reach the Pikes Peak Highway, a beautiful 19-mile stretch of blacktop, travel west on Hwy. 24 to the little town of Cascade about 4.5 miles up Ute Pass. Look for the Pikes Peak Highway signs and turn left You'll have to pay to drive on this toll road. The cost is $15 per person ($5 for kids 6-15 years old.) Or $50 per vehicle (up to five people.) Drive to the Devil's Playground parking lot above timberline. We'll have a very efficient shuttle system (no additional cost) there to take you the final three miles to the summit. After your runner finishes and you've taken photos to share with generations to come, catch the shuttle back to Devil's Playground and and enjoy your slow drive down the mountain. Your runner may join you for the return trip (and regale you with tales from the trail, no doubt.) Pikes Peak Highway officials will check for over-heated brakes along the way. Better to be safe.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span><span><b>Weather:</b> Bring some warm clothes. The summit has received dustings of snow the last few days, and the wind can make things difficult. Then again, Colorado's fickle weather patterns may deliver a beautiful day. Call 719-385-7325 and press 1 twice for weather/ road conditions. Attendants at the toll gate will also have updated reports. Bottom line, be prepared.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span><span><b>The altitude:</b> The thin air that makes Pikes Peak a challenge for runners can also affect visitors. Nearly everyone will feel fine, if a bit light-headed. But altitude sickness is possible, and it can strike anyone. There is supplemental oxygen and medical help in the Summit House, just in case. The best remedy is returning to lower elevations.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span><span><b>The course:</b> Visitors are free to roam about the summit area, or venture down the race course on Barr Trail. But watch out for runners coming up, and please stay clear of the immediate finish area as our race officials, timers, and the media have work to do there.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span><span><b>In-progress report:</b> You'll be able to follow along from afar through our in-progress results. A link will be posted on our <a href="http://pikespeakmarathon.org/">home website</a> later this week and information will be appear early as the runners cross multiple split locations. Once the race if over, the same link will display the final results.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span><span><b>Marathon:</b> You may drive to the summit to watch runners make the turn in the Pikes Peak Marathon. A shuttle ride is not required, but you will have to pay the toll gate fees. (See prices above.) The marathon finishes at the corner of Manitou Ave. and Ruxton Ave. in Manitou Springs.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><b><span><span>Good things to know</span></span></b></p>
<ul>
<li><span><span><b>Race coverage:</b> Keep an eye on our online magazine <a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/">PikesPeakSports.us</a> for race coverage, including stories, photos and video.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span><span><b>Your race photos:</b> MarathonFoto will be there to capture your images. Smile for the camera and check out your personal photo gallery after the race. Visit: <a href="http://bit.ly/2rUjpFQ">http://bit.ly/2rUjpFQ</a>.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span><span><b>The Pikes Peak Run Fest & Expo:</b> Don't forget the Pikes Peak Run Fest, the best runners' party this side of the Mississippi, 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, at Memorial Park in Manitou Springs. The Expo runs from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 18, and noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday. We hope to see you there!</span></span></li>
</ul> Trail running helped Addie Bracy discover the freedom to be herselftag:pikespeaksports.us,2017-07-25:5021591:Topic:7740162017-07-25T00:51:52.091ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433905?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433905?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400"></img></a> Addie Bracy ran above the ancient and wind-bent bristlecone pine trees at timberline in the 2016 Pikes Peak Ascent, a half marathon that gains nearly 8,000 feet elevation. The race seemed attractive to a mountain-running newcomer. Runnable single track on the famous Barr Trail. Some prize money and good competition.</p>
<p>But as the stark granite landscape opened like a…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433905?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433905?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-left"/></a>Addie Bracy ran above the ancient and wind-bent bristlecone pine trees at timberline in the 2016 Pikes Peak Ascent, a half marathon that gains nearly 8,000 feet elevation. The race seemed attractive to a mountain-running newcomer. Runnable single track on the famous Barr Trail. Some prize money and good competition.</p>
<p>But as the stark granite landscape opened like a radiating satellite dish, as oxygen became scarce at Colorado's wilting altitudes, she thought to herself, “This was supposed to be fun. What the hell?”</p>
<p><strong>(Photo: At the 2017 Barr Trail Mountain Race)</strong></p>
<p>By the time she had reached the peak’s famous 16 Golden Stairs, steep switchbacks near the summit, Bracy admits to great suffering and a severe case of the miserables. Fortunately, those feelings didn’t last long. On Ascent day the summit of Pikes Peak is covered with race fans and mountain folk welcoming their runners to 14,115 feet. Bracy heard a friend call her name. There was hope. And then another shouted encouragement. She placed one wobbly leg in front of the other.</p>
<p>“That segment, I really hit a low point,” she says. “It (the finish) still felt so far away, I don’t know if I can do this. But you have people cheering, and if you take a second to look around, it’s so pretty. I just remember going from ‘I hate my life’ to ‘this is so cool!’”</p>
<p>She’ll tell you there were bigger things happening that day. Internal stuff. A boxing match between her newfound love of mountain running and a gnawing realization that she wasn’t being honest; not with herself, her friends, family, the universe. Something had to give.</p>
<p>That night, Bracy returned home and posted a blog for all the world to read, courageous words about the shame she felt in having and hiding relationships with women, and the fear of those relationships being exposed.</p>
<p>She wrote: <em>“The reality is that I have had relationships with women and they were real and brought me a lot of happiness. Happiness that I never got to talk about or share with friends or family. During those relationships, I got really good at hiding things. Big things. I got really good at lying. Big lies. I got really good at ignoring the damage I was doing to my life and the relationships in it. I wish I could personally apologize to every person that was on the receiving end of one of those lies. I kept these relationships a secret from every single person around me because I felt ashamed. Why? Because I was taught to feel that way. Growing up in the conservative southeast, this was not a lifestyle that was okay. It wasn't accepted.”</em></p>
<p>Bracy had always been a track and road runner, and she had experienced some success in the previous four years with Olympic trials qualifications in the 10,000-meters and marathon (twice). But she had lost her motivation for training. She “felt trapped in a cycle of running and doing the same races every year. It became a pattern of not great experiences.”</p>
<p>Living a secret life hurt the most and she endured extreme anxiety attacks. She wrote: <em>“I started to question my worth as a person. Just being out in public every day felt hard … I felt like the life was being sucked out of me in a slow and agonizing way. Eventually the pain turned to numbness and I went on autopilot. I wasn't living, I was just existing.”</em></p>
<p>She found the courage to share her secrets with her brother, then her friends, and finally, her parents. They returned her honesty with love and embraced her for all she was … and is.</p>
<p> She nearly gave up competitive running, but on a whim she entered the 2016 U.S. Mountain Running Championships at Loon Mountain Resort in New Hampshire ... and won. And qualified for the team that would represent the U.S. in the World Mountain Running Championships. And it all happened in her first mountain/trail race. A few weeks later she finished second in the Pikes Peak Ascent.</p>
<p>“I started running trails and mountains and I felt renewed,” she says. “The mountains set me free to clear up other parts of my life. I think the unhappiness I was feeling made me feel unhappy in running. The two were kind of feeding off each other.”</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656435505?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656435505?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>She gave herself permission to be honest and the world opened up. Running became fun, and fun became the goal. And the results followed.</p>
<p>A year later and Bracy is thrilled to have the support of a Salomon sponsorship. She has also captured her second-consecutive U.S. Mountain Running championship, and a U.S. trail marathon title. She placed 10th at the Zegama Marthon in May, then returned to the slopes of Pikes Peak to win the Barr Trail Mountain Race on July 16.</p>
<p>On Sunday she’ll lead the Team USA women (including Allie McLaughlin of Colorado Springs, plus Vermont runners Kasie Enman and Caitlin Patterson) into the World Mountain Running Championships in Premana, Italy. One week later, she'll compete in the World Mountain Running Long Distance Championships (32k), also in Premana.</p>
<p>And Pikes Peak is on the schedule again. She'll run in the Ascent on Aug. 19.</p>
<p><strong>(Photo: The 2016 Pikes Peak Ascent women's podium. Bracy, far right, placed second. Kim Dobson won. Llaura Orgue finished third.)</strong></p>
<p>“I think Pikes Peak might be the first race where it doesn’t feel like a race, in a way, because you’re just trying to get from the bottom to top as fast as possible, which is a cool mindset. It seems like a more tangible thing to understand vs. run this fast around a track.”</p>
<p>Nancy Hobbs, who founded the women's mountain running team in 1995, has watched many a runner come and go. She is impressed by Bracy’s determination.</p>
<p>“She is very smart, very tenacious,” says Hobbs. “I truly have seen amazing growth in Addie as a person and as a mountain/trail runner over the past year. I think as her focus has shifted more to the trail and mountain scene, she has greatly improved and her potential has not yet been realized.”</p>
<p>For now, Bracy wants to ride the good vibes.</p>
<p>“It has been an amazing last 12 months,” she says. “I feel happier. The heaviness is gone. I feel freer. I’m less bogged down with thoughts and insecurities. That takes a toll on you when you keep it to yourself. I didn’t realize the effect this was having on me.”</p>
<p>She won't forget the path she has traveled, or the people who have helped her along the way.</p>
<p><span>She writes: <em>"One of the biggest lessons I have learned in regards to dealing with my sexuality is that while you can be judged by HOW you love, you most certainly cannot be judged by WHO you love. You will never, ever, ever be as good at being anything as you will be at being yourself. So, if you are in need of a reminder about how authentic, real, uniquely special, and amazing that person is, look to your friends and family to remind you. Trying to be someone else would deprive the people around you of the </em></span><em>person that they already love, accept, and cherish."</em></p>
<p><span>(Addie's blog <a href="http://addie-bracy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">can be found here.</a> Great words by an excellent writer.)</span></p>
<p></p> Warm up your keyboards, Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent registration opens Saturdaytag:pikespeaksports.us,2017-03-07:5021591:Topic:7544582017-03-07T22:18:07.290ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432639?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432639?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"></img></a> Manitou Springs, Colo.</b> - Registration for the 62<sup>nd</sup> running of the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent, the Triple Crown of Running Series, and the Barr Trail Mountain Race, will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 11.</p>
<p>Find more information and registration links at <a href="http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/">PikesPeakMarathon.org</a>.</p>
<p>If Pikes Peak…</p>
<p><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432639?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432639?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a>Manitou Springs, Colo.</b> - Registration for the 62<sup>nd</sup> running of the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent, the Triple Crown of Running Series, and the Barr Trail Mountain Race, will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 11.</p>
<p>Find more information and registration links at <a href="http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/">PikesPeakMarathon.org</a>.</p>
<p>If Pikes Peak is your goal, it helps to be prepared, as the 800 spots in the Marathon often fill within a day. The Ascent is capped at 1,800 runners, with the field filling up in a few days.</p>
<p>To qualify for the Ascent, you must be a peak veteran who has completed the Pikes Peak Ascent, Pikes Peak Marathon, or Barr Trail Mountain Race in the past 3 years, or have completed a half-marathon in under 2:25 or a marathon in under 6:00 in the past 2 years.</p>
<p><strong>(Photo by Anya Inman)</strong></p>
<p>For the Marathon, runners must have completed the Pikes Peak Ascent or Pikes Peak Marathon in the past 3 years, or have completed a marathon in under 6:00 in the past 2 years.</p>
<p><b>Race dates and times</b></p>
<p><a href="http://gardentenmile.com/"><b>Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run and 10K</b></a> <b>(the first leg of the Triple Crown):</b> 7 a.m., June 11</p>
<p><a href="http://summerroundup.com/"><b>Summer Roundup Trail Run</b></a> <b>(the second leg of the Triple Crown):</b> 7 a.m., July 9</p>
<p><a href="http://barrtrailmountainrace.com/"><b>Barr Trail Mountain Race:</b></a> 7 a.m., July 16</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/"><b>Pikes Peak Ascent:</b></a> 7 a.m., Aug. 19</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/"><b>Pikes Peak Marathon:</b></a> 7 a.m., Aug. 20</p>
<p>There are lots of exciting changes coming to all of our races this summer! Stay tuned to our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pikespeakmarathon/">Facebook page</a> as well as <a href="http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/">PikesPeakMarathon.org</a>, and our online magazine <a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/">PikesPeakSports.us</a>.</p>
<p>More handy Facebook links: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Gardenofthegodstenmile/">Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run and 10K</a> and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/barrtrailmountainrace/">Barr Trail Mountain Race</a>.</p> ADT Marathon rich with stories of survival, perseverance, lovetag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-09-06:5021591:Topic:7273362016-09-06T22:48:09.236ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427265?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427265?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="650"></img></a></p>
<p><strong>Sarah Treschl, center, was motivated to run in the American Discovery Trail Marathon by her 17-year-old son, Hunter, who lost his arm in a shark attack last year. Sarah's fiancee Kyle Turke is on the left.…</strong><br></br> <br></br></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427265?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="650" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427265?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="650" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><strong>Sarah Treschl, center, was motivated to run in the American Discovery Trail Marathon by her 17-year-old son, Hunter, who lost his arm in a shark attack last year. Sarah's fiancee Kyle Turke is on the left.</strong><br/> <br/> <a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/photo/albums/american-discovery-trail-marathon-half-and-10k" target="_blank"><strong>Photos</strong></a><br/> <strong>Video:</strong> <strong><a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/video/early-morning-runners-in-the-american-discovery-trail-marathon" target="_blank"><strong>Marathon start</strong></a> ** <a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/video/start-of-the-2016-american-discovery-trail-half-marathon" target="_blank"><strong>Half start</strong></a> ** <a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/video/start-of-the-american-discovery-trail-10k" target="_blank"><strong>10K start</strong></a></strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427548?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="280" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427548?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="280" class="align-right"/></a>The name of the race is the American Discovery Trail Marathon.</p>
<p>Awet Beraki, an 18-year-old Palmer High School student from Eritrea, made some discoveries there on Monday, winning the marathon in central Colorado Springs in 2 hours, 38 minutes, 18 seconds.</p>
<p>“It was a good race, and I’m happy to win,” Beraki said.</p>
<p>Though he started running seriously just two years ago, Beraki loped into America the Beautiful Park with a fresh stride and youthful bounce to his step. He is just getting started.</p>
<p>He clocked about 21 minutes in his first 5K, but now boasts a personal best of 17:03.</p>
<p>His story is unique, though he can’t recall the exact details of growing up in a country rocked by violence as soldiers there routinely battle Ethiopian forces. He says he and his family were kidnapped, though he doesn’t know by whom, and he spent much of his youth as a refugee, traveling from Eritrea to Sudan. From there he landed in Egypt before being sent to Ethiopia where he began a process for relocation and chose to come to the United States.</p>
<p>He said he plans to run cross country this season at Palmer High School.</p>
<p>Seth Kolosso, running his third marathon in as many weeks, placed second in 2:51:53. “I think it’s time to call it a season,” he said.</p>
<p>David Martinez, 43, of Colorado Springs, finished third 3:04:55.</p>
<p>Running in her first marathon, Jenae Curley, 24, of Fort Collins, took the win in 3:27:52.</p>
<p>“I’d done a couple of pretty strong long runs leading up to this, and I just tried to mirror those, so I started kind of conservative,” she said. “I think I passed the girl who was in first around 12 1/2 (miles.) And then I was just feeling good and keeping up my pace.”</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427900?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="280" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427900?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="280" class="align-left"/></a>With about eight miles to run, she knew this would be her day. “In previous runs, that has been the breaking point,” she said. “But I felt good and I ran to the finish.”</p>
<p>Anita Fromm, 45, of Louisville, finished second in 3:49:48, followed by Judy Flaherty, 52, of Colorado Springs in 3:50:06.</p>
<p>The event is a fund raiser for the Trails and Open Space Coalition, a nonprofit organization that is works to preserve open space and maintain and create trails in the region. More than 900 runners registered to participate in the marathon, half marathon and the 10K race, which was added this year.</p>
<p>Steve Chu, 34, Colorado Springs was untouchable in the half marathon. He hit the line in 1:22:25 with David Proffitt, 23, of Denver rolling in at 1:22:25 for second place. Kevin Ellis (29, Highlands Ranch, 1:22:42) was third.</p>
<p>Jen Osler, 39, Colorado Springs, captured the women’s half marathon title with a time of 1:31:17. Lauren Puretz (33, Colorado Springs, 1:31:34) and Honna Swanson (19, Lyons, 1:35:09.)</p>
<p>Toby Lefere and Tracy Thelen captured the wins in the 10K. Lefere (45, Colorado Springs) clocked 36:54, with Nichols Parton (30, Colorado Springs, 37:14), and Michael Moore (34, Colorado Springs, 38:22) rounding out the podium.</p>
<p>Thelen 37, Colorado Springs, clocked in at 42:31. Melissa Bay (40, Colorado Springs, 43:08) was second, with Amber Tong (37, Colorado Springs, 45:38) finishing third.</p>
<p>The event wasn’t all about running for the win. Sarah Treschl, 40, of Colorado Springs, had a better motivation. She ran the marathon for her son, Hunter, 17, who lost his arm in a shark attack in June 2015.</p>
<p>“This race was just one big, long prayer for him,” Sarah Treschl said. “He’s going off to college next year, so I just held him in my heart the whole way.”</p>
<p>Hunter, a student at Thomas MacLaren Charter School, was on vacation in North Carolina when the attack occurred. A Bull shark estimated to be about 8-feet long bit his left arm off just below his shoulder while he swam in waste-deep water about 15 yards off shore. His cousin dragged him to safety, where other beach visitors applied a tourniquet. He said he remained conscious but does not remember all that happened.</p>
<p>The last year has been a lesson in persistence and resiliency, Sarah said, with Hunter showing the way forward.</p>
<p>“Hunter has been a good role model for me,” she said. “Every time I went out for a long run, I thought of him.”</p> Mountain runner Jonathan Wyatt and Pikes Peak Ascent, together at lasttag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-08-21:5021591:Topic:7248412016-08-21T03:32:32.164ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656426685?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656426685?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"></img></a> By Bob Stephens<br></br> PikesPeakSports.us</strong></p>
<p>Renowned mountain runner Jonathan Wyatt, who has excelled in all kinds of distance races all over the world, waited until he was 43 to run the Pikes Peak Ascent.</p>
<p>The wait, he said, was worth it.</p>
<p>Wyatt finished 11th in 2:34:16 – he was first in the Masters Division – and said he hopes to make a…</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656426685?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656426685?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-left"/></a>By Bob Stephens<br/> PikesPeakSports.us</strong></p>
<p>Renowned mountain runner Jonathan Wyatt, who has excelled in all kinds of distance races all over the world, waited until he was 43 to run the Pikes Peak Ascent.</p>
<p>The wait, he said, was worth it.</p>
<p>Wyatt finished 11th in 2:34:16 – he was first in the Masters Division – and said he hopes to make a return appearance.</p>
<p>“It sure is beautiful here,” he said while gazing out from the summit. “I’d love to come back next year. It reminds me a lot of the Mount Washington with the view at the top.”</p>
<p>Wyatt holds the record of 56:41, set in 2004, for the 7.6-mile race on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. He is also a six-time world mountain running champion and an eight-time winner of the world mountain running grand prix series. Wyatt represented his native country of New Zealand in the 2008 Olympics in Athens, Greece, while finishing 21st in the marathon. He lives in Italy, with his wife, Antonella Confortola, who has competed in Nordic skiing in the Winter Olympics four times, and won a bronze medal in 2006.</p>
<p>He was impressed with the trail up Pikes Peak.</p>
<p>“This would’ve been a fantastic course for me about 10 years ago,” he said. “The trail is so beautiful. It’s nice and flowing, and never really that steep. I was surprised how flat it was and nice to run on. You can get in a flow, and then work on the steep parts. I can see why it’s such a popular race.”</p>
<p>Still, he found the trip up America’s Mountain rather difficult.</p>
<p>“For sure, it tested me,” he said. “It’s a half-marathon, and uphill. It was a big test. I knew I’d have to respect the altitude and the trail. I got sick – it’s just a cold – on the flight over from Italy, and I’d never raced at more than 3,000 meters altitude. This was more than 4,000 meters and it makes you go a little slower.”</p>
<p>Wyatt noted the ascent record (2:01:06) set in 1993 by Matt Carpenter, who also set the Pikes Peak Marathon record (3:16:39) in the same race.</p>
<p>“If I’d really tried 10 years ago, and trained at altitude, I might’ve gotten close to that record,” Wyatt said. “But it’s a legendary record, I’d say.”</p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427686?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427686?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-left"/></a>Blake returns to Pikes Peak podium</strong></span></p>
<p>Eric Blake, the 2013 Pikes Peak Ascent champion, missed the 2015 race due a hamstring injury, but made his presence felt again Saturday with a third-place finish. That was a satisfying achievement for the 37-year-old coach of the Central Connecticut men’s and women’s cross country teams.</p>
<p>“I’m happy with it,” said Blake, who was fourth in the 2014 ascent. “I fell three times, the last time about 200 meters from the finish.”</p>
<p>He showed off a bloody arm and hand, plus skinned knees, but did it with a smile. He flew into Colorado Friday and will fly back out early Sunday morning.</p>
<p>Blake said he occasionally runs with the athletes on his Central Connecticut teams, and that many of them are interested in his running exploits. He’ll compete Sept. 10 at the Jungfrau (Switzerland) Marathon.</p>
<p>“It really works both ways,” he said. “On Monday when they come back to school, some of them will say I motivate them, but they definitely motivate me.”</p> Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race offers free entry to runners snowed-out in Rattler eventtag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-04-16:5021591:Topic:7094522016-04-16T14:55:27.752ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
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<p>Runners who missed their opportunity to run in today's Rattler Trail Races can transfer their race registration to the Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race 50K, 25K and 10K on Saturday, April 23, in Cheyenne Mountain State Park, event organizers have announced.…</p>
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<p>Runners who missed their opportunity to run in today's Rattler Trail Races can transfer their race registration to the Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race 50K, 25K and 10K on Saturday, April 23, in Cheyenne Mountain State Park, event organizers have announced.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/page/2016-cheyenne-mountain-trail-race-50k-25k-10k-ish" target="_blank">Info about the Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race.</a></p>
<p><span>Rattler race director Justin Ricks was forced to cancel his event as a blizzard blew in about an hour before the race start.</span></p>
<p><span>"I didn't know what else to do," Ricks said. "It was going to be dangerous for runners and volunteers, and for people driving here. I was out in the snow for about an hour and I was freezing."</span></p>
<p><span>Rattler runners interested in participating in the Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race (CMTR) are asked to e-mail Ricks at <span>jtruns@yahoo.com. R</span>ace packets (and T-shirt) can be picked up on Thursday (1-7 p.m.) and Friday (9 a.m. to 7 p.m.) at the Colorado Running Company, 5262 N. Nevada Ave, Ste 104, in Colorado Springs, or on race-day morning at Cheyenne Mountain State Park.</span></p>
<p><span>"Any of us can be snowed out in these springtime races, so we're happy to offer the Rattler runners the opportunity to join us," said Tim Bergsten, CMTR co-race director. "My experience is that the Colorado Springs running community, like many others, is inclusive and supportive. This is an easy decision. The Rattler runners just need to pick up their bib and line up on the starting line."</span></p>
<p><span>As a second option, Rattler runners can transfer <span>50 percent of their fees to another Mad Moose event.</span></span> About 225 had registered for what was to be the second running of the Rattler.</p>
<p>Bergsten and co-race director Michael Pharis took over the CMTR in 2015 and are preparing for the sixth-annual event at the popular state park a few miles south of Colorado Springs.</p>
<p><span>Ricks and his wife Denise served as timers for the 2015 CMTR and are scheduled to do the same this year. And they have graciously donated their timing fees to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/achillespikespeak/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Achilles Pikes Peak</a>, the CMTR's non-profit partner. Ricks said he'll donate aid station supplies and provide the use of other equipment to the CMTR this year, as needed.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.active.com/colorado-springs-co/running/trail-run-races/cheyenne-mountain-trail-race-2016?int=" target="_blank">CMTR online registration</a> continues through Wednesday. Runners can also register at the Colorado Running Company on Thursday and Friday, and on race day morning.</p>
<p>Anyone interested in supporting Achilles Pikes Peak, which works to help folks with various disabilities to live active lives, can make a cash donation on race day.</p>
<p>Questions, comments, suggestions? Please contact tim.bergsten@gmail.com.</p>
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