It’s difficult for elite runner Allie McLaughlin of Colorado Springs to concentrate these days. The 2014 U.S. Mountain Running Champion is days away from one of the biggest races in her life, a world championship that will unfold in the thin air on the steep flanks of Pikes Peak.

Some 80 athletes representing 20 countries will compete in the World Mountain Running Association Long Distance Championship at the Pikes Peak Ascent on Aug. 16. McLaughlin is one of four runners from Colorado Springs on Team USA, which will defend the Stars and Stripes on America’s Mountain.

(Photo by Nancy Hobbs >)

“It can’t be much cooler than this,” said McLaughlin, an Air Academy High School and University of Colorado graduate. “I try not to think about it every second.”

McLaughlin grew up in the Pikes Peak Region and won the Class 5A cross country state title, and won a gold medal in the 3,200-meter run at the state track meet. She attended the University of Colorado and was fifth at NCAA nationals as a freshman. But then things went wrong. Tendonitis and a cycle of injuries prevented her from competing for years.

"I was basically injured the last three years," McLaughlin said. "It was a hard and when I look back it makes me cringe. A lot of that was not fun."

But, once a runner ... McLauglin couldn't stay away. Having looked at Pikes Peak almost every day of her life, she dreamed of running to timberline, and charging on to the peak's 14.115-foot summit. She also realized that if she wanted to stay healthy, she'd have to change her ways. That meant giving up fast running on hard surfaces. Mountain trails provided an outlet.

In January she began to contemplate competing in the U.S. Mountain Running Championships at Loon Mountain Resort in New Hampshire. With the encouragement of fellow mountain runner Zach Miller, she aimed high.

In July, McLaughlin charged to the top of a mountain in New Hampshire and claimed the U.S. Mountain Running title. The course included an impossibly steep section in the last half mile called "Upper Walking Boss." McLaughlin was running alone at the front when she hit that last steep section. 

"I treated it like the Manitou Incline," she said. "I didn't kill it at the start. About half way up I looked back and thought I might win. With 500 meters to go, that was an exciting time. I picked it up and finished."

Next stop, Pikes Peak and the chance at a world mountain running championship. To compete as a member of a U.S. team is a dream come true for any runner.

“Making a U.S. team is basically all I've ever wanted to do and has been a goal since college,” said Shannon Payne, a seven-time All-America selection at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

“To have my first race on Team USA be right here at home on our mountain with a lot of friends around is about as good as it gets I think.”

The Pikes Peak Ascent is widely regarded as one of the world’s great mountain races, beginning in Manitou Springs and covering 13.32 miles to the summit of Pikes Peak at 14,115-feet. The course follows the famous Barr Trail, which pierces the foothills and gradually climbs to timberline, and then crisscrosses the rocky eastern face of Pikes Peak. It is a physical and mental challenge often won by those who can ignore the leg-numbing, lung-searing burn of running at high altitudes. 

Joe Gray, the 2014 U.S. Mountain Running Champion, of Colorado Springs, and Miller, of Manitou Springs, will also run for the U.S. Men's team.

"Competing for your country is something you dream about when you are young, so getting the chance to do it is a bit surreal," said Miller. "Needless to say I am very excited to represent the Stars and Stripes at this year's highly competitive race. The field is stacked and the course is tough and unforgiving. Sounds like the makings of a great race to me!"

Pikes Peak is the perfect location for a world championship mountain race.

“To have Pikes Peak provide the forum this year for athletes to interact with one another on an iconic course known throughout the world is truly something that will be memorable for not only the competitors, but also the spectators near and far,” said Nancy Hobbs of Colorado Springs, the World Mountain Running Association Treasurer.

Ron Ilgen, race director for the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon, said increased participation in this year’s world championship is indicative of the race’s popularity as an international event.

“The number of countries sending athletes has far exceeded our expectations,” Ilgen said. “This can be attributed to the fame of the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon throughout the world, as well as to the attraction of running such a beautiful but extremely challenging course.”

Team USA’s Andy Wacker of Boulder said the race provides an opportunity for all corners of the world to compete and build camaraderie.

“Like the World Cup, or Olympics, it is a great way for countries to come together and compete daringly in a peaceful way,” Wacker said. “Pikes Peak is a great way to show off the beautiful and rugged American landscape. The terrain is also extremely difficult, matching the competition.”

The Pikes Peak Ascent begins with Wave 1, the faster runners, at 7 a.m., followed by Wave 2 at 7:30 a.m. The Pikes Peak Marathon begins at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 17.

Other U.S. Team members for men include: Sage Canaday, Boulder; Eric Blake, 2013 Pikes Peak Ascent Champion, West Hartford, Conn. The women's team includes Morgan Arritola, Ketchum, Idaho; Nuta Olaru, Longmont; and Stevie Kremer, Crested Butte.

Prize money and Ascent Bounty – The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon offer a lucrative prize package, with the Pikes Peak Ascent Bounty and bonuses for race records and the fastest ascent time of the weekend providing big cash incentives. The Bounty works like this: The first male to complete the Ascent, or Ascent portion of the Pikes Peak Marathon, in under two hours will win an additional $7,000. The first female to eclipse 2:21 will win $6,000. The bounty prize money increases by $1,000 each year, but will be capped at $10,000. The women’s bounty of $5,000 was won by Kim Dobson in 2012. There is also a bonus of $2,000 for runners who break the Pikes Peak Ascent record (2:01:06 for men; 2:24:58 for women.) The bonus for a Pikes Peak Marathon record (3:16:39 for men; 4:15:18 women) is $4,000. Plus, the male and female runners who record the fastest ascent time (in the Pikes Peak Ascent, or the ascent portion of the Pikes Peak Marathon) will win an additional $1,000. Prize money for the top finishers in the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon breaks down like this: First place $2,000; second place, $1,200; third place, $600; fourth place, $200.