All Discussions Tagged 'marathon' - Pikes Peak Sports2024-03-29T06:07:38Zhttp://pikespeaksports.us/group/roadtrailrunning/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=marathon&feed=yes&xn_auth=noSeth DeMoor and Brittany Charboneau win the Pikes Peak Marathontag:pikespeaksports.us,2020-08-24:5021591:Topic:8467022020-08-24T02:35:05.060ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><span><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7588281485?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7588281485?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="650"></img></a></span></p>
<p><strong>Brittany Charboneau wins the Pikes Peak Marathon women's race.</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>By Tim Bergsten</strong></p>
<p><strong>PikesPeakSports.us</strong></p>
<p><span>MANITOU SPRINGS - Road racers. What are you going to do with them?</span></p>
<p><span>Brittany Charboneau who placed 13</span><span>th</span><span> in the…</span></p>
<p><span><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7588281485?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7588281485?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="650" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><strong>Brittany Charboneau wins the Pikes Peak Marathon women's race.</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>By Tim Bergsten</strong></p>
<p><strong>PikesPeakSports.us</strong></p>
<p><span>MANITOU SPRINGS - Road racers. What are you going to do with them?</span></p>
<p><span>Brittany Charboneau who placed 13</span><span>th</span><span> in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February, says she was reluctant to try trail and mountain running because she was “afraid of nature.”</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>“When I started, we were on the local trails in Denver and there are rattlesnakes like crazy,” she says. “And I’m terrified of mountain </span><span>lions</span><span> and I’m terrified of bears.”</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>One thing she </span><span>doesn’t</span><span> fear … the pain cave at 14,000 feet on Pikes Peak. Charboneau, a 28-year-old Denver resident, won the 65</span><span>th</span><span> Pikes Peak Marathon on Sunday. And she did it the hard way, by sticking with Allie </span><span>McLaughin</span><span> (who has the third-best Pikes Peak Ascent time in race </span><span>history) on</span><span> the 13-mile climb from Manitou Springs to the summit of Pikes Peak.</span><span> </span></p>
<p><a href="https://pikespeakmarathon.org/results/ppm/2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Race Results</a></p>
<p><span>About 40 seconds separated the two when they made the turn at the top. From there, well </span><span>it’s</span><span> all downhill. And </span><span>that’s</span><span> where Charboneau won it. </span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>“I practiced a lot of downhill running,” Charboneau said. “That’s my reward. I tell myself, you've earned this, so just fly.”</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Charboneau reeled in McLaughlin and charged down Pikes Peak's rocky moonscape. On historic Ruxton Ave., the home stretch, she raised her hands to the sky and hit the finish in 4 hours, 25 minutes, and 21 seconds, the 10th fastest women's marathon time since 1976 when the race startling line was moved to Memorial Park in Manitou Springs. </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thefunnyrunner.com/?fbclid=IwAR0bokEuBkCekxtc3FAVus8Il7O7K4F9VLx4ymQdCXbiCjsrDlIUSA3ITog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brittany Charboneau's excellent blog: The Funny Runner</a></p>
<p><span>With or without the bears and mountain lions, the road racer has taken to the mountains and is undefeated in her first few races, including the 2019 Leadville Heavy Half. And she recently set the Fastest Known Time (5:15 and change) on the famed Four Pass Loop, 27 trail miles around the Maroon Bells 14ers with 8,000 feet of elevation gain.</span></p>
<p><span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8">"I’m</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8"> just having so much fun with it," she said. "Road racing is out of question this year, but I learned to love trails so much. They're so d</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW158500172 BCX8">ifferent, but</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8"> I think they re</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW158500172 BCX8">ally</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2 SCXW158500172 BCX8">compliment</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8"> each other so well. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8">I’m</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8"> using road strategies on trails, and</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW158500172 BCX8">mentally,</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8"> all the work I do on the road is translating </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2 SCXW158500172 BCX8">really nicely</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW158500172 BCX8"> on trails."</span></span></span></p>
<p><span>Ashley Brasovan, 29, was third at the top, but a mad charge on the descent brought her home in second place in 4:34:59. McLaughlin, the 2014 Pikes Peak Ascent champion, crashed three times in the gravel and rocks while descending, but held on for third place and finished with her shins coated in blood. </span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>“I just kind of loved today,” McLaughlin said, smiling as a medical team sewed up gashes in her left knee and right hip.</span></p>
<p>All runners endured tough conditions, including the usual August heat, plus smoky air fueled by four large wildfires in western Colorado.</p>
<p>"Those were some tough conditions," Brasovan said. "With three miles to go it felt like it was in the 90s and I was splashing water on myself and pouring it on my head."</p>
<p><span><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7588313879?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7588313879?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="400" class="align-left"/></a>In the men's race, father of four Seth DeMoor, 35, of Englewood, Colo., won with a time of 3:36:31, the 15</span><span>th</span><span> fastest time since 1976. DeMoor was first to the summit in 2:09:29, then held off David Sinclair (28, Truckee, Calif.) who closied with a fast descent. Sinclair finished second in 3:38:20, with Andy Wacker (31, Boulder) rolling in for third place at 3:44:58.</span><span> </span></p>
<p><strong>< DeMoor wins in 3:36:31 </strong></p>
<p><span>All three runners competed on the 2019 U.S. World Mountain Running Team, and DeMoor and Wacker were college cross country and track teammates at CU Boulder. They knew what to expect. Wacker would take an early lead and challenge everyone else to keep up.</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span> “I was pretty confident Andy would take off,” DeMoor said. “I caught him at Mile 2, and just started chugging. I had my game plan written on my arm – reminders for me to stay focused.”</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>DeMoor's ascent time of 2:09:29 provided a big advantage as he bounced down Barr Trail's 16 Golden Stairs below the summit, gaining time on Sinclair and Wacker. </span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>“Honestly, it was a great uphill effort,” he said. “I cut two minutes off my ascent time of last year. I felt </span><span>really strong</span><span> the whole way up. But I had a few little stomach issues downhill.”</span><span> </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeSHo5kTvzoik4STh7MuMCA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out Seth DeMoor's amazing race videos</a></p>
<p><span>Though he trailed the leader by seven minutes at the summit, Sinclair stormed down the mountain in 1:21:39 – the fastest descent of the day - to close the gap. DeMoor, meanwhile, was confident he could win, but there would be no early victory celebrations.</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>“They only thing I was aware of was I know he’s fast and I knew he’d be coming, but I also knew I had </span><span>a pretty good</span><span> lead,” DeMoor said.</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span><strong>Running in a pandemic:</strong> After two years of hosting the Salomon Golden Trail World Series and the top mountain runners from around the world, the 2020 Pikes Peak Marathon looked much different during the Covid-19 pandemic. Organizers stripped away </span><span>nearly all</span><span> race activities and worked for months to ensure the safety of all runners. With a plan in place, Pikes Peak Marathon, Inc. was granted permission to host the race by various state and local health and government agencies.</span></p>
<p><span>Pikes Peak Marathon, Inc. had cancelled the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile & 10K Run in June, The Barr Trail Mountain Race in July, and the Pikes Peak Ascent, the same weekend as the the marathon. </span></p>
<p><span><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7588319854?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7588319854?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="400" class="align-right"/></a>"They pulled it (the marathon) off and I commend the organization for letting us runners chase down our dreams in a crazy year,” DeMoor said.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>Race organizers took every precaution to keep runners safe. ></strong></span></p>
<p><span>They could have easily called it and cancelled, but I think we’ve all learned a lot since the pandemic started around the world and across the U.S. You know, everything from masks to hand sanitizer to social </span><span>distancing</span><span>. It’s allowed us to become smarter as a global running community to pull off a race like this.”</span></p>
<p><span>The decision to host the event came with criticism from some long-time Pikes Peak runners concerned about the spread of Covid-19, the country’s most deadly pandemic in 100 years.</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Women’s race winner Charboneau, however, was grateful for the opportunity. It meant a little more to win in such a challenging time.</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>“It does mean more because you have to think about how grateful I am that we’re able to run and compete,” she said. “We’re still able to run and they’re making it work and showing </span><span>adaptability</span><span> and I think they did such an amazing job being adaptable and just finding a new normal and making it happen for us.”</span><span> </span></p> State senator Pete Lee used to run Pikes Peak, now he volunteerstag:pikespeaksports.us,2019-08-27:5021591:Topic:8424522019-08-27T13:06:33.145ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><strong><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3463188527?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3463188527?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="650"></img></a> By Bob Stephens,</strong> for Pikes Peak Marathon, Inc</p>
<p>A familiar face was among the hundreds of volunteers that helped the Pikes Peak Marathon succeed on Sunday. That familiar face belonged to Colorado State Senator Pete Lee, who was the volunteer who escorted champion Kilian Jornet to the drug-testing facility after the race.</p>
<p>Lee, 71,…</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3463188527?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3463188527?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="650" class="align-center"/></a>By Bob Stephens,</strong> for Pikes Peak Marathon, Inc</p>
<p>A familiar face was among the hundreds of volunteers that helped the Pikes Peak Marathon succeed on Sunday. That familiar face belonged to Colorado State Senator Pete Lee, who was the volunteer who escorted champion Kilian Jornet to the drug-testing facility after the race.</p>
<p>Lee, 71, ran the Pikes Peak Ascent in 1986 and competed in the Marathon for the next 20 years. He’s been a volunteer for several of the races in recent years.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3463198535?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3463198535?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>“I was a middle-of-the-pack guy,” he said of his running days. “As a former participant, I enjoy the atmosphere and the thrill of the race. This is an extremely amazing community event. It’s unique to have a mountain marathon finish in town like this.”</p>
<p>Lee said the first time he competed in the Marathon “was one of the ultimate accomplishments of my life.”</p>
<p>He was later elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2010, serving House District 18, which includes central Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs. After serving eight years, the term limit, he was elected in 2018 to the Colorado Senate, representing District 11.</p>
<p>Lee’s focus on Sunday was the race on America’s Mountain. His wife, Lynn, is also a volunteer for the Marathon.</p>
<p>The couple met back in the mid-1980s and Lee quickly showed a photo on his phone of them finishing the 1988 Marathon together while they were dating.</p>
<p>“That’s how we dated; we ran together,” he said. “We got married the next year and we’ve been together for 30 years.”</p>
<p>A ligament injury to his left knee ended his running career but that didn’t keep him from attending the Marathon.</p>
<p>“I’d come to see the finish,” he said. “I like supporting the race. It’s fun to see the race<br/>and be a part of this.”</p> Kilian Jornet runs away with marathon title, but record eludes himtag:pikespeaksports.us,2019-08-26:5021591:Topic:8422772019-08-26T04:25:53.961ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3448068841?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3448068841?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="650"></img></a></p>
<p><strong>Pikes Peak Marathon race director Ron Ilgen and the 2019 champion Kilian Jornet. (photo, Tim Bergsten/PikesPeakSports.us)</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>By Bob Stephens,</strong> for Pikes Peak Marathon, Org.</p>
<p>One after another, admiring fans approached Kilian Jornet as he stood on the sidewalk of Manitou Avenue. The 31-year-old…</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3448068841?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3448068841?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="650" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><strong>Pikes Peak Marathon race director Ron Ilgen and the 2019 champion Kilian Jornet. (photo, Tim Bergsten/PikesPeakSports.us)</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>By Bob Stephens,</strong> for Pikes Peak Marathon, Org.</p>
<p>One after another, admiring fans approached Kilian Jornet as he stood on the sidewalk of Manitou Avenue. The 31-year-old Spaniard is perhaps the world’s foremost trail runner and he’d added to that sparkling reputation by winning the Pikes Peak Marathon earlier Sunday morning, his third victory in the five races of the Golden Trail World Series.</p>
<p>Now, as bright sunshine enveloped the big crowd near the finish line of the Marathon, Jornet exited the drug testing area housed in The Loop, a popular restaurant. It didn’t take but a few seconds for racing fans to recognize the newly crowned champion.</p>
<p><a href="https://thetcr.com/results/ppm/2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pikes Peak Marathon results</a></p>
<p>People of various ages asked to have their photos taken with Jornet. They asked him to sign autographs. One young fan, who was born shortly after Jornet won the 2012 Pikes Peak Marathon in his only previous appearance, presented him with a boxed gift, a vegan apple pie.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3448077015?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3448077015?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="400" class="align-right"/></a>“That’s unique,” Jornet said. “I’ll enjoy it and it will give me back some energy.”</p>
<p>The accommodating champion was gracious and appreciative as fans approached him, just as he’d been while applauding the second- and third-place runners who finished the race up and down America’s Mountain, although they crossed the finish line several minutes after Jornet had the winner’s medallion draped around his neck.</p>
<p>“I’m very happy with my performance,” Jornet said shortly after crossing the finish line. “I’m super satisfied; this field was amazing.”</p>
<p>None of the other talented runners were able to challenge Jornet, however. He pulled away by the two-mile mark and forged on alone for the final 24 miles while finishing in 3:27:28.</p>
<p>Sage Canaday of Boulder, Colo., was runner-up with a time of 3:39:02, followed closely by Marc Lauenstein of Switzerland in 3:40:28. Aritz Egea Caceres of Spain was fourth in 3:45:56 with David Sinclair of Vermont fifth in 3:46:35.</p>
<p>“It’s a super difficult race, but the conditions were nearly perfect,” Jornet said. “It was a little windy (on the summit) and a little hot on the way down.”</p>
<p>He was spurred on by his desire for greatness and the thought of eclipsing Matt Carpenter’s record time established in 1993. Alas, the record was not destined to fall on this day, and Jornet knew it before the race even began.</p>
<p>“My legs felt heavy when I was warming up,” said the 5-foot-7, 128-pounder.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3448078490?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3448078490?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="250" class="align-left"/></a>Carpenter’s mark of 3:16:39 has stood the test of time, and it’s part of the lure that brings elite runners like Jornet to Manitou Springs to match their ability against history and the legacy of America’s Mountain.</p>
<p>“There is such history here,” said Jornet, who chose this race for his only appearance this year in the United States. “(The record) is something unique that (Carpenter) did here. I knew how hard the record was (to beat).”</p>
<p>Jornet said he’d didn’t specifically target the record, although it was a secondary goal if all things lined up just right.</p>
<p>“It’s hard to focus on records when you’re running because conditions might not be right and then you’ll be disappointed,” he said. “The conditions were nearly perfect today but my legs were not. Carpenter’s record might be a once in a 100 years kind of thing.”</p>
<p>Sinclair, who finished fifth in his only appearances in the Marathon, figures the record won’t last forever.</p>
<p>“I’m sure somebody can do it,” he said, “but it’ll take all the stars to align. It would take someone dedicated to it like Matt who trains on the mountain. It’s really a unique course; probably nowhere else in the world where you have a sustained 13-mile climb.”</p>
<p>Canaday said that Jornet pulled away at about the Incline.</p>
<p>“He was gone. A couple of guys tried to go with him but he was pretty much by himself,” Canaday said. “When he was coming down the mountain, I had a quarter-mile left to reach the summit. He’s a really good uphill runner but exceptional downhill, so I knew I couldn’t catch him.”</p>
<p>Jornet had fond memories of winning the Pikes Peak Marathon back in 2012, especially since his wife—then his girlfried, Emelie Forsberg—won the women’s race.</p>
<p>This was Jornet’s third win in the Golden Trail World Series, and he’s already qualified for the final event in Nepal, which features the series’ top 10 qualifiers.</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> Manitou Springs' Stanciu becomes one of only three to complete Leadville-Pikes Peak doubletag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-08-23:5021591:Topic:8070282018-08-23T15:58:48.715ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p>Adrian Stanciu pushed his mental and physical limits over the weekend when he became just the third runner to tackle an incredible double in the trail running world.</p>
<p>The 49-year-old Manitou Springs resident ran the Leadville Trail 100 on Saturday, just a day before challenging himself again by running the Pikes Peak Marathon.</p>
<p>While many would call him crazy for attempting such a double dose of torture, he also certainly qualifies as courageous.</p>
<p>But what is it that…</p>
<p>Adrian Stanciu pushed his mental and physical limits over the weekend when he became just the third runner to tackle an incredible double in the trail running world.</p>
<p>The 49-year-old Manitou Springs resident ran the Leadville Trail 100 on Saturday, just a day before challenging himself again by running the Pikes Peak Marathon.</p>
<p>While many would call him crazy for attempting such a double dose of torture, he also certainly qualifies as courageous.</p>
<p>But what is it that compels a man to run more than 126 miles in two days, with the second race including an elevation gain of more than 7,000 feet?</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656431276?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="280" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656431276?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="280" class="align-left"/></a>For Stanciu, it was the dream of beating the combined time of Mike Wardian, who completed both races last year in 26 hours, 21 minutes, 52 seconds. That beat the best combined times achieved by Marshall Ulrich more than two decades ago.</p>
<p>“I’ve wanted to do both races since I read Marshall Ulrich’s book (Running on Empty),” Stanciu said. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy to beat Wardian’s time.”</p>
<p>After finishing 13th in the Leadville Trail 100 in 20:17:59, he was 58 seconds ahead of Wardian. When Stanciu reached the summit of Pikes Peak on Sunday, halfway through the grueling Marathon, their times were virtually even.</p>
<p>But Stanciu realized he couldn’t accomplish his dream.</p>
<p>“I knew going in that it wouldn’t be easy,” he said. “I realized within a mile or two of the summit that I wasn’t going to do it. I knew I couldn’t run that fast downhill."</p>
<p>He tagged the summit with an ascent time of 4:17:09, then turned for home to finish in 6:53:18. He capped his 126-mile weekend with a combined time of 27 hours, 11 minutes, 17 seconds for the two races, about 50 minutes slower than Wardian.</p>
<p>That still put him well ahead of Ulrich, who completed both the Leadville 100 and the Pikes Peak Marathon in both 1992 and ’93. In 1992, he did Leadville in 22:11 and the Marathon in 8:04 for a total time of 30 hours, 15 minutes. The next year he was clocked in 21:40 and 9:34, for a total time of 31:14.</p>
<p>Beating Ulrich provided some satisfaction for Stanciu, who runs about every day during his lunch hour.</p>
<p>“Without the record, it’s disappointing, but it’s a learning experience,” he said.</p>
<p>Stanciu works for the City of Lakewood and has two daughters with wife Brenda: Kirstyn, 12, and Amy, 11.</p>
<p>He first ran the Pikes Peak Ascent in 2010, and doubled with the Ascent and Pikes Peak Marathon the next three years. He ran the Leadville Trail 100 in 2014-16.</p>
<p>When he finished Leadville on Saturday, he jumped in the car and headed home but said he “barely made it to Wilkerson Pass” before he had to stop and napped for about 45 minutes. He got home about 5 a.m. but couldn’t sleep. By 7 a.m., he was at the starting line for the Marathon on America’s Mountain.</p>
<p>An odd coincidence is that a man in the Leadville race asked Stanciu if he could pace him for the last 25 miles. Turns out he had been the “pacer” for Wardian in the last 50 miles in the Leadville race last year.</p>
<p>Even odder was that when Stanciu reached the summit of Pikes Peak on Sunday, he saw the same man who’d paced him the day before.</p>
<p>“His name is Josh and he’s from Vermont,” Stanciu said. “He’s a volunteer on the summit (for the Marathon).”</p>
<p>As Stanciu approached the finish line of the Marathon, disappointed in his time and that he’d failed to reach the goal of besting Wardian, he found solace and joy in something more important.</p>
<p>That’s when his daughter, Amy, came out of the crowd and joined him for the short run to the finish line. He crossed the line, holding her hand, knowing he’d accomplished what only two others had before.</p> Summer Roundup Half Marathon champions beat the hills, heattag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-07-08:5021591:Topic:8034042018-07-08T22:31:12.241ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<div><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432784?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432784?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="600"></img></a></div>
<div><strong>From Pikes Peak Marathon, Inc.</strong></div>
<div>Haley Williamson prepped for her dental school exam by racing to a narrow victory over Emily Hanenburg in Sunday morning's Summer Roundup Trail Run at Cheyenne Mountain State Park.</div>
<div>Williamson edged Hanenburg by four seconds in the chip-timed half-marathonas she finished in 1:47:22. Not bad for…</div>
<div><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432784?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="600" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432784?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="600" class="align-center"/></a></div>
<div><strong>From Pikes Peak Marathon, Inc.</strong></div>
<div>Haley Williamson prepped for her dental school exam by racing to a narrow victory over Emily Hanenburg in Sunday morning's Summer Roundup Trail Run at Cheyenne Mountain State Park.</div>
<div>Williamson edged Hanenburg by four seconds in the chip-timed half-marathonas she finished in 1:47:22. Not bad for a 23-year-old former soccer player who didn't run her first competitive race until her senior year in college.</div>
<div>“I've always been competitive,” said Williamson, who played center midfielder on Air Academy High School's state championship soccer team as a junior.</div>
<div>“This was a fun race.”</div>
<div>She played soccer at Azusu Pacific University in California, but also liked the taste of distance running – especially after she won a race.</div>
<div>The 2013 Air Academy grad was all smiles after finishing eighth overall and one spot ahead of Hanenburg, despite the scrapes and dirt on her right leg and knee.</div>
<div>“I fell when I clipped a nice big branch on the trail,” she explained.</div>
<div>That was past the halfway point of the 13.1-mile race but Williamson bounced up quickly and was not deterred.</div>
<div>On Monday, Williamson takes her Dental Admission Test. She'll apply to nearly a dozen dental schools.</div>
<div>Last month, Williamson also beat the 30-year-old Hanenburg in the Garden of the Gods 10-mile race, finishing 45 seconds and two spots ahead of her new rival while placing fourth among female runners.</div>
<div>That puts Williamson in prime position to win the Triple Crown Series, although it likely won't happen. She has not planned on running the Pikes Peak Ascent (Aug. 18) or Pikes Peak Marathon (Aug. 19), either of which can be used as the third leg of the Triple Crown, following the races in the Garden of the Gods and Cheyenne Mountain State Park.</div>
<div>Williamson said she plans to run a race in Castle Rock that weekend.</div>
<div>Williamson leads the Triple Crown series with a combined time of 2:52:52, just 49 seconds ahead of Hanenburg. Abigail Rae Topper, 22, of Colorado Springs, is third in 3:06:48.</div>
<div><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433135?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433135?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a>The half-marathon's overall and men's champion was Azarya Weldemariam, who finished in 1:22:34, 57 seconds ahead of Ben Payne.</div>
<div>“For 7 or 8 miles, we went together,” said Weldemariam, a native of Eritrea, a northeast African country on the Red Sea coast.</div>
<div>Weldemariam, 39, has lived in Colorado Springs for about two years and plans to “double” in the Ascent and Marathon for the third consecutive time next month. He was sixth in the Ascent last year and fourth in the Marathon.</div>
<div>“(Payne) is a very good runner and he could've beaten me,” Weldemariam said, “but I felt strong today.”</div>
<div>Payne, 36, is a 2004 graduate of the Air Force Academy who is in the Air Force Reserves and is a pilot for Southwest Airlines.</div>
<div>“Flying beats working for a living,” he said with a smile.</div>
<div>Finishing third Sunday, almost 15 minutes behind Payne, was Kyle Richardson of Boulder.</div>
<div>Weldemariam leads the men's Triple Crown Series standings with a combined time of 2:15:08, with Payne in second at 2:17:21. Richardson, 22, is third at 2:39:04.</div>
<div>Payne challenged Weldemariam for much of the race but fell back when they reached the challenging hilly portion of the course.</div>
<div>“For the first 9 miles we were trading off the lead and helping each other,” Payne said. “When we hit the hills, he pulled away a little bit. The hills are tough and he's a better hill runner than me.”</div>
<div><p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656435935?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656435935?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>SPORTSMANSHIP IS ALIVE</strong></p>
<p>Patrick Martin knew something was amiss, as he made a turn on the difficult trail during Sunday's Summer Roundup 10K Trail Run at Cheyenne Mountain State Park.</p>
<p>He was in second place, not far behind the leader, Tesfaalem Mehari. But Mehari was headed in the wrong direction.</p>
<p>“He got lost and took a wrong turn, or he would've beaten me by three minutes more than he did,” Martin said. “We had a language barrier and I needed a translator, but he got the message when I was waving my arms for him to come the other way.”</p>
<p>Mehari then cruised to victory, finishing 2 minutes, 46 seconds ahead of the good-natured Martin.</p>
<p>Mehari, a 22-year-old native of Ethiopia, lives in Colorado Springs and runs about 100 miles a week. He said his next race is the Crazy 8 in New York.</p>
<p>Martin, 29, is from Canon City and said he's only been running for 22 months but trains six days a week.</p>
<p>“My goal was to finish in the top 10,” said Martin, who was ecstatic with his runner-up placement. “There are a lot of elite, professional runners in this area.”</p>
<p>The 10K course ended up being about 7.3 miles, or about 1.1 miles longer than expected. The runners took it in stride.</p>
<p>“No big deal,” said Kendelle Zemke, the women's 10K champion. “The extra part we ran was on the easiest, flattest part of the course.”</p>
<p>Zemke, 31, ran the Cheyenne Mountain State Park course May 20 in the Norad Trail Race.</p>
<p>“It's a tough, challenging course,” she said.</p>
<p>She finished in 56:32, 11 seconds ahead of her husband, Alex, who was two spots behind here in eighth place. The couple lives in Lakewood.</p>
<p class="Standard">“We start out on our own and run our own race, but we usually end up about the same,” said Zemke, who ran cross country a decade ago while in college at Wisconsin-Green Bay. “It was satisfying to win, because trail races are hard; they're so different from road races.”</p>
</div> Angel Brock notched 100th marathon finish at Pikes Peak, and she's not donetag:pikespeaksports.us,2017-12-30:5021591:Topic:7915982017-12-30T21:08:59.556ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432693?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432693?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"></img></a> When it was time for Angel Brock to choose the marathon that would be her 100th, she came home to the Pikes Peak Marathon, the race that challenges her the most.</p>
<p>And while the round-trip to Pikes Peak's 14,115-foot summit and back is a goal race for many, Brock wasn't done. Since then she has completed three more marathons and now hopes to qualify for Boston and New…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432693?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432693?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>When it was time for Angel Brock to choose the marathon that would be her 100th, she came home to the Pikes Peak Marathon, the race that challenges her the most.</p>
<p>And while the round-trip to Pikes Peak's 14,115-foot summit and back is a goal race for many, Brock wasn't done. Since then she has completed three more marathons and now hopes to qualify for Boston and New York.</p>
<p>Brock has also knocked off a 100-mile ultra, the Rocky Raccoon 100 in Texas, and finished multiple 100K, 50-mile and 50K races. She once ran three marathon’s in three days. And she has peppered her resume with seven Pikes Peak “doubles” - running the Ascent on Saturday and the marathon on Sunday. Brock, 48, accomplished all of that and much more in nine years. She has lived in Las Vegas, Nev., San Angelo, Texas, and Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., but Fountain has been her home for the past 19 years. Her running story began as any story should … with ice cream. You can tell she had fun answering our questions.</p>
<p><strong>The 2017 Pikes Peak Marathon was your 100th marathon. That's a lot of miles. How did this journey begin?</strong> August, 2008, I was eating a sundae talking with my cousin Connie. She told me she had to run 10 miles later, I didn't know people ran that far! She told me she had already completed two marathons. She had to tell me what a marathon was. I was blown away. No way could I ever do that! After all, I hated running. She then told me there was this thing called a half marathon. Something just clicked ... maybe it was a high from the hot fudge, but I thought, "I could do this."</p>
<p>I had turned 39 in June and I thought it would be a good goal for my 40th birthday and a great way to get my heart healthy as I was not active at all. The next day I went to a running store in Las Vegas and got fitted for shoes. Two days later when I got home I started the Couch to 5K program. My first 5K was the Komen Race for the Cure in Colorado Springs. I remember race packet pick-up instructions where I was supposed to pick up a bib. I couldn't figure out why they would be giving away baby bibs. I still smile every time I pick up a race bib.</p>
<p><strong>More than a few runners are one-and-done after their first marathon. What kept you moving and motivated to train and race? </strong>That's a good one! My sister told me about the Zappos Half Marathon in Las Vegas (at that time it was in the morning in December.) It was sooner than expected, but how cool would it be to run where I once grew up? I finished my first half marathon in December, 2008, six months ahead of my 40th birthday. After another hot fudge sundae, I figured since I had all the extra time, I might as well train for a full. I did honestly think it would be a "one-and-done" event for me! I even guilted my mom into coming to watch the historic event. I laugh about it now, my mom quit coming to my marathons after the fifteenth or sixteenth one. I also said no more after my first Ironman finish and Pikes Peak Double. I am motivated to train because I sign up for races - a lot of races - and I hate to waste money! Also if I call it "training" instead of running, it takes the sting out of it, that and wearing cute running skirts! I also have a treasure chest full of medals I adore! My Pikes Peak medals though are proudly displayed on my wall. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656436541?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656436541?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-right"/></a>Why did you choose Pikes Peak for No. 100? </strong>The timing fit ... lol. Really, I chose Pikes Peak Marathon because it is my favorite marathon. It is the most challenging marathon I accomplish every year. I chose Pikes Peak because back in 2009, when I learned of the Pikes Peak Marathon, I told my cousin, Connie, I would NEVER do that one, those people were crazy! Of course, there Connie and I stood in 2010 at the start line of our first Pikes Peak Marathon! My friends and family no longer believe me when I say "I will never do that," as I also said that about Ironman and the 100 miler. And my friends (David, Joy, Patti, Robin, Beth) wanted to be here to help me celebrate and participate in the races.</p>
<p><strong>Tell us about your favorite moments from Pikes Peak 2017.</strong> Some of my favorite moments are John O'Neill (from the Colorado Running Company) giving me a special tank to wear for the race with "Pikes Peak is my 100th Marathon" on the back. My friends (some from Texas) coming to celebrate the weekend with me. My friends presented me with a gift after I finished Pikes Peak Marathon - couldn't believe it and it made me cry - they had all chipped in and bought me the Garmin 935 watch. Even my tri coach and friend, Nate Dicks chipped in so that he might finally get some data on my training..lol</p>
<p>Running the Ascent with Robin and Beth and getting beat by Robin by 1 stinking second! Marathon race day and all the sweetest runners and volunteers congratulating me!</p>
<p><strong>You're running down the Ws and then Ruxton Ave. to the finish. How are you feeling and what are you thinking? </strong>I'm feeling some relief of no longer having to navigate roots/rocks, relief that I will make the time cut off, and a bit nauseous as I was running max effort down the hill to the finish. My lungs and legs were asking me to stop and walk it in, and, as always, my heart took over to the finish. I was thinking that I had lied earlier in the day around A-frame when I told myself (for the seventh time) that if I made it before the cutoff I wouldn't have to run Pikes Peak again. The people who embroider my Pikes Peak Marathon jacket every year do it small so there is plenty of room for many more years. I was thinking how grateful I was to have my friends and family to cheer me on, how grateful I am for my ability to do these types of races, I was thinking about how lucky I was to be able to finish my eighth Pikes Peak Marathon and seventh Double, and without injury! I was thinking how special the moment/accomplishment was and how I had accomplished the goals set for 2017 up to that point. I was thinking about all the friends I have made and all the cool places and states I have also got to run . I was also thinking about what I was going to eat for supper and dessert(s) :)</p>
<p><strong>And this was your eighth Pikes Peak marathon finish and seventh double. What keeps you coming back to Pikes Peak? </strong>The snacks at the aid stations! Pickles, red grapes, and Coca Cola always taste better on the mountain! I am "geared" for challenges. I would feel guilty not doing the Pikes Peak Marathon because I have the ability to do it and, like I said, I hate wasting! Of all my accomplishments, my jacket with the race years embroidered always gets the most respect and kudos when I wear it to out of state races. That makes me proud of myself. One time I was looking at Pikes Peak from Fountain and I commented to my son Jack, then about age 9, that I couldn't believe I had run Pikes Peak. And my son said, "I can, because you're my Mom!" This still makes me smile.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656442580?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656442580?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-left"/></a>If you could relive any moment in your running career, what would it be? </strong>The Bear Chase 100K finish, 2013. Cutoff time 15 hours, which was a challenge. The only other 100K I did took me about 22 hours. I was fighting cutoffs the last 24 miles or so. I was the last one on course with my pacer, Joy. The volunteers were radioing ahead, they sent a cyclist out to see if I was "running." They wanted to pull me from the race. I kept running only because of my friend, Joy. I didn't want to disappoint her and cut her "pacing" miles with me short. I was on pace to miss the cutoff by about 10 minutes. The last three-to-four miles I just kept jogging trying to be at peace with finishing after the cut off. I just wanted to be done. When I neared the finish, maybe 1/4-mile away, I hear yelling. They are yelling at me to move, run! I look at my Garmin ... I was shocked. I had a couple of minutes before the 15-hour cutoff. I RUN - probably a 14-minute pace, but felt like 6-minute pace. Wait, I don't know what a 6-minute pace feels like. Maybe like a 9-minute pace. I finished in 14:59:10 and won the "Bearly Finished" trophy, probably to the disappointment of the second-to-last finisher. </p>
<p><strong>What other races do you enjoy and why? </strong>I enjoy the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon because I think it's cool to run past the Circus Circus where I used to go as a kid, even lived next door to the guy who built the Circus Circus sign. I have also enjoy the Cowtown 50K in Fort Worth and the Route 66 Marathon with the Center of the Universe Detour in Tulsa, Okla. I also enjoy Ironman, the Florida Ironman is my favorite because I really do feel like I am on vacation when I'm there!</p>
<p><strong>What are your favorite running trails in the Pikes Peak Region?</strong> I do most of my training indoors now in my garage while watching Netflix and Youtube ... I know ... I do like Barr Trail and I like the trail behind Fountain Regional Park. There are a few trails around my neighborhood in Fountain I like.</p>
<p><strong>103 marathons down and what comes next?</strong> Trying to get into Boston and New York. I qualified (twice) this year for Boston, but missed entry by 1:45 under my qualifying time. I would like to run a marathon in every state and Washington, D.C. I will do some of it the "hard way," meaning by doing an Ironman in states I have not collected yet. This is how I collected Idaho, Wisconsin, and Florida. Next year I hope to collect Kentucky. And of course hopefully finish my eighth Pikes Peak double in 2018.</p> 2017 Pikes Peak Marathon & Ascent scheduletag:pikespeaksports.us,2017-08-14:5021591:Topic:7755992017-08-14T12:43:45.690ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p align="center"><b><u><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653391719?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653391719?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="550"></img></a></u></b></p>
<p align="center"><b><u>Thursday, August 17th, Memorial Park</u></b></p>
<p align="center"><b><u>Pikes Peak Marathon Run Fest</u></b></p>
<ul>
<li><b>5-8 PM--</b>Music, beer and food for sale, vendors, packet pick-up, Pikes Peak apparel.</li>
</ul>
<p align="center"><b><u>Friday, August 18<sup>th</sup> (Memorial…</u></b></p>
<p align="center"><b><u><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653391719?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="550" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653391719?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="550" class="align-center"/></a></u></b></p>
<p align="center"><b><u>Thursday, August 17th, Memorial Park</u></b></p>
<p align="center"><b><u>Pikes Peak Marathon Run Fest</u></b></p>
<ul>
<li><b>5-8 PM--</b>Music, beer and food for sale, vendors, packet pick-up, Pikes Peak apparel.</li>
</ul>
<p align="center"><b><u>Friday, August 18<sup>th</sup> (Memorial Park)</u></b></p>
<ul>
<li><b>9:00 AM-7:00 PM</b>--Packet pick-up, Race Expo & Pikes Peak apparel for sale</li>
<li><b>1</b><b>:30 PM</b>--Elite Athlete Press Conference</li>
<li><b>5:30-7:00 PM--</b>Kiwanis Club Famous Spaghetti Dinner, $12</li>
<li><b>6:30 PM</b>--Speaker Program: Rick Trujillo – Film: <i>Running Big</i> - Q&A</li>
</ul>
<p align="center"><b><u>Saturday, August 19th, Pikes Peak Ascent</u></b></p>
<p align="center"><b><u>(Memorial Park & Start Line)</u></b></p>
<ul>
<li><b>5:30 -7:15 AM</b>--Sweat Check & Packet Pick -(Ascent only)</li>
<li><b>6</b><b>:45 AM--</b>Pre-Race Ceremony</li>
<li><b>7:00 AM--</b>First Wave Start - 600 block of Manitou Avenue. Runners # <b>1-199</b></li>
<li><b>7:02-7:23 AM</b>—All other waves start with 100 runners per minute. Runners # <b>200-2399</b></li>
<li><b>7:30 AM</b>--Toll road to Pikes Peak summit opens</li>
<li><b>9:00 AM</b>--Approximate times of first male finishers</li>
<li><b>9:20 AM--</b>Approximate time for first female finishers.</li>
<li><b>11:00 AM</b>--Approximate time first shuttle bus from summit arrives in Manitou Springs.</li>
<li><b>11:00AM-5:00 PM</b>--Post Race Celebration and Beer Garden (Memorial Park)</li>
<li><b>11:00AM-5:00 PM</b> Ascent Finisher Shirt Distribution (Memorial Park)</li>
<li><b>12:00-7:00 PM</b>-- Race Expo & Pikes Peak Apparel for sale (Memorial Park)</li>
<li><b>1:00-7:00 PM</b>-- Marathon Packet Pick-Up (Memorial Park)</li>
<li><b>2:00 PM--</b>Finish Line closes</li>
<li><b>4:30-7:00 PM--</b>Kiwanis Club Famous Spaghetti Dinner, $12 (Memorial Park)</li>
<li><b>5:30 PM—</b>Ascent Award Presentation (Memorial Park)</li>
<li><b>6:15 PM—</b> Film: <i>Running Big</i> - Q&A (Memorial Park)</li>
</ul>
<p align="center"><b><u>Sunday, August 20th, 62<sup>nd</sup> Pikes Peak Marathon®</u></b></p>
<p align="center"><b><u>(Memorial Park -- Start / Finish Line & Soda Springs Park)</u></b></p>
<ul>
<li><b>5:30 -6:45 AM</b>-- Packet Pick-Up (Memorial Park) - Sweat Check at start area</li>
<li><b>7:00 AM</b>—First wave start. 600 block of Manitou Avenue. Runner<b>s</b> <b>#1-1</b><b>9</b><b>9</b></li>
<li><b>7:02-7:15 AM—</b>All other waves start with 100 runners per minute. Runners <b>#200-1139</b></li>
<li><b>10:20 AM</b>--Approximate time for first male finishers. (finish at Ruxton & Manitou Ave.)</li>
<li><b>10:3</b><b>0 AM--</b>Marathon Finisher Shirt Distribution/Results Posted (Soda Springs Park)</li>
<li><b>11:15 AM</b>--Approximate time for first female finishers.</li>
<li><b>12:00-5:00 PM</b>--Post Race Celebration and Beer Garden (Soda Springs Park)</li>
<li><b>3:00 PM</b>—Marathon Award Presentation (Soda Springs Park)</li>
<li><b>5:00 PM</b>--Finish line officially closes</li>
</ul> Incline to close Aug. 19 for Pikes Peak Marathon & Ascent, reopen after renovations completedtag:pikespeaksports.us,2017-08-09:5021591:Topic:7752952017-08-09T16:55:24.193ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p align="center" style="text-align: left;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656431993?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656431993?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a> From the City of Colorado Springs, Aug. 9</strong> - The City of Colorado Springs, in conjunction with the City of Manitou Springs, will start phase 3 improvements to the Mt. Manitou Incline (Incline) on <b>August 21</b>. The Incline will close for the Pikes Peak Ascent Marathon on August 19 and 20 and will remain closed for…</p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: left;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656431993?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656431993?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-right"/></a>From the City of Colorado Springs, Aug. 9</strong> - The City of Colorado Springs, in conjunction with the City of Manitou Springs, will start phase 3 improvements to the Mt. Manitou Incline (Incline) on <b>August 21</b>. The Incline will close for the Pikes Peak Ascent Marathon on August 19 and 20 and will remain closed for the repairs and renovations which are set to begin on Monday, August 21. Construction is anticipated to last for four months and will take place between Tie 2137 and Tie 2741. For more information on the construction project, visit <a href="http://www.coloradosprings.gov/incline">www.coloradosprings.gov/incline</a>.</p>
<p>The Incline project has four major goals: improved safety, enhanced user experience, long-term sustainability of the trail and increased accessibility. Work will include repairing and replacing damaged retaining walls, cleaning up the exposed rebar and loose debris, adding additional drainage structures, anchoring the existing ties, and stabilizing the surrounding slopes. Currently, there are several failed drainage structures. During construction, the failed infrastructure will be removed and new drainage structures will be installed. The increase in drainage structures will greatly help reduce the velocity of water, a critical factor in reducing erosion and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Incline. </p>
<p><b>Funding</b></p>
<p>The project cost is estimated to be $2 million. Funding is made possible by a Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program. The grant money allocated is provided as reimbursement for documented eligible costs. The City of Colorado Springs is responsible for the general oversight, trail enhancements, general maintenance of the Incline and to apply for grants to fund improvements, per the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Manitou Springs.</p>
<p>For more information on the construction project, visit <a href="http://www.coloradosprings.gov/incline">www.coloradosprings.gov/incline</a>.</p> Documentary "Running Big" reveals the heart of the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascenttag:pikespeaksports.us,2017-01-11:5021591:Topic:7456002017-01-11T21:00:01.330ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433253?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433253?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="650"></img></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>The wind howled the cold notes of January’s song and the hope of springtime felt like a dream as I poured my first cup of coffee today.</p>
<p>But by the time I’d reached the bottom of Cup. No. 2, my mood had changed, and it wasn't just the caffeine talking. I had detached myself from the couch and I stood and cheered for Buck, a barrel-chested Indiana farmer…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433253?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="650" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433253?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="650" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>The wind howled the cold notes of January’s song and the hope of springtime felt like a dream as I poured my first cup of coffee today.</p>
<p>But by the time I’d reached the bottom of Cup. No. 2, my mood had changed, and it wasn't just the caffeine talking. I had detached myself from the couch and I stood and cheered for Buck, a barrel-chested Indiana farmer who at age 64 had taken on the famous Pikes Peak Double, the ascent and marathon, on back-to-back days in 2015.</p>
<p>Alan “Buck” Gossard is the star of the documentary film “Running Big.” I watched it online here <a href="http://www.running-big.com/the-film">http://www.running-big.com/the-film</a>. The feature-length version, 46 minutes, is better than the TV cut, but both are excellent. The story follows Buck’s journey from the cornfields of America’s heartland to the top of America’s Mountain and back.</p>
<p>If you can’t watch online, “Running Big” is scheduled to air on KTSC, Channel 8, at 7 p.m. Thursday (tomorrow) and then again at 7:30 p.m. Friday.</p>
<p>“Running Big means pushing your limits in the face of an uncertain outcome,” Buck says in the film. “It means toeing up to the line and giving it your best shot.”</p>
<p>Buck’s brother David Gossard produced the film with a crew of family members and friends. It begins with Buck describing the Pikes Peak races, and questioning his decision. The Pikes Peak Double is a lofty goal for any mountain runner. But, as Buck’s wife Debbie put it, “I think running Pikes Peak is crazy. I’ve always thought it was crazy. My mother says he doesn’t have a lick of sense.”</p>
<p>The photography is at once captivating with wide-sweeping views of Indiana’s summer-green farmland and gorgeous shots of Pikes Peak, including some quick-but-shocking drone footage of the summit finish line on race day.</p>
<p>Buck set a personal best in the Ascent (4:53:49) and then considered the start of the marathon set to begin a short 19 hours later. “Two basic unanswered questions here," he says. "One of which … how much can I recover between now and tomorrow morning? The other, which will be forever unanswered is, what was I thinking?”</p>
<p>David Gossard did a wonderful job inserting facts about the Pikes Peak races, as well as outlining Buck’s training plan. How does a flatlander prepare for a run to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak? Buck’s training was much like that of any mountain runner – minus the mountains. He incorporated tempo runs with a long run, plus lots of bicycle miles. He also ran on a treadmill set to mimic a climb up Barr Trail. And he talks about the benefit of pushing his lawnmower six hours a week.</p>
<p>There are lots of cameo appearances by Pikes Peak regulars, including race record holders Kim Dobson and Matt Carpenter, who talks about the thrill of running down the mountain. “One wrong step and you’ll bust your teeth out, so that makes you feel alive,” Carpenter says.</p>
<p>There is also a quick interview with Tracey Thomsen Anderson, who crashed on the way down and finished with blood splatters from head to toe. “If the bone ain’t showin’, then keep on going,” she says.</p>
<p>Running Big has won awards at various independent film events and it contains a sweet musical score, including songs by Connor Garvey, “Mountain Song” and “Backroads,” which fit perfectly with the story and the Rocky Mountain stage.</p>
<p>Buck started the marathon the next morning and tagged the summit under his predicted split time. Then, with 26-miles and 16,000 feet of climbing in his legs in 24 hours, he begins the descent, the race to the finish, and his attempt to beat the 10-hour cutoff time.</p>
<p>I became his biggest fan.</p>
<p>This is a must-watch for anyone who has participated in the Pikes Peak races, runners, volunteers and spectators. Those unfamiliar with the event will find it to be a thorough documentation of “America’s Greatest Challenge.”</p>
<p> The film shows what the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent family and the Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs communities have created: An arena in which people from across the country and around the world can run big. We should all be proud.</p>