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Sep 19, 2027
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The Pikes Peak Marathon is a mountain marathon in Manitou Springs, Colorado, that climbs Barr Trail to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak and comes back down the same trail to the finish in town. It is held on a Sunday in September, the day after the 13.3-mile Pikes Peak Ascent, which climbs the same route one way. The organisers describe it as the oldest continually held marathon in the United States, and it was founded in 1956. Both races start in front of the city hall in Manitou Springs and the marathon finishes at Ruxton and Manitou Avenues, with most of the distance run on unpaved trail in Pike National Forest. The organisers give the climb as about 7,800 vertical feet, or roughly 2,380 m. The 2027 weekend is 18 and 19 September, and the marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. Entry limits are set by the Forest Service for the runners on the course. The men's record is 3:16:39, set by Matt Carpenter in 1993, and the women's record is 4:02:41, set by Maude Mathys in 2019. In 1976 the race was lengthened by 1.1 miles, so earlier times need 7 to 8 minutes added for comparison.
Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record
Mid-September in Colorado Springs, near the start, is mild and fairly dry: average highs are about 25°C and lows about 9°C, with rain on around seven days of the month.
The Race
Manitou Springs
On 10 August 1956 Dr. Arne Suominen, of Delray Beach, Florida, challenged smokers and nonsmokers to race up and down Pikes Peak in connection with the 150th anniversary of Zebulon Pike's discovery of the mountain. He enlisted Rudy Fahl as race director. The Pikes Peak Marathon was the first American marathon to allow women to enter, from the beginning in 1956, although no woman entered until 1958.
Matt Carpenter won the 1993 Pikes Peak Marathon in 3:16:39 after reaching the summit in 2:01:06, then an Ascent record, and he has won the marathon twelve times. His marathon time is still the course record, and the organisers offer a bonus of up to $10,000 to anyone who breaks it.
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03:16:39
Matt Carpenter (1993)
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