MANITOU SPRINGS — Around 2,100 runners have made their way from around the globe to Manitou Springs for the 68th Annual Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent. The 68th race saw records broken and returning champs.
"If you're a true mountain runner, Pikes Peak is on your bucket list," said Race Director Ron Ilgen.
This year saw 1,400 runners take on the Pikes Peak Ascent and 669 runners take on the Marathon. The Pikes Peak Ascent runs up the mountain, while the marathon goes up and back down.
"I honestly think this is the hardest race I've ever done," said competitor Kristina Mascarenas.
Mascarenas has won 1st overall in the women's section for the last two years she has competed in the marathon. She says while the elevation is a challenge, the mountain terrain makes it even more difficult.
"It's just straight uphill and straight downhill. So there's a lot of variables in temperatures, so you start off really coo,l and then you get hot immediately, baking in the sun, and then you get up high and it's a little cool, but then you get back to town, and hit this wave of heat," said Mascarenas.
Colorado Springs local Matt Carpenter has held the Pikes Peak Ascent record for the last 30 years. This year, Rémi Bonnet from Switzerland was able to beat it by 46 seconds.
"It was even labeled the unbeatable record," said Ilgen.
Noah Graham made his way from North Carolina to the Rockies for this race and says getting halfway to the top was the hardest part for him.
"I crammed in some grapes and watermelon at the top, and every grape was crispier than the last. Then on the way down, I was flying. I felt like a fairy, I was just floating across the rocks," said Graham.
For a full list of marathon and ascent finishers, you can visit this link.
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