COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The 103rd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was cut short Sunday due to inclement weather on the summit, forcing race officials to move the finish line from the summit down to Glen Cove.
This marks the fourth time since 2017 that weather conditions have shortened the historic race up America's Mountain.
"This is the mountain. She'll give you what she wants, and either you can be upset about what you can't control or look for the good in what you can control. And that's what I did today," Don Wickstrum said.
"To be able to only run the lower section is a bit of a bummer, but there's a saying that the mountain decides, and this year she decided we're just going to be on the lower," Emelia Hartford added.
Despite the race covering only a third of the normal course, racers and fans still enjoyed the iconic event.
"I mean, we're taking a race car and get to go up the side of the mountain. How can that not feel incredible? And I felt like today, just not a lot of pressure. I really got to enjoy the ride in a way I hadn't in a long time," said Wickstrum.
"You're just like locked in. You shut everything else out. It's just you and the machine. You don't hear anything else, you don't see anything else. Like I said, it's just being one with the car and being locked in, man,” Kyle Wilder added.
In the end, Italian racer Simone Faggioli was crowned the 2025 King of the Mountain.
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