The Pikes Peak Marathon is billed as “The World’s Toughest Marathon” which naturally makes the Pikes Peak Ascent “The World’s Toughest Half-Marathon”. Just how tough is it do you ask? Well it’s a 13.32 Mile footrace along a single-track trail with over 7,800′ of elevation gain from start to finish. Add in the fact that the starting line is already more than a mile above sea-level and the finish tops out at over 14,000′ and you start to get a sense for just how much of a challenge the Pikes Peak Ascent really is. With a race date in Mid-September and a history of weather ranging from lightning storms to full-scale blizzards, you never know exactly what you’ll be in for but you can be assured that it will be an adventure!
Living in the shadow of America’s Mountain, it has a certain aura about it that naturally draws your attention to its majesty. It calls to your sense of adventure and taunts you with the challenge of its immense summit. Yes, you can certainly drive to the top but where is the fun in that? When I heard about the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon I knew I had to give it a go!
Given the extreme nature of the race, registration is limited to a relatively small number of people each year who can demonstrate a reasonable fitness level via success in similar distance races elsewhere (qualification specifics can be found here: https://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/ascent.html). With qualifications in hand it’s a race to signup each year as the limited availability fills up fairly quick. I’d recommend signing-up the day registration goes live just to ensure you can snag a spot. I personally set an alarm to wake up early so that I can register the moment it opens up just to be safe.
Once registered (and probably even before), you should be training and focused on the task at hand. A half-marathon is generally not something most people can just show up to with an expectation of success if they haven’t put in the time and effort to prepare beforehand. Chances of unprepared success on the Pikes Peak Ascent are further diminished by most peoples lack of acclimation to even the starting elevation without even mentioning that the race gains nearly a vertical mile and a half throughout the course. In short, be prepared for a test of endurance and suffering unlike any other in the half-marathon world.
Once you qualified, registered, and prepared, the only thing left to do is to run your race. To be ready for race day you should have appropriate clothes/layers for the forecasted weather and any other gear or fuel that you expect to need along the race course. The Pikes Peak Ascent has no outside access between the starting line and the finish line so plan to complete the journey with all of your necessities in tow. At a minimum, the race requires you to have a lightweight, packable wind/rain jacket and a small drink container (as cups are no longer available on the race course due to environmental concerns). Beyond that I usually recommend a running vest or lightweight pack to carry your necessities . . .
Success!