MANITOU SPRINGS – The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon will pit runners against the mountain this coming weekend. “The best mountain runners in the world coming this year,” said Pikes Peak Marathon President, Ron Ilgen. This year the race is part of Salomon’s, Golden Trails Series. It is five elite mountain running races, with top finishers going to a finale race in South Africa.
Getting ready for this year’s race on Pikes Peak comes with some challenges. Construction for the new summit house at the top of the mountain is reducing space for the finish of the Ascent on Saturday. Spectators are encouraged to stay at the bottom and watch a first ever live video feed in Manitou Springs.
For the marathon on Sunday the course has to be adjusted. A sinkhole right where racers typically turn to the finish is now barricaded with roadblocks because of repair work happening on a sinkhole. “It’s basically at our marathon finish line, so we’re going to have to mover our finish line back up Ruxton a ways,” said Ilgen, “Thus we have to move our start back a ways, to make sure it’s the official course distance.”
The Ascent happens Saturday morning. The Pikes Peak Marathon is Sunday. The popular near-by Incline is closed both days.
