Pikes Peak Marathon
Pikes Peak Marathon race day weather
Warm finish, adjust pace early
Runners will face a warm start at 62°F, dropping to a cooler 55°F at Mile 13 before surging to 85°F at the finish. With light winds from the south, the most challenging conditions will be between Miles 12 and 25 where headwinds will occur. Hydration will be crucial, especially as temperatures rise, and pacing should be conservative early to manage the heat later in the race.
This course climbs 7,621 ft to its high point and back, so we look at it at 2 points, not just the start line. In a typical year, at 9:00/mi, you start at 62° and finish around 10:55 AM in 85°.
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Pikes Peak Marathon route and elevation
The Pikes Peak Marathon course has about 7,815 ft (2,382 m) of climbing and 7,815 ft (2,382 m) of descent, and finishes near the elevation it starts. It is hillier than 99% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 10, with 769 ft (234 m) of climbing and a 14.6% average grade.
Biggest climbs
- Miles 0.1 to 13.3: climbs about 7,665 ft (2,337 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 4:39 here (69 minutes slower).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 5:19 here (79 minutes slower).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 5:59 here (89 minutes slower).
Hills only, priced mile by mile on the course map. The pace calculator above adds the race-day weather.
Even-effort splits for a 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30 finish
| Mile | Climb | Descent | 3:30 | 4:00 | 4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 176 ft | 1 ft | 7:16 | 8:18 | 9:20 |
| 2 | 532 ft | 0 ft | 10:08 | 11:35 | 13:03 |
| 3 | 722 ft | 0 ft | 11:53 | 13:35 | 15:16 |
| 4 | 627 ft | 0 ft | 11:00 | 12:34 | 14:08 |
| 5 | 624 ft | 0 ft | 10:57 | 12:32 | 14:06 |
| 6 | 322 ft | 7 ft | 8:21 | 9:31 | 10:43 |
| 7 | 291 ft | 20 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 8 | 640 ft | 0 ft | 11:06 | 12:42 | 14:17 |
| 9 | 738 ft | 0 ft | 12:02 | 13:45 | 15:28 |
| 10 | 769 ft | 0 ft | 12:20 | 14:06 | 15:52 |
| 11 | 683 ft | 0 ft | 11:31 | 13:09 | 14:48 |
| 12 | 689 ft | 0 ft | 11:34 | 13:13 | 14:52 |
| 13 | 701 ft | 0 ft | 11:41 | 13:21 | 15:02 |
| 14 | 180 ft | 519 ft | 5:25 | 6:12 | 6:58 |
| 15 | 1 ft | 606 ft | 5:26 | 6:13 | 6:59 |
| 16 | 0 ft | 625 ft | 5:28 | 6:14 | 7:01 |
| 17 | 0 ft | 727 ft | 5:35 | 6:23 | 7:11 |
| 18 | 0 ft | 674 ft | 5:31 | 6:18 | 7:06 |
| 19 | 0 ft | 584 ft | 5:25 | 6:12 | 6:57 |
| 20 | 14 ft | 486 ft | 5:22 | 6:08 | 6:54 |
| 21 | 12 ft | 248 ft | 5:33 | 6:20 | 7:08 |
| 22 | 2 ft | 429 ft | 5:22 | 6:09 | 6:55 |
| 23 | 0 ft | 577 ft | 5:25 | 6:10 | 6:57 |
| 24 | 0 ft | 695 ft | 5:32 | 6:21 | 7:08 |
| 25 | 0 ft | 666 ft | 5:31 | 6:17 | 7:04 |
| 26 | 0 ft | 460 ft | 5:22 | 6:08 | 6:54 |
| Last 0.2 | 0 ft | 43 ft | 1:15 | 1:26 | 1:37 |
Explore the Pikes Peak Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Pikes Peak Marathon
The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon is a trail running competition that begins at the base of Pikes Peak, in Manitou Springs, Colorado, and climbs over 7,815 feet (2382 m) to the top of the 14,115 foot (4302 m) peak. Since 1956, the event takes place each year in late summer, with the Ascent taking place on Saturday (slightly longer than a half-marathon, at 13.3 miles), and the round-trip marathon on Sunday. Wikipedia
