America's Ultimate Challenge - Pikes Peak Marathon August 22, 2021
The Pikes Peak Marathon is a race like no other! With a 7,800 foot vertical climb, the course takes runners from Manitou Springs, Colorado, along Barr Trail to the summit of Pikes Peak at 14,115 feet, and back down for a total of 26.2 grueling mountain miles.
The course for the Marathon is unique and very physically demanding when compared to other marathons. Beginning in downtown Manitou Springs, the course proceeds along approximately 1.5 miles of road before joining into Pikes Peak's Barr Trail. This is where the real adventure begins. With an average grade of 11%, the trail is often narrow, winding, or steep and may be gravel, rock or dirt with sharp turns and abrupt changes in elevation or direction. However, there are no exposed ledges, so there is little danger of falling off the trail! Keep in mind, there is no vehicle access to most of Barr Trail, so to ensure the safety of our runners and volunteers, all participants are required to complete a qualifying event before registering.
Selected by the World Golden Trail Series as the North American race for the Champion Series, the Pikes Peak Marathon is the country’s most challenging marathon. Pikes Peak Marathon invites Elite Competitors, offers cash prizes to winners as well as free entries to past winners! Are you ready to take the challenge?
2021 Registration - $199 until 4/30, $225 after 4/30
January 1, 2021 - Pre-Registration open to 2020 runners that deferred to 2021, or 2020 runners that donated their entry fees to our charitable partners; registration by invitation only
NOTE: If you deferred or donated your entry fee in 2020, your entry is guaranteed through February 28, 2021; after that time, your entry cannot be guaranteed if the race sells out. You must claim your deferred entry by registering by February 28.
March 1, 2021 - General Registration opens at noon.
Registration will be closed when each race sells out, and a waitlist may be available for interested parties.
NOTE: If you deferred or donated your entry fee in 2020, your entry is guaranteed through February 28, 2021; after that time, your entry cannot be guaranteed if the race sells out. You must claim your deferred entry by registering by February 28.
March 1, 2021 - General Registration opens at noon.
Registration will be closed when each race sells out, and a waitlist may be available for interested parties.
Qualifications
Qualifying races must be completed before registering. Runners must be at least 16 years old on race day to qualify.
Recent Pikes Peak Veterans -Anybody who has completed the Pikes Peak Ascent, Pikes Peak Marathon, or the Barr Trail Mountain Race in the past 4 years (2017+) with a time under the cutoff is considered a Peak Veteran, and is automatically qualified to enter this year's race(s). Cutoff times are 6:30:00 for the Ascent, 10:00:00 for the Marathon, and 4:00:00 for the BTMR.
By default, your fastest summit time in the past 4 years is used for wave placement purposes. If you are a Peak Veteran who has finished the PPA/PPM in the past 4 years who wishes to use another qualifying race for wave placement purposes, you may do so only if the other race has been run since your most recent Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon.
5+ Time Pikes Peak Veterans -
5+ Time Peak Veterans may use a Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon time as far back as 1 year for each Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon completed within the cutoff. For example, if you have completed the PPA and/or PPM 10 times, you may use an Ascent or Marathon time as old as 2011.
Marathon Distance Road Races -
To qualify, you must have completed a marathon or longer race in under 6:00:00 in the past 3 years (Jan 1st, 2018 or newer).
Virtual races are acceptable.
Any marathon that you have completed on or after Jan 1st, 2018, may be used. Splits from longer races, triathlons, ultras, etc, may be used if they are explicitly listed on the race results page. You can use either your "Gun" or "Chip" time. You may also submit a self timed run that was recorded using Strava, Garmin Connect, or similar that is full marathon distance (26.2) and completed within the above cutoffs.
Ultras, Trail Races and Other Qualifiers -
To qualify, you must have completed one of the following in the past 3 years (Jan 1st, 2018 or newer). The cutoff time is two times the overall winners time for your qualifying race.
Recent Pikes Peak Veterans -Anybody who has completed the Pikes Peak Ascent, Pikes Peak Marathon, or the Barr Trail Mountain Race in the past 4 years (2017+) with a time under the cutoff is considered a Peak Veteran, and is automatically qualified to enter this year's race(s). Cutoff times are 6:30:00 for the Ascent, 10:00:00 for the Marathon, and 4:00:00 for the BTMR.
By default, your fastest summit time in the past 4 years is used for wave placement purposes. If you are a Peak Veteran who has finished the PPA/PPM in the past 4 years who wishes to use another qualifying race for wave placement purposes, you may do so only if the other race has been run since your most recent Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon.
5+ Time Pikes Peak Veterans -
5+ Time Peak Veterans may use a Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon time as far back as 1 year for each Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon completed within the cutoff. For example, if you have completed the PPA and/or PPM 10 times, you may use an Ascent or Marathon time as old as 2011.
Marathon Distance Road Races -
To qualify, you must have completed a marathon or longer race in under 6:00:00 in the past 3 years (Jan 1st, 2018 or newer).
Virtual races are acceptable.
Any marathon that you have completed on or after Jan 1st, 2018, may be used. Splits from longer races, triathlons, ultras, etc, may be used if they are explicitly listed on the race results page. You can use either your "Gun" or "Chip" time. You may also submit a self timed run that was recorded using Strava, Garmin Connect, or similar that is full marathon distance (26.2) and completed within the above cutoffs.
Ultras, Trail Races and Other Qualifiers -
To qualify, you must have completed one of the following in the past 3 years (Jan 1st, 2018 or newer). The cutoff time is two times the overall winners time for your qualifying race.
- Any race 50k or longer
- Any trail race over 25 miles on predominantly unimproved dirt trails (no concrete paths, dirt roads, or similar)
- Any event with an ITRA point value of 2 or higher ("S" Category)
- Any race 25 miles long or longer that has a point over 9,000ft
- Any race 12 miles long or longer that has a point over 12,000ft
- Any race over 13 miles long that gains at least 4,000ft between the lowest point to the highest point. (Not cumulative)
- Any Half IronMan or longer Triathlon (70.3+)
- Any Obstacle (e.g. Spartan) Race over 30k
- NO VIRTUAL EVENTS MAY BE USED (use a full marathon qualifier)
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Pikes Peak Marathon