Pikes Peak Marathon, live.

Up Barr Trail to the 14,115 foot summit of Pikes Peak

The Pikes Peak weekend sends two fields up Barr Trail from Manitou Springs, one to the summit and one there and back.

The modern Pikes Peak races go back to 1956, when the physician Dr. Arne Suominen wrote to the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and challenged cigarette smokers to race him up and down the mountain. The Ascent used to be held on the same day as the Marathon but became its own event in the 1980s because of its popularity, and today the two races share one weekend. In 2027 that is Saturday 18 September for the Ascent and Sunday 19 September for the Marathon, both starting at 7:00 in the morning.

Both courses begin in downtown Manitou Springs and run 1.5 miles of road before turning onto the historic Barr Trail, which averages an 11% grade. The Ascent is 13.3 miles and about 7,800 feet of climbing, and it ends on the 14,115 foot summit of Pikes Peak. The Marathon covers 26.2 miles with 7,815 feet of climbing, turns at the summit and comes back down the same trail.

The trail winds through pine and aspen forests before climbing above tree line into alpine views, and on the way back down Barr Trail the descent challenges Marathon runners with terrain that tests endurance, focus and determination. The organisers suggest arriving a few days early to acclimate to the altitude. The Forest Service sets the entry limits, and registration closes when each race sells out, after which a waitlist may be available.

In the 2026 schedule the Ascent waves left from across City Hall in Manitou Springs, two minutes apart for the first ten waves and 90 seconds apart after that, and a spectator experience opened at Memorial Park later that morning.

On Livebib you can follow a participant who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the Pikes Peak Marathon organisation.