Pikes Peak Marathon

A mountain race first and a marathon second. The 26.2 miles go from Manitou Springs, Colorado, up the historic Barr Trail on the east face of Pikes Peak to the 14,115-foot summit, then back down the same way, with about 7,800 vertical feet of climbing on the way up and the falling oxygen making the upper miles far harder than the numbers suggest. It has been held since 1956, and a road marathon time tells you very little about how long it will take. The 2027 race weekend is September 18 and 19.