The Steep Stuff Podcast
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The Steep Stuff Podcast
Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon Preview with Mark Tatum
Standing at the base of Pike's Peak, staring up at the formidable 14,115-foot summit piercing the Colorado sky, runners face more than just a grueling physical challenge—they confront what veterans call "the ultimate mental battle." Every year, over 2,500 athletes from 46 states and eight countries gather in Manitou Springs to test their limits in America's most iconic mountain race.
What keeps bringing elite and recreational runners back to this punishing course year after year? As one participant puts it: "You know this is a test against yourself... everybody that's out here is doing it and everybody's testing themselves." The Pike's Peak Marathon and Ascent aren't merely races; they're deeply personal journeys of self-discovery set against the backdrop of one of America's most magnificent mountains.
We dive deep into what makes the 2025 edition particularly compelling, examining the stacked elite fields in both the Ascent and Marathon races. The Ascent competition looks especially fierce this year, with Seth DeMoore, Brian Whitfield, Mika Bowdoin, and rising star Zach Erickson headlining the men's field, while Reena Schwartz leads an equally impressive women's contingent. Meanwhile, John Sinclair and Christina Conati both chase historic fourth consecutive victories in the Marathon.
The podcast also explores what sets Pike's Peak apart as one of America's three oldest trail races alongside Dipsea and Mount Marathon in Alaska. We examine the community cultures surrounding each event, race strategies for conquering the mountain's brutal upper sections, and ideas for enhancing the Pike's Peak experience for both participants and spectators. Whether you're a competitive mountain runner or simply fascinated by what drives humans to push their limits at 14,000 feet, this episode offers an inspiring look at the physical and psychological journey that awaits on America's Ultimate Challenge.
Ready to test yourself against the mountain? Join us as we unravel what makes Pike's Peak the definitive proving ground for trail runners from around the world.
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Going up. It's just you're constantly wondering if you're going too hard and if you're going to die. So, like they say, it's an ultimate mental battle.
Speaker 2:Is that what keeps bringing you back, year after year, the ultimate?
Speaker 1:mental battle. Yeah, I don't care what racers show up, even if somebody shows up better than me. You know this is a test against yourself. Everybody that's out here is doing it and everybody's testing themselves, and it's great.
Speaker 2:It's called America's Ultimate Challenge. Each year, over 2,500 runners flock to Manitou Springs to challenge themselves against the mountain known as Pike's Peak. This year, runners from 46 different states and eight foreign countries have come. They all start here and make their way towards the clouds. It's time, thank you.
Speaker 3:Ladies and gentlemen, we are live since last year when we did Pikes Peak History. Yeah, yeah, which was you know? That's one of my like highly most. I'm going to re-release it tomorrow. Oh cool, because it's like my most highly touted like. People reach out to me all the time and like ask about that episode.
Speaker 4:Well now? Well, you say that and now, every time I think about it I thought, oh, I was wrong about that. Or now I know another piece of history oh, really yeah so oh man.
Speaker 3:I mean I'm always reading up on do we have to do a round two, that we'll have to do a part two them for next year or something. If we didn't have worlds, I'd say let's do a part two tomorrow, or something do you favor just down the street now? So that's crazy I know, I know we're like practically neighbors. Bring your uh, bring your mic a little bit closer to yourself. You can pull it, sorry.
Speaker 4:Well, I have to be able to see my computer.
Speaker 3:Oh, you do. Okay, all right, so I'll have to have you lean forward.
Speaker 4:I'm too old, I can't see anything.
Speaker 3:So, mark, what have you been up to?
Speaker 4:So it's been kind of project this year where I decided to. I had the opportunity to do the three oldest trail races in the US this year. Did you yeah?
Speaker 4:I did Dipsy, of course, in June and then I got an entry into Mount Marathon in Alaska and had a friend offer a place to stay, which was the really hard part for me and being able to get up there, and so they were very gracious and the people up there were amazing and that just had between those two races and being able and then doing Pikes Peak has been really interesting comparing those three races and there's a lot of similarities, put it that way, between the three of them.
Speaker 3:What did you think? Do you think like do we get together as a group and do like a Legends series? Is that what this is, you think?
Speaker 4:You know, Mattia Sari mentioned that to me. He said, yeah, I'd like to do that. I've talked to Dipsy and the people that I talk to in Dipsy and I don't really have any insight in Dipsy, but it sounded like it was something that they were interested in, and I think you've talked to me about the Pikes Peak part of it. Yeah.
Speaker 4:So, matthias, it's something Matthias has really been. He's the race director at Mount Marathon. Yeah, golden Trail or Skyrunner or one of those, or, yeah, cirque series or one of those series. Instead, it's more about participating in these events that are really important to the community. And you know Dipsy I have a lot of experience at Dipsy and they were. You know it's a huge community event and everyone just out there having fun and it's like the best day of the year. You know Dipsy Day and something that everybody in the community looks forward to. And Mount Marathon took that, I tell you, it took it to another level. It's like the entire town of Seward and it goes way beyond Seward, it's like the entire peninsula over there is crazy about this race and it's just a giant party is really what it is, and more so than Dipsy. Dipsy is more like a giant picnic, a family picnic, and Mount Marathon just seemed like a giant weekend party.
Speaker 3:So it's funny you brought up mel marathon. I was just thinking about this. I was interviewing anton on thursday and I was hanging out the las partiva store and there was a bunch of las partiva athletes there and someone said something in passing that caught my ear, that I completely forgot about until you just said this that is next year the 100th year anniversary of mount marathon. It's either the 50th or the 100th. What it's a big anniversary that's coming up next year anyway. Someone said that they were they that there's going to be a lot more elite openings to for the next, for the big anniversary okay, um which had me stoked because I was like, oh man, oh man, this could be, this could be really cool.
Speaker 3:Something follow. And, um, I missed it this year because I was injured. I didn't even try to get in cause. I was hurt from like April through the end of June. But that's the race that I want to do. It's high on my list.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and and it's funny, you mentioned Anton because he was the one who actually I learned about it from him, from his old blog, really, because it was something that he always wanted to do. So that's kind of where I discovered it. And then I started watching the live cast, the live stream that the local TV station would do there, and, you know, sometimes that was like the best trail coverage we had.
Speaker 3:Oh, it was awesome.
Speaker 4:Yeah, depending on the year, and and so I've been a longtime fan of of mountain marathon and so I had this opportunity to go and it was. It was everything that I had hoped. My performance was horrible. I might my climb okay. So I was able to go out and I pre-ran it on Tuesday.
Speaker 4:The race was on Friday and the second I got on the downhill. I realized I am not prepared for this downhill and I think I thought I was okay on the downhills and I was just not prepared for that, and so on race day, the climb went okay. So on race day, the climb went okay, although I will say I was also surprised on the climb that I couldn't pass anyone because it was just too crowded. I mean, I passed like 10 people and my time was okay for my age group. I was the first one in my age group up, but I got up to the top and then turned around, started coming down and immediately my both of my calves cramped up really and for a 5k, that's well, yeah, at that time I was like a mile and a half in yeah, so I've had this happen to me, so so that was very disappointing and that's happened to me before.
Speaker 4:That happened to me once in new york, um, at a national championship. But so you know, you go way out there and then you hobble down and it's really fun yeah not not any fun, but it was a great day. I'm so glad I did it and now you know I'm much um. I know what to prepare for are you gonna go back? I'd like to you absolutely should 100?
Speaker 3:I'd like to. It's funny. On the calf cramping stuff. Did you have you ever taken a sweat test?
Speaker 4:I. I'm a very heavy sweater, so I so I have a. I have a theory about what happened, and it's. This is something that I processed for weeks. What happened, you know? What did I do wrong? Part of it was the late start, and, and so I think. I had too much caffeine, and I mean I drink a lot of caffeine anyway, but I had too much caffeine to start with and got dehydrated probably, and I think that was the major part of it Dude.
Speaker 4:I was totally trained for running uphill. I mean so that and I was, as I said, I wasn't totally maxed out going uphill because I couldn't pass anybody, it was just really hard. It was like single file.
Speaker 3:Really so you can't get. It's like really difficult to get around people then.
Speaker 4:There I. You have to be faster than the person. It took effort for me to get around people and I don't know, did you take?
Speaker 3:roots or cliffs.
Speaker 4:I took cliffs.
Speaker 3:Took cliffs.
Speaker 4:I think in retrospect I would have scouted out roots. Yeah. But maybe it wouldn't have mattered.
Speaker 3:Allie told me to take the roots. She said, when you do it, take the roots. Yeah. I was like, all right, I'll see what's up.
Speaker 4:I did not scout the roots, so I probably should have. But, again the whole thing. It was just an incredible experience. I loved the steepness of it, but it's kind of hard to come down something when neither calf works.
Speaker 3:Sorry to hear that. Well, listen, man, I've had a shit race in my this year myself, and you know what? Next year's our year, All right, that's okay, that's what's up.
Speaker 4:We're going to speak that into existence.
Speaker 3:I have a serious question for you. So you got to see this Alaskan mountain running community firsthand.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And these are some of the like greatest fans on the planet, in my opinion, like their community, so tight knit, everybody comes out for this race. My question to you is we live in a pretty tight knit community, manitou Springs, colorado Springs.
Speaker 3:We have a lot of people that love this race in Pike's Peak, which we're also previewing today. I forgot to. I don't think I even mentioned that when we got started rolling. How do we build a bigger fan base at Colorado Springs? How do we get the people out on the trail with cowbells and get them excited about this amazing community event?
Speaker 4:That's something I've thought about a lot, because it is a big community event and there are a lot of people out there really. Um, it's a big mountain, so sometimes it feels like it's not. There's not as many people At Mount Marathon. You know it's a 5K cut in half, I mean it only goes up, it's an out and back course, so it feels like every minute there's someone there, but even on the top parts up there there weren't anyone. Yeah, it would be nice if we could make it easier for fans to get up on top and especially for the marathon and, uh, do the whole cowbell thing and cheering and make an afternoon of it.
Speaker 3:I'm thinking so here hear me out here for for the, for the marathon or the, maybe for next year it's too late this year, but this is something I've been thinking about and I bring this up at the board meetings all the time Like, how do we create fans? So what if we designate like a section of the course that's like easy, maybe maybe a section of the course for 2026 where, like, we can even even put people on the train. We put like we, we pack like people on the train, we take them to this one section.
Speaker 3:maybe we get off at like bar camp and that's and we just make bar camp it right and we just have like a giant party at Bar Camp and because it's, you know, on the ascent, it's obviously about halfway.
Speaker 4:It's a little, you know, in the ballpark of it, yeah, and it's an easy walk back down for the fans from Bar Camp. I mean you could go up there and then walk back down.
Speaker 3:Giant party. We get donuts or whatever, we pipe in the food and we make it, like you know, cowbells. And we can even make it sponsored by, like some, I don't know who, whatever the North face is sponsoring it. Right, so let's set a budget like a couple thousand dollars or something, to just make this something special.
Speaker 4:Right, yeah, that would be so cool and it's um, and I already feel like the Pikes Peak races are kind of like it's the best way to go up Pikes Peak If you're. You know, if you want to go do Pikes Peak, go. Might as well go do the ascent or something, because it's supported, you get a ride back down and it's just a really fun day. It doesn't matter how fast you go, as long as you can somehow stay ahead of the cutoffs. But for you know, for trail runners it's not a difficult cutoff. I don't think it. For trail runners it's not a difficult cutoff, I don't think.
Speaker 3:It's true. Do you want to hear a funny Matt story? That happened to me the other day.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Dude, you're going to laugh really hard at this. So I talked to Anton. What? No, I talked to Anton on Thursday, Friday. This was Friday.
Speaker 4:So I'm like scouting this new.
Speaker 3:I shouldn't put this out into the world, but I found some trails near Crystal Park that I've been liking really a lot lately. That ace showed me. That's all I'll say about trails. I'm near crystal park, I put it that way. I think I know where you, where they are. I'm leaving my leave, I'm leaving the that parking lot, and who do?
Speaker 3:I see matt carpenter just randomly walking down the road and so I I like slow down because I'm like I do I have time to have a conversation with him. I'm thinking I'm gonna talk to him, so him, so I go to like slow down, like roll down my window, and then I check the time and I'm like, oh my God, I'm 30 minutes late to get back to work, like I I cannot. So I like slow down my car just enough to where it's weird. And he like looks at me and like we make awkward eye contact. And then I like speed up and like he like looks at me befuddled and like I don't know if he recognized me or I don't think he even knows who I am. So I like keep driving and I'm like drive up a little fast. So he like pulls out his phone thinking I'm like a stalker like takes a photo of my license plate. So this gets back to him. Matt Carver, I'm really sorry Like I was not stalking you, but I was going to talk to you anyway, so yeah.
Speaker 4:Supposedly he has a run streak still going on. That spans a long time, like since 2012 or something I don't know Really, or maybe beyond that. I don't know a long time. So, and he's often on. I often see him on Intamin.
Speaker 3:Yep, that's always where I see him. You know another funny story. I bumped into him. I'm having like a nice sunday, like I just figured out this like new route on my bike, uh, from the house and I could go up lower gold camp. And I'm like on the climb on lower gold camp just chilling, like just on the road section on my gravel bike, just taking it all in having a great sunday, and who like catches me as mac carpenter, and I didn't realize it was him.
Speaker 3:I was like who the fuck is this guy like like trying to like race with me? So I get on his tail, I'm like racing, I'm holding them Like I'm like not letting this guy get away from me and all of a sudden I guess he realizes like I'm on his tail and he drops me like hard and he only gets like maybe 50 yards ahead of me. It's where like turns from gravel into road or from road into gravel on lower goal camp and he like turns around and like gives me this look and just like shots, like just completely like takes off on the descent. I was like, oh man, matt carpenter still got it there's that same guy stalking me again.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, he still got it.
Speaker 4:So I've got some funny run-ins with him, like it's kind of weird I always say hi to him, but I'm you know he's probably everybody says hi to him, he recognizes him.
Speaker 3:I'd love to talk to him, have him on. He's um, it's funny. Anton said something really like not on our podcast but in another one, that like really stuck with me. He's like I would want to be different than Matt, cause I guess Matt has been in previous years a little more, little more quiet, more reclusive, doesn't really come out to stuff and, like I think he's, I think he might start to come out more just because, like now, he's got a youtube channel out there.
Speaker 4:probably people don't know about this yeah, you showed it to me, peak runner. Yeah, he put. He posted some great things on there. Has he posted anything recently?
Speaker 3:uh, he put up. Um no, I've actually watched like I think it's been a bit of a year since he put stuff up. Okay, but he put up like stuff like back when manitou like flooded and had um, all those, uh like all kinds of stuff, yeah yeah.
Speaker 3:So it was interesting talking to anton too because, like I brought up, I was like you know, that year you would have run pikes and not run leadville, like have you? You would have clashed with mac arpenter, like he's, like he swears he wasn't in good enough shape to beat him, but I just find that like that. That would have been a very interesting like story in our sport had anton run that race yeah, I think it would, as you.
Speaker 4:As you said in the podcast, I think it might have changed anton's trajectory because when he he ran that leadville it was like he really arrived on on the stage at that point super stardom yeah and probably wouldn't happen with pike's peak no it's interesting.
Speaker 3:He just thinks that. I mean. According to him it would have been delayed, but interesting yeah, yeah, he's probably right about that.
Speaker 4:Eventually he would have been an ultra runner yeah, but super cool guy.
Speaker 3:Um, all right, let's talk more about pike's peak. Where are we going with this? We're talking about the legends. Um, like the three different uh races. You think there's like, what did you like most about? How about this? Because dipsy's its own thing, mount marathon's very much his own thing.
Speaker 4:Pikes is something what still do you is the most special you know, let me talk about because you, because you had mentioned the Alaska community.
Speaker 4:Yes, there's definitely a community in Marin County for Dipsy and there is but the community in Alaska was, it seemed there was some really great runners there and really just a ton of really strong runners. And you know, most of them probably can't come down here to do races here Certainly a lot of them do but they are very welcoming to me and the funny thing is that there was a contingent from Alaska who did Dipsy this year, contingent from Alaska who did Dipsy this year and with the intent of they ran, did the runner section this year and they're going to and then they qualified for the invitational next year. So they're going to come back and Matias has said he's going to come back and try to do what I'm doing this year. Do all three of them? Isn't Matias entered in the marathon?
Speaker 3:That's a good question. Anyway, we'll have to chat. Entered in the marathon.
Speaker 4:That's a good question. Anyway, if he is, we'll have to chat. So the community is really tight. They have a whole series of races there, real trail races there in the Anchorage area, and when I went there, it wasn't just my friend from Colorado Springs who would let me sleep on his couch, his Airbnb couch, but I had a couple other people who would let me sleep in in their you know, in their house. So I mean it was just, it was amazing the community and the welcoming spirit and everyone's just super nice, and so I really appreciated that, that aspect of it. And sometimes, you know, I think that's partly just Alaska. Do you think?
Speaker 3:and I don't want to go off on a tangent here, but this is something we're talking about for 2026 that Broken Arrow does. Do you think we could benefit from an elite housing program for Pikes Peak, like? Do you think that would help, just from a community perspective, for us to build?
Speaker 4:more for sure, for sure, I don't know. Yeah, we probably got away from that a little bit with when the golden trail series was here, because they had their own accommodation plan, right so we used to do it.
Speaker 3:Then no one brought that up to me.
Speaker 4:When I brought that up at the I don't know I'm assuming it, this is my memory maybe, and I was never on the elite program anyway, but um, it seems like there was people staying in houses, I don't know.
Speaker 3:Okay, yeah, I just think that that's something we could definitely benefit. There's like so many different, like different ideas you could throw at this race to continue to like, make it and improve, make a change, you know.
Speaker 4:And and um, to be fair, you know, I think that you know we had the Pikes Peak, had the event downtown for a while for the registration and then they tried to make it an event in Manitou. They closed the main street in Manitou on Marathon Day and that was pretty cool. I don't know how it was for the business owners.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they probably didn't like that A bunch of tired runners run walking around.
Speaker 4:But you know so there were some of that feel feeling and I've been to broken arrow too and and they, they had the advantage just having the ski resort there and having it completely.
Speaker 3:Nothing but trail runners it's kind of its own like centered thing, whereas manitou is the town. You know we talked about this, and this is something I've wondered for a while is if we bring the expo out to downtown or instead of, and then make people park out, you know, on an OCC and then walk in or something like that, or have a shuttle system. I think that would make it, I don't know like. I think the beauty of like mammoth, for instance, one thing they do really well is they showcase their town. They make it like this is our resort, our town, our place, and I think we need to do a better job of like showcasing our mountain in a lot of ways.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'd be interested to know what the response was in 2018 and 2019 when they did did something similar. Yeah. So I remember, I remember the stage for the awards for the marathon was set up right on the street. So, um, I don't know what the feedback was, and then covid kind of messed up yeah, a lot of that stuff after that yeah, committee, there's always a committee.
Speaker 3:All right, let's talk about the 2025 race a little bit. I think this is a much different type of race than we've had in previous years, but the exception of last year. I think this is very similar to last year. Um, have you checked the weather forecast?
Speaker 4:I actually have not going into this well, the the weather forecast I saw today was high of like 60 um 70, I think okay down here but and uh, low in the morning of like 50. So if it was like you know, which is about what it was today, what really matters is the barometric pressure, and it would be interesting to see how that plays out. We've had some really high-pressure days lately. Yeah.
Speaker 4:And so I'm hopeful that we'll get a good high-pressure day on race day, Because we have had some more not as many clear blue skies as we normally do in september.
Speaker 3:I don't know how it's going to go yeah, the weather's been very up, and so here's my question is if we get another bad weather year and we have to change the marathon again or the ascent or something like I, I wonder if that's going to put pressure on the organization to move the race back to august, because that's that's the million dollar question, not that that that's like being discussed internally, but like there's. I mean there's a good chance we move the race a week earlier next year, or maybe two weeks earlier, just because there was like something we were talking about about this, about that they needed the first weekend of September or something like that for something else, for Manitou.
Speaker 4:And now that's like the Labor Day.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but now it's like not a thing, like not, it's not labor day, it's something. Maybe it's the second week of september. Um, they like needed it for something oh really yeah, like with manitou, and now whatever that was is not like a roadblock anymore.
Speaker 4:I don't know something you know we had horrible weather up there and on uh, the weekend pikes peak on leadville weekend yeah it wasn't great, so um, I think it's probably better in september do you think so?
Speaker 3:maybe like earlier, though, like in september, maybe first or second? Week? Yeah, because I think I mean do the 20th is such a dice roll with just snow and with just I. I mean the last few years it's been close.
Speaker 4:I guess I'm not on that bandwagon. I think that the decision to move it to September was the right one.
Speaker 3:I had a woman reach out to me asking if she could put together a what the hell was it, I shit you not a petition to get it moved back in August I was like no, please don't do that.
Speaker 4:Well, I was in. I ran in when was it? Was it like the Thursday before or something, when it would have been? I ran from Elk Park and there was I'm not kidding you a foot of hail for a mile along that trail from Oak Park to Bar Camp.
Speaker 3:No way.
Speaker 4:On the peak, so I mean it wasn't on Bar Trail, but it could have been. Yeah. And it was crazy, this was more than 24 hours. Well, maybe it was from the night before and then that afternoon I went, so it was on a Sunday, but it was around that time and monsoon season it happens in August, yeah it's true.
Speaker 3:It's true. I mean, this is the nature of the beast. This is what happens when you have races on 14,000 foot mountains.
Speaker 4:I mean UTMB always scheduled it during the, when their weather turns every year. It's true.
Speaker 3:Yeah, this year was an interesting year. They had to change some stuff around, which made it interesting, right yeah?
Speaker 4:And that's pretty, that's common. So, yeah, I don't I, I, we definitely want to go to the top. Yeah. Last year was horrible yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't know. It should be a good one either way. I think it'll be. It'll be fun nonetheless. So what stuck out to you about the start list this year, any particular people that have you interested for the 2025 season or 2025 race, I should say anything um, on both ends the ascent or the marathon that kind of stuck out to you what do you want to start with?
Speaker 4:the marathon or the um oh man?
Speaker 3:well, I could say one thing is I had a sizable role if not with my with our board member partner Sarah, as far as putting together the competitive entries. But there was still people that popped up on both the Ascent and Marathon that didn't reach out to us for competitive entries. So they were just kind of filtered into the list like Seth and Joe Damore, just kind of signed up on their own. They were just kind of filtered into the list.
Speaker 3:Like Seth and Joe Damore just kind of signed up on their own, mika Bowdoin Rocio, who is not officially on the race start list yet but will be.
Speaker 4:He was on the list that I saw. He was on the list.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that means he signed up then as of today. Okay, he and I spoke yesterday, so he's in.
Speaker 4:Well, that's great.
Speaker 3:But that's for the ascent, uh, for the marathon, all right. So one big thing I do want to caveat for the marathon is that we had a lot of athletes reach out to us this year. This is the fun part that I never realized before about running an organization or doing work for an organization is that, like you know, there's a lot of moving parts. So we had a lot of athletes this year reach out to drop from the marathon and move down to the ascent. That's kind of the story of 2025. Wow, more than um, quite a few. So it's a much thinner field in the marathon, in my honest opinion.
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 3:Um, the, the deep race this year is going to be the ascent again, from what I can tell.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and that's that's usually the case, it's. You know, it doesn't take, as Some people use it as a springboard into some of these fall races.
Speaker 3:That's very true, very true. Yeah, any, any names in particular stuck out or any storylines or anything outside of that that you think. I can even give some names, for instance, like on the registration list there won't be there on the marathon side. Like Hawk call will not be racing and he's a notable drop. Definitely would have been a contender for the win. Who's not going to be there? Adrian mcdonald as well. Former two-time leadville champion.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that would have been interesting that would have been interesting.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would have liked to have seen adrian and hawk mix it up with john. I think it would have made john's uh for pete possibly much more harder, or a little bit harder, if you will, or as like I look at this lesson now and I just see like unless John trips on a rock, I think he's going to have himself, oh, for sure.
Speaker 4:He's my, he's my pick too, and Christina, Christina as well On the women's side. So that was my you asked for. My general take is that the low you know the local runners are definitely going to um do well, there's going to be a lot of local runners who are going to finish in the top 10 this year at a major event, and then this is a real opportunity for them to do that, which just makes it such a special day.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I agree, I mean amongst Christine. I should talk about Christina as well. Christina, we did have her. She is well, she's not on the list yet she is going be running. Um, she, I think, is very excited to come back for a potential. This would be her fourth win, if she does get it, pull it off, which I mean as far as the record books go and as far as legacy on this mountain, um, you know, up there with some of the most winningest persons that have ever run this race, which is pretty cool right and she has the fastest downhill time.
Speaker 3:She does have the fastest time. She is probably. I mean, I don't know. It's hard for me to say cause, like I'm not aware, like I'm less aware of the women downhill and uphill times, as I am like, for instance, like my cohort and the men.
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 3:Um, but I have to say like I'd put her up there amongst one of the best female downhill downhillers in America for sure.
Speaker 4:Oh for sure, and especially on this mountain. Um yeah, she's put on some incredible performances coming down but, but she won't be under any pressure, um, from what I can tell from the entry list. But who knows?
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, I agree. I like I yeah, Looking at the, I don't see her being pressured. But who knows? You said it could be. Could be a tell of different years, I don't know. She seems to be in good form this year, you know 20,.
Speaker 4:she got top 20 in the pikes or top 20 in the broken arrow, 23 K and she won BTMR this year and not a super close race for btmr, but I I don't think she was challenged too much. But yeah, I talked to a couple guys who she passed on the way down, so oh, yeah, they were impressed.
Speaker 3:They were impressed. She's a killer man. I always love seeing christina and you know, every time I see her on the trails she's always smiling, she's always saying hi and you know she's always just such a pleasant person, you know, like just kind of uplifts the mood even if you're having a rough day out. Like you know, she's always very positive.
Speaker 4:I'm. I happen to be on top when, like a mile down from the top, when, when she set the record coming down and was that 2018 or something? And she was just smiling, she, you know, waved at me and as she ran by everybody going down, that was, that was an incredible race, oh my gosh.
Speaker 3:Yeah, she's a killer, absolute killer. You know it'd be cool to one of these years if we could get like a I don't know if we go back into being a series of some kind or working with a series of some kind if we had the right rabbits and like the right athletes in the race to push her, I'd love to see her try and make a go at the record. I don't know how touchable mod's record is in my opinion. I mean, you gotta remember too mod necessarily didn't come from altitude, so I wonder how much more touchables like I'd like to see ali give it a go too. Like I think that there's some ladies, um, you know, that could definitely challenge for that marathon record, especially given christina's descending yeah, I think definitely christina, or um, it'd be interesting to see ally go for the marathon.
Speaker 4:Hasn't she done the marathon once?
Speaker 3:yeah, I think she got second or she won it.
Speaker 4:I should know this yeah, I should know this too, I. But she did the double, that's what I think it was, so she didn't win that year. But no, I think she got second. She had done the double yeah, and she would have.
Speaker 3:I think ashley brassivan might have beaten her that year. Um, I'm looking it up right now while we're doing this.
Speaker 4:But yeah, I think a healthy Allie could challenge that record. But you know, in 2019 when Maude set that, she was at the very top at the women's. She won the Golden Trail Series that year. That's not wrong.
Speaker 3:Allie McLaughlin has run the marathon twice actually. Okay, she was third in what is this? 2020? And then she was second in 2021. Both years she did the double, where she actually no first in 2020, she did not do the double yeah.
Speaker 3:So in 2021, she did the double where she won. So, yeah, there you go. Now I got the, the results pulled up and I can actually give some. Give some commentary. She, you know it's interesting. So it just goes to show you how much she improved from 2020 to 2021. In 2021 was the year she doubled. In 2021 she beat her time from 2020. In 2020 she ran uh 438 12, and 2021 she ran 438 06. That's six seconds off. That's crazy how like close that is crazy, yeah.
Speaker 4:Who won in? Who won those years?
Speaker 3:uh, hold on. I think ashley brassavan won in 2021, but let me just make sure, making me think for this, I know.
Speaker 4:I could be looking it up too. Sorry, I'm just an Allie Mack fan, I guess.
Speaker 3:No, me too, Me too. Why isn't that coming up?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I believe it was Ashley Brassavone. Wow, I would like to see more competition in the marathon. It's interesting how it ebbs and flows, and when the Golden Trail Series was part of the marathon, that really helped, oh my apologies, it was Stevie Kramer who won. Okay, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, stevie Kramer won that year 2021. All right, so let's get into. We'll talk about. I'm going to talk about the ascent because I feel like there's more names in there, more story. Um, I think the big one that stood out for me was seth james demore and joe demore uh, my teammate, a las partiva, is in this race. Um, joe demore is in good shape. I just saw him at cirque series, grand targi. Um, where he got on the podium, had a great race there. And then seth demore it's always hard for me to kind of figure out like where he's at in his season. He usually likes to peak for races like this Um, he raced.
Speaker 3:He had a really bad race at um, what was it? The GoPro games earlier in June. I would imagine he's fit now. Um, so it was hard to tell. I don't know. He shows up to these races and he's so good above tree line that, like you, can never count him out.
Speaker 4:He's been doing a lot of a lot of 14ers this summer, this summer and, yeah, uh, last weekend, on sunday, I think he just yesterday he set a um a cr on one of the alternate mount albert routes, did he really okay?
Speaker 3:so so he's fit very he seems like he's fit.
Speaker 4:Yeah, he can. Yeah, he didn't set it on the main one. He said on the south, the south trail you know what's crazy?
Speaker 3:of all his ascent times, his fastest one was when he won the marathon in 2021.
Speaker 4:He ran 206 44 I know that was a crazy great race dude, that's so fast.
Speaker 3:You know what's interesting too. He's always I mean, I've heard legendary stories about him above tree line that he just mows people down. Both in 2023 and then even last year, in 24. He caught um, he caught mika. Mika was in second place for most of that race and he caught Mika. I think it was like either just below the golden stair, it was close.
Speaker 4:Uh 23 in 2024.
Speaker 3:Uh, last year when he got second to Joe he got, he was very caught, mika, right at the end.
Speaker 4:Wasn't last year that were brain out or the? They didn't go to the top.
Speaker 3:Oh no, they went. They didn't go to the top. No, they went to the top last year. You're talking about the ascent. I'm talking about the ascent, not the marathon. Sorry, I'm sorry. No, you're good.
Speaker 4:Yeah, he does, just mow people down.
Speaker 3:He's very good above tree line, so the DeMoor brothers are going to be in this race. Another name that stands out for me in my opinion, the person that beat in this race is going to be brian whitfield. Um eighth place in 2023 ran 214, 55. Yes, he's not quite has the pr that seth does, but there is such a thing as father time and I think brian has aged into the best form of himself right now. Another top 10 finish of the broken arrow 46k. He's out there in gunnison running at high altitude and training really hard. Um. I think there's a lot of indicators and last week, fifth place at uh Cirque series. Um a basin which is a super fast.
Speaker 3:That was very competitive race.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Um, a lot of indicators that he's in good shape, in my opinion.
Speaker 4:Yeah, he's definitely on my list as well.
Speaker 3:Um some other names that stand out to me Jarrett Gillingham, kieran Ney. Jarrett Gillingham has had a he was at Mount Marathon with you. Yeah, I think, he got a top 10 finish, I believe somewhere in that range. Kieran Ney, who just got on the podium of the Grand Traverse.
Speaker 4:You know Kieran has had a great year. He did really well in some of the Golden Trail Series and I think he really had a breakout year this year. Yeah. And I've got him in my top three yeah.
Speaker 3:No, I think you know Kieran's come close man. Like you know, last year he got what fifth at the Ascent. He was there. I kind of picked him to be on the podium last year and take that step forward. You know, I think maybe his training this year might have been more um, for I don't know, it's hard to say like maybe it was more for grand traverse stuff, more longer stuff. I do know he has a few more races lined up after this that are a bit longer, so maybe he's trying dabbling at the longer stuff.
Speaker 3:He was one of the original ones that was signed up for the marathon and dropped down to the ascent okay, okay um, which is interesting because I wonder if he could have actually won uh or challenged for the marathon win this year against uh john I mean john's in sick shape like he he seems like he's really fit jeff got second to him at uh um at btmr and jeff, you had some some high praise to give to him.
Speaker 4:So yeah, he's been spending a lot of time on the mountain too, so yeah. I'm excited to see John.
Speaker 3:Um, some other names that stuck out to me Tyler Vierman, who had a top 20 finish last year. He's coming back. He had a pretty okay finish at a Cirque series, a basin he was in the mix. Um, a big name for me is Zach Erickson. I I recruited him to come out to this race and I feel very proud of that. Um, zach erickson was a top top 10 at sunup. This year seventh. He's also the collegiate national title holder and was on the podium last year at the us mountain running championship for cirque snowbird. Uh, the kid is sick talented he's so good, he's from utah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he can't be anything older than 21. He's a collegiate national title holder. I'll tell you how old he specifically is right now, zach Erickson is 24. Oh, I'm sorry I'm wrong 24 years old, so he's a little bit older. In college, 20 to 24 category Never ran Pikes Peak before. He's from Orem, utah Absolute stud. Like I think he has an opportunity to get on the podium Like he's that talented, that would be big for him.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a little bit long for him and it's a little bit high, so he tends to stand out in those mountain classic races.
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 3:You know, in the Wasatch, especially Orem that's where Christian Allen is from and a lot of other stud athletes. I you know what is temp 11,000 feet, something like that, so you can get it pretty high up above tree line. But I think once you get um there's, it's very difficult to mimic that anything above. Uh, maybe a frame Like that's a very difficult thing to nail yeah, unless you can train on the mountain, that's, that's a really.
Speaker 4:If you're not doing, not spending time up there, it's going to be tough. Yeah, yep, but but he may, he may well. I haven't checked his strava, so he may well be getting up high yeah so one guy who I know who, who has been, who has made several trips up to the top, is evans cabat and he's been going up with joe and um you think he's the heir apparent I think that he he has a chance to get on the podium.
Speaker 3:Okay, all right, I've I mean I've followed a lot of his training. Evans cabat, like I've like, uh like he's shown up at some uh like different like leaderboards and stuff that I like I've seen on him. So I know he's like kind of in the mix with Joe bunch. Joe didn't I? I should have asked her today if he could give me more information on him, but I know last year he was supposed to race and didn't race. So I don't know. I mean didn't apply for a competitive entry. I think he just signed up himself. I think he just signed up himself. I mean, if he's been up there with Joe toying around, I'm sure Joe's given him some pointers.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think he's been up there with Joe and John, from what I can tell.
Speaker 3:Interesting Maybe air pair.
Speaker 4:He doesn't post on Strava.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's not much on there. There's a few things here and there that'll be on a leaderboard. Peter Maximal is returning to this race.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I wanted to talk about that because that is so great Peter's been working through. He's had an injury for I don't know a decade, and that he had a knee injury. I think he got it from either BTMR or the marathon Pikes Peak Marathon and it just really took him. He was he was, um, a sponsored pro at the time and it just really set him back, so it's so good to see him out there yeah, you know, I don't know peter super well.
Speaker 3:Um, we'll have to have him on the podcast at some point. I had no idea that guy like I've met him probably three or four times. I didn't know he was 46 years old. I thought he was much younger. Like he comes off as much younger to me.
Speaker 4:So, yeah, it's going to be cool to see him in the mix. He's a great photographer. We're really lucky to have him in the sport.
Speaker 3:Now he's, like I said, very well known. It's going to be very cool to have him. It's a good mix up.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I was surprised to see his name on there and so happy that he's making it back.
Speaker 3:A couple more names I want to throw out. There is Owen Wright, Mark Shenberger. Mark used to live in the Springs. I know he used to be roommates with Ace Brown.
Speaker 4:So you know he's fast. He spent some time in Durango. He's back in Denver now, though, right.
Speaker 3:Is he? I don't know. The last I knew of him was in Durango. Let's see what he's listed under Mark, mark, mark, he's still listed under Durango. Yeah, I think he just moved back to Denver Did he yeah, I snipe all of his stuff from like 2019 to 2020 on Strava Like he's got a lot of like really good routes that people don't like to do in the springs. So there's some, some good little gems in there.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think that we I cross with him quite a bit on the routes too yeah, lots of good stuff there.
Speaker 3:Um, nick tusa, do you want to shout out? Uh, one of my good buddies, frequent co-host on the podcast and sometimes training partner, nick tusa. Um, nick just got on the podium of um devil on the divide, had a great finish there. He's definitely fit. He's peaking for this race. Uh, this is a race on the year, so I would not know. Not I would. I would expect to see him somewhere in that top 10, top 15 mix up. I know he um is targeting that, so it's going to be cool to see Nick in the mix.
Speaker 3:Uh, jeff cuno as well. Um, jeff, second place btmr. Um, him as well. Just race zach miller at the devil on the divide, 50k. Had a great finish there. Um, he's kind of figuring out the 50k distance and and lower, so this is going to be one of his shorter races of the year. He's, I think, a back-to-back-to-back champion at the up and over 10k down in taos primary new mexico runner, but, as of this year, has been staying at higher altitude, living up in evergreen or around eight or nine thousand feet. Um, jeff is interesting man, like he's one of the brightest minds.
Speaker 4:Uh, as far as coaching goes, he's a brilliant coach I listened to, uh, to that podcast you did with him and was. It was really interesting he's and I've talked to him and in the past he's really a great runner great runner.
Speaker 3:Good dude, just a very good, kind human and someone that he's always given me pointers and, um, I'm always asking him questions and stuff like that, so he is, uh, extremely talented he's been playing around a lot more above tree line. He says he feels comfortable. One of the things he was working on nailing this time around in his words were, um, you know, kind of that high, high up, being able to feel good above a frame. I think that's the the number one thing a lot of people are trying to work on get that dialed in and yeah.
Speaker 4:So the key there is just saving it for above bar camp and yeah we should. We should have a conversation about what it takes to run a good ascent I mean, I think it's so hard the expert, but um, it's so many people get it wrong that it's really fascinating to watch people up above tree line yeah it's, I mean, it's really interesting.
Speaker 3:I I think a master class of seph demore, in my opinion oh yeah like he just um. Like I said I I think it's very easy in that first 2000 feet, even in that first road mile. I mean that first road mile only gains a few hundred feet. Like it's not that hard for a tapered elite to go run sub six minute pace on that.
Speaker 3:And then you know you're what low, five minute, high, four minute grade adjusted pace and you're going to continue that into the five, six minute great adjusted pace on the w's and you're destroyed by the time you hit 2200 feet and you're like oh my god, I have a lot more to run right um, I think it's easier, it's smarter to just sit back and let the race unfold in front of you and then, once you hit the flats, you can make moves like once you turn on to uh, it is so easy to just push too hard on the Ws and try to get past people Because it's so steep.
Speaker 4:you can go way too hard too, fast. You know the guy who does other than Carpenter, obviously the guy who has done the best on pacing himself, I think, is Joe.
Speaker 3:Gray yes, yep.
Speaker 4:And, if you look, he's one of the very few people who can do a negative split from bar camp just so crazy the thing is.
Speaker 3:I think one of the hardest parts to nail too is that section of and I say this on it probably every like like pike's peak episode that we talk about is that section above bar camp to a-frame yeah those switchbacks are just like. So make like, if you're hiking that you are getting swallowed up, your race is over. Like you're not competitive at that point. Like you have to run every step of that or else it's going to be it's game over If you want to get on that podium or get in the top 10.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and it's really Rocky and and just gets higher and higher, and that's where people do start walking especially well, a lot of the top women will end up walking, run, walking, that. Yeah. And they'll, so it's. I wonder how many of the top guys end up run, walking, or at what point does that start? I've been told.
Speaker 3:I mean, I feel like I don't know. It depends on the person, but I've been told like, oh, is it 2023 Pikes? Francesco Poopy was like on the side of the trail, like dying, and like walked it all and came back from the dead and like I forget what he finished at, but he had a one up having a good finish. I don't know, it just depends. Like, I think you can get, you might be able to get away with it, but then you're going to have to book it. Once you hit a frame and it starts to flatten out a little bit, you're going to have to get. You know it, but it's still. You know you're at 12 plus. So good luck with that.
Speaker 3:That's another section that's hard to nail. Um, I think, a lot of moves. If you're going to make a move, in my opinion, where I would make the move is going to be in that flat section. Uh, once you turn off the no name and you get above, once you basically get above no name, um, before bar camp, because it's flatter, right and you have run seven minute pace.
Speaker 4:If you took it easy enough on the W's then you have permission to run a little faster on that on over to bar camp. Yeah. But as he says, the race didn't really start until I get to bar camp.
Speaker 3:I can see that.
Speaker 4:I mean it makes sense Um but, but, um, but I also see lots of people just running as hard as they can to bar camp and just surviving to the top which I don't recommend. And and I maybe it doesn't matter, but I I do think that if you can negative split it and if you go back and look at past years, almost nobody negative splits, no, no and if you could actually come close to even splits, then that's probably the best way to run it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it's, it's. It's tricky mountain, definitely a tricky mountain than the last, but we'll have to. There's plenty of people I want to see out here still Like I wonder if it's always hard because it conflicts with the rut so much. But next year that's not a world's year. I'd love to see if we can get Michelino back out here to do something like this Some of the better mountain runners in the country to make the marathon great. In a lot of ways. It would be kind of cool to get some more mountain guys out here to do the marathon, like Adam Peterman. Get him back, there's a lot of people. I think that could be Adam Peterman. Get him back. There's a lot of people. I think that could be David Sinclair. He's a former champion.
Speaker 3:It'd be cool to get him back. He was at the start list last year and didn't show David Sinclair.
Speaker 4:Well, we want to have the worlds interfering with the schedule next year, so that'll be a big part of it.
Speaker 3:Opens things up. Yeah, I mean, this is the million-dollar question. It's like, all right, at what point in time does like UTMB consolidation start to like really impact it, especially for like people are very I mean, july or September. July, september, is like a very picky time because it's like you're either going to Pikes this year, you're either going to Pikes, world worlds, the rut, or you're going to go to or mammoth and mammoth. It's got a huge following as well. If you're from that california area, I think a lot of people are mammoth curious to see. You know, tim's got a built a amazing thing there.
Speaker 4:So, yeah, it's going to be interesting. I think it's mainly worlds that's interfering this year with um a lot of the colorado well we'd have joe back, for instance.
Speaker 3:Like I'm sure joe would go for another win um, and I don't think it would be particularly that hard for him. I think this would be a particular like I. To me the most interesting race out of the entire series is going to be the women's ascent. Like I'm very excited to see what happens on the women's. Like there's one name that stands out to me that I'm like really excited to see um, and then there's another, like a good list of like other competitors that I'm like, huh, this could be, this could be really interesting to see what happens.
Speaker 4:Like it is totally wide open, I think yeah who do you who? Who is the one name that stands out to you? Oh, reena schwartz that's what I was going to say yeah she's, she's been doing really well yeah mount washington.
Speaker 3:Although it was a shortened course, mount washington winner um this year and I, even if the course was longer, I think she still would have won. Like arena's in really good form this year. Um also just can't like shows that it's not a fluke just racing down at sea level because she's she lived in vermont for um a good chunk of the year right and then comes up here has only been here for a short period of time and wins circ series a basin, and like wins it beats um.
Speaker 3:Like, for instance, like beat courtney coppinger no, who wasn't necessarily peaking for this race she's peaking for worlds in a couple weeks, uh, but still be courtney coppinger, who's one of the best, if not having the best, female mountain runner year this year, besides a few others. Um, yeah, dude, reena is very young and has, in my opinion, an extremely bright future, like I'm very excited to see, um, you know, which she's you know possibly could do, and she's only, I think she's 25 years old.
Speaker 4:So yeah, definitely kind of new to the scene.
Speaker 3:Yep Um. A few others that stick out to me Alicia Vargo Um. She's mixed it up in a few golden trail series races in previous years. I think she has a good shot. Um. Sarah Carter Um. She's mixed it up in a few golden trail series races in previous years. I think she has a good shot. Um. Sarah Carter Um. I'm excited to see Sarah Carter in this race as well. I think she has an opportunity to challenge for the podium.
Speaker 3:Um has two top 10 finishes this year one at tape act trail um at the golden trail world series and the other one at the uh pits Alpen glacier. Um had a good finish at OCC as well. So as long as she's not too tired in the legs, I think she'd have a good race. Um. Also andy cornish. I think andy cornish has the ability to do very well here.
Speaker 3:Um said some really good finishes this year at races um a lot of ascent races, so she's like an interesting, like medical thing I think she was pretty transparent with this on the podcast where, because of certain medical reasons, she can only race uphill races this year. That's like her time, unless she gets a specific. I think it's like a special surgery so that way she can race downhill as well. I forget what it specifically was. What was the issue? And I don't want to say the wrong thing and then have to go back and edit it. Yada, yada, yada, but back and edit it, yada, yada, yada, but she's been doing pretty well anyway. Dude, andy corner, she's a killer. Andy corner, she's an absolute crusher.
Speaker 3:We're having her on for a pre-race interview, uh, I think tomorrow. Um, so yeah, expect to see her in the mix. Um, I'm not really sure. I'm told anime flynn will. I'm not really sure if she's going to be there or not. I've got like mixed information on that. So there's a chance you see anime fly. There's a chance you might not see anime Flynn.
Speaker 4:Um, what do you think about Brittany Sharpa now?
Speaker 3:She's an uh I.
Speaker 4:I you know former marathon winner marathon, but it's. It's hard for me to to track exactly how how serious she is about it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's, it's, I mean she is about it. Yeah, it's, it's, I mean she's one of those. Uh, she was, she's a tnf athlete, um, so she gets a auto entry from them.
Speaker 4:So I was.
Speaker 3:I was told entry because she's a former champ former champ she's I don't know man it's hard for me to say like she's an interesting person, I um she's also have you or do you follow her on strava?
Speaker 4:She she's. Maybe she's actually a very funny and what she calls she's got jokes, man, yeah.
Speaker 3:She's got jokes.
Speaker 4:Pretty funny.
Speaker 3:Uh, yeah, I love her approach. Um, I know she was at the rut this weekend, but I don't think she raced. I think she was just there supporting Okay, Uh, it's hard to say I don like. The reason I'm hesitant is because she's been on the list the last few years and has not raced, so I'm not really sure what will. If she'll line up on race day, what the situation will be like there. Gwen Rudy she's put down as Gwendolyn Rudy here. Gwen Rudy is a schema athlete, a very talented uphill athlete.
Speaker 3:I will say she doesn't race too much trail stuff when she does um. So, for instance, she said top 10 finishes, like sonipi when the ascent was there back in 2023, um, when it was a selection race for worlds right like she can mix it up with the best of them and I think she's only probably improved on the uphill, like for being a vertical schemo athlete.
Speaker 3:Um, ginormous engine, like just very talented. Lives at leadville, like you know, it's not going to be a problem being above 10 000 feet for someone like her, so I would not be surprised, as here, mix it up in the top five, top ten maybe. Um, another name I see on here is janelle links. Did compete at cirque series, a based, and she's always a tricky one for me. So like I didn't recruit her for this, like for like the elites I she applied and like I said I accepted it because I really wanted to see her like mix it up.
Speaker 4:She's had some awesome years.
Speaker 3:Dude, she's so talented, such a good climber, but at the same time, I don't know if you know, she's very picky and choosy about what she races. Like she'll be signed up for stuff in the nutshell, so I really don't know. And like she'll be signed up for stuff in the nutshell, right. So I I really don't know. And that's no like shade to anyone, it's just that, like I, it's hard for me to know where you're. If you're going to mix it up, if you're not gonna, you know, um, one name I do really want to throw out there sophie wright.
Speaker 3:Uh, trail team elite alaskan athlete yes, I was going to mention her um, yeah, always a very you know, extremely talented, now living in colorado and boulder. So she's got that altitude adaptation. Um, seems like she's had a couple of tough races this year. She had a tough race at Sunapee and she also had a tough race, um, at Cirque a basin. So it's going to be interesting to see like where um, you know where that kind of goes and if she's able to mix it up there. Um, I think, if she races smart, I think she'll have a, you know, a fantastic day for herself.
Speaker 3:Another couple of notables that are not going to be racing or another notable that won't be racing is going to be. I think his name is already off the list. Benjamin Townsend is a notable absence. I think he's getting ready for the Skyrunner U23 World Series final that's going to be in October and he's raced a ton this year, so I think he's going to. I think Benjamin's really intelligent in this and, like he, he wants to win this race one day and wants to compete on the podium one day, and you know he knows himself. If he's not feeling like ready to go, then you know it's smart to rest and, you know, take some time off. So is.
Speaker 4:did we talk about the, uh, the male, um peak runner from Kenya?
Speaker 3:No, Do you want to bring that one in there? This is a big question mark for me. I don't know. It's just this Ethiopian peak runner.
Speaker 4:Well, this one is Kenya. Right, there's a Kenyan one in there.
Speaker 3:No, Are you talking about for the Ascent or Marathon?
Speaker 4:The.
Speaker 3:Ascent. I'm sorry, let me see what we got in here. Peak runner for the ascent. I'm sorry, uh, let me see what we got in here, peak runner for the ascent, it's um yeah, I see it now on there too.
Speaker 4:It's interesting. I didn't approve this. I have no idea who this is. We often get a, a kenya, kenyan runner trying the trying pike's peak. Sometimes they do great and sometimes they don't finish my question is is why is this?
Speaker 3:uh and I just have to ask this as a member of the organization like I don't know why this is a anonymous.
Speaker 4:I didn't know you could sign up as anonymous, you can sign up as anonymous, which which makes it's not a competitive entry, right? No, it's a competitive entry on both sides. Yeah.
Speaker 3:On the both of them. Uh, one is for uh, I should know. This one's an Ethiopian, 35 to 39 year old male and one is a Kenyan, 35 to 39 year old male. One for the marathon, One for these. I have no idea who this is. I have to be honest, I only seen, I only get them as names and you can kind of see like okay you obviously on the competitive applications, like you like.
Speaker 4:All right, what is your? What are your achievements? What have you done? Why do you want to run this blah blah, blah? Yeah, I. So when they actually go sign up, you have the option to sign up anonymously.
Speaker 3:Well, there you go, this is. Uh, this is an interesting one. I have no idea who this is. I so you say every now and then, more than often, we get um it's not.
Speaker 4:it's not unusual to have, because there's groups of Kenyan. That train here Kenyan runners who train here or do a lot of road racing here, and they see that there's prize money at the Pikes Peak races, and so they think, well, maybe I'll try that. And sometimes it works out.
Speaker 3:I think it's cool man. It's always funny to me to see guys Less gals. I see I see more dudes showing up in like road shoes that run this race. Like uh, george foster, uh, shout out. George foster, legend uh, buddy of mine. He raced this race in 2020. Last year, um, a british fellow, he was one of the few people that started in uh when he raced the first time, I think it was like I forget what year it was started like way back in like a second wave or third wave and like still managed to get himself in the top 10 like oh wow, I didn't know about that dude's a legend anyway he was wearing yeah, go ahead he was wearing a modified pair of hokey hoka cielos that were like cut down and had vibram outsoles on them.
Speaker 3:they were like he actually had them like shaved down so like some of the foam was off. It was really neat. I've never seen like a modded pair of shoes like this before and he said they just had shit stability.
Speaker 4:but you know, on the ascent, like for the ascent it probably doesn't matter, yeah, so pretty interesting.
Speaker 3:Probably don't really need trail shoes for the ascent. No no, you might be better off in certain road shoes, I don't know.
Speaker 4:Yeah Well, I mean, yeah, there are. You'd probably be faster with lighter shoes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you never know.
Speaker 4:But not on the marathon. I don't see how you can do it on the marathon.
Speaker 3:No, you would die. You would die. It would not be good.
Speaker 4:Not be good, not be good. You could win that other prize of most bloodiest person.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, you beat alley for most stitches received at a marathon what was the um?
Speaker 4:yeah, maybe that's a topic for another conversation.
Speaker 3:Let's get into it. We're talking all things Pikes Peak. No, it's not Pikes Peak.
Speaker 4:That's what it was oh you know what, yeah, uh-huh. Okay, it was. Yeah, we'll just move on, okay.
Speaker 3:No problem, no problem, All right. Do you want to get into picks or is there any more topics that you want to discuss?
Speaker 4:Yeah, we can get in picks for the Ascent. Okay, are we just going to do top three? Yeah, that's fine, I'm down with top three, okay.
Speaker 3:I'll let you go. Let's start with the women Ladies first.
Speaker 4:We'll do women first and then men. Yeah, I think Rena Schwartz she was my pick for first and Andy Cornish and then Alicia Alicia Varga.
Speaker 3:Okay, I like it. I like it, I'm going to go, I do. I think Rena Schwartz is talented enough and probably will win this race. I think that's um. I think the only person that can really push her if she has a great day might be Alicia Vargo, or, if she shows up, is going to be anime Flynn. Like I said some things that are unsure there, so I'm not really sure if she's racing. Um, I'm going to go, reno Schwartz. One, I'm going to go to Andy Cornish. Um, and three, I'm going to go Sarah Carter, and I think we have yeah, I think that's our podium for the women.
Speaker 4:I think if the Janelle links that we had a few years ago shows up, if she's able to get back healthy, that she could be a factor too.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, no, definitely a factor. I see Annie Dubie as well, gwen Rudy, janelle, sophie, um and Alicia uh, alicia um Virgo, all competing for that top 10 spot. I think, I don't know, I this is, to me, is going to be the most interesting race in the entire, like the race within the race is going to be the women's field of the ascent. I think that, to me, just because there's yes, I think Rena will set herself up as a clear number one, but I think that two through ten spot, I think, is going to be up for grabs this year.
Speaker 3:Um, and you know, andy's had great races. I've, you know, seen her race. I think I actually have raced her. It's it might have been a cirque series. She's very talented, she's very good. Um, there's a few ladies in here that like, really stand out to me and I think sarah carter has had enough international experience to, with experience wise, I think she it just comes down to are you, how tired are you? You know, raised OCC race series and all raised a lot of races this year. So if she's fresh, um, fresh and rested, I think Sarah Carter could have an absolutely like lights out day here.
Speaker 4:Um, I think it's wide open and there's an opportunity for someone we have never heard of to come through, and this is the kind of race that presents that opportunity.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:So if you're ready for a high altitude hill climb, you can make. You can make an impact, yeah.
Speaker 3:Okay, um, let's go for the men. I'll let you uh go first on the men. Okay, let's go for the men.
Speaker 4:I'll let you go first on the men. You know, I think Seth is good, seth D'Amore is going to win and I've got Kieran Ney second and I've got Evans Kabet third.
Speaker 3:Do you really Okay we?
Speaker 4:got a completely different.
Speaker 3:I got Brian Whitfield fourth Okay, all right, some shade of Whitfield Brian has an incredible 2-14 time. This is a hard one for me, so I'm gonna go. I'm going first. Brian whitfield. Uh, I think brian whitfield gets the day he deserves. Dude his broken arrow. It sucks because he's got the second or no, so I'm sorry. He's got the seventh fastest time on the broken arrow 46k course. Wow, like brian when he shoots was that, Like Brian when he shoots Was that this year yeah.
Speaker 3:Okay, when he shoots, he does not miss man and I think he's. And I'm not going to speak for him, I just know if it were me, brian was probably and I don't know, this is not insider information, I don't know how real this is, but if I had to guess, brian was probably the first man left off the marathon team for Worlds. So I would imagine that that probably lights a little bit of a fire, a little chip on the shoulder. He's had some really good races here, dude Brian, when he shoots, when he so Brian, one thing I really appreciate and like about him is he like projects, it Like when he goes to do something he gives it 110% if it's his A race and he usually does not miss. So, that said, he told me personally he pushed on the ups at Cirque Series A Basin, didn't really try on the descent and still got fifth place in a super competitive race. Brian's fit. So I'm going to go. Brian won In second place.
Speaker 3:I'm going to go Mika, and the reason I'm gonna say mika is because he he only raised once this year. He just came back from injury, from knee injury, uh, he's been trying to rehab for a while now. Um, he's an interesting person and I'll say is that like he's one of those mental, like he he uh mind over matter kind of people, like he's just genetically very fit and works extremely hard but like gets fit in the craziest of ways, working the hardest, like sometimes it's swimming, sometimes it's running, sometimes it's other ways. So you got to remember too, mika got beat very narrowly last year by Seth and if I were Mika I would every fiber of my being would not want to let Seth beat me again. And I think it's also this excitement and stoke you know to be back and be lining up amongst your peers. We'll see. I mean, this is a completely different race. This isn't the rut VK where he just got second behind Cam. But he did beat Jackson, who's an amazing climber. He beat a lot of really good climbers on Friday.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's a totally different race, though it is totally different race, though it is a totally different race, so I don't know.
Speaker 3:We'll see, you know. Like I said, just throwing it out there. And third, I'm going to go. Seth DeMoore very closely followed by Zach Erickson, who could potentially take any one of those spots. I also think Kieran Nae, Jarrett Gillingham and Mark Schlemberger are right in the mix, um followed very closely by nick tusa. I think those are.
Speaker 4:you're going to be in the mix for your top man, I think it is a wide open men's race as well, I think. And joe demore I just raised joe demore yeah, he's super fit man.
Speaker 3:He spanked my ass cirque series grand target and jeff kuno. I can't believe I'm missing jeff. Um, yeah, I don't know. I this is another interesting race to me, like as to how it's going to fall off.
Speaker 4:Uh, one of the one of the great things about pikes is things change so much above tree line and guys who were doing well at bar camp and looked like they were doing really strong, they just sometimes they just fall apart. Yeah, like they're doing really strong, they just sometimes they just fall apart. Yeah, and if we could get a window into that somehow, that that is something that I would like to, you know, see more of. Somehow can we get more coverage of what happens above, even with more timing strips? Yeah, um, because we had the timing strip at a frame and then with a mile, some years we have it with a mile to go, but, um, wow, you know it would be cool, man.
Speaker 3:This is like I wonder if I could get ace and me and ace go up there. So I was supposed to race this weekend. I'm supposed to go to the Cirque series Uh, what do you call it? Uh, crystal, but I'm literally fighting off the sickness right now that I'm not. I don't think I'm we're good uh.
Speaker 3:But, that said, like it would be really cool on sunday to be there for the marathon, take maybe the train up or something and then run down and like kind of run down to like a frame and like capture what's going on in that moment, because like right, right above a frame, what's it that you're like yeah, that's when you do you see, like I mean, like how cool would it have been to see like francesco literally on the side of the trail saying I'm dead, just leave me here like I'm dying, and then come back from the like, resurrect himself from the dead and like pass a bunch of people for a great finish, like I think those are the types of stories that would be really fun to follow, like the people like literally falling apart, um yeah and yeah people, people just start walking, and sometimes they just barely walk.
Speaker 3:Yeah, zombies, zombies. Um, all right, what do you think? Do you think we got everything for the ascent?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think we covered a lot of people there.
Speaker 3:I don't have a ton for the marathon just because I'm like I like.
Speaker 3:I just don't have much here because we had so many people drop down to the ascent Um, that I feel like our marathon field's pretty decimated. Like if Adrian McDonald was still in the race I'd say, all right, we got something to talk about. You know, same with Hawk call, but with both of them in a really limited women's field. I, I mean, I have to be honest with you, like I I'll make the call, like I don't. I think I say I think John and Christina will both get their fourth one Right.
Speaker 4:I think John and Christina will both get their fourth wins Right, right and deservedly so. They would probably win almost no matter who showed up.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And deservedly so.
Speaker 3:Here's my question how many wins do you have to get in this race in the modern era to get your face on, like your face on mount rushmore of this race?
Speaker 4:get, your get a little plaque on pike's peak yeah or, or, uh, you know, to become the next matt carpenter well, I think there's no one.
Speaker 3:I mean matt carpenter, that's like you know. You'd have to like be a. You'd have to be like a generational talent or like just stupidly talented, and then have to like live here and eat, have to be like a generational talent or like just stupidly talented and then have to like live here and eat, breathe and sleep this one specific race. Like you'd have to have like almost like christian allen level talent and then have to like live in manitou and just like be obsessed with it.
Speaker 4:You know um yeah, it might happen, it could we might get another one, we'll say I mean, we have so many top pros here already, so that's true, that's true and jonathan is one of them, and christina is another I agree, I agree, both extremely talented athletes.
Speaker 3:Um, and you know, I think john to get his fourth, I think that would be, uh, I don't know, I think that's an extra, that's a super special. I think for christina it's really special as well, having taken a few years off and coming back, but john to get four in a row, if he was able to do that, that's that's very special, you know yeah, especially after last year, where he it was not the race that he was training for yeah, it's true. Yeah, just fittest on the day but he had a good btmr oh yeah, john's a monster, he's, he's a scary man.
Speaker 3:Um yeah, all right, I think that's all I got.
Speaker 4:Okay, got anything else to add? No, I'm looking forward to uh Saturday.
Speaker 3:Awesome, mark. I really appreciate your time. Thank you, as always, for coming on. I think we talked about a lot of really good stuff here, and this is a good uh. It's a very special hour of my of my year with you, so thank you.
