Races
Pikes Peak Ultra 50 Miler
Bear Creek Regional Park. Cheyenne Canyon. Seven Bridges. Mt. Rosa summit. Eleven thousand seven hundred feet. Pikes Peak on the horizon the whole day.
50 mi+14,892 ft-14,888 ft15 hours6,148 ft to 11,827 fttech 9/10Checkpoints per race bookMt. Rosa summitSeven BridgesCheyenne CanyonJuly
Distance50 mi
Gain+14,892 ft
Loss-14,888 ft
Altitude6,148 ft to 11,827 ft
Technicality9/10
Air40°F to 85°F
- Start6,148 ft
- High11,827 ft
- Low6,148 ft
- Finish6,152 ft
- Mt Rosa turn at mile 28, cutoff 10 hours
- Finish Bear Creek at mile 50, cutoff 15 hours
Field, 2026 · 12-year sampleresults
Starters69
Finish rate100%
Median13:07
Sub-2469
Geometrycourse math
Steepest drop1,759 ft-17.8% over 1.9 mi
Time over 10k ft48%
Course records
Men7:33:24Ryan Chio
Women8:38:04Kaci Lickteig
The cruxMt. Rosa summit near 11,893 feet on tired legs (near mile 33)
Course DNA
The Course
Pikes Peak Ultra 50 Miler runs 50 mi through Colorado Springs, Colorado. +14,892 ft gain and -14,888 ft loss. Surfaces skew 60% crushed granite trail / 40% singletrack. Mt. Rosa summit near 11,893 feet on tired legs. High point near 11,827 ft. Low near 6,148 ft. July temps run 40°F to 85°F. The course rewards patience early and punishes rushed descents after mile 25.
The Work
Train for 14,892 feet of climbing across 50 mi. Back-to-back long runs on trail. Practice power-hiking grades above 15 percent. 15 hours total means limited margin: rehearse fueling every 45 to 60 minutes and downhill eccentric work weekly. Technicality 9/10. Build a block that simulates the crux near mile 33.
Kit
July in Colorado Springs, Colorado: plan for 40°F to 85°F. Mandatory shell if rain is in forecast. Headlamp with spare batteries if 15 hours pushes past dark. Poles help on sustained climbs above mile 13. Vest capacity for 2 liters minimum. Shoes matched to 60% crushed granite trail: lugs for mud, rock plate if the course turns technical after mile 25.
Race Day
Hold effort through mile 13. The field often splits on the first big climb after mile 25. Mt. Rosa summit near 11,893 feet on tired legs near mile 33 is where time is won or lost. Walk the steep pinches. Run the flats and gentle downhills. Crew at major aids: socks, calories, ice if hot. Transitions under 5 minutes when possible. Final third is 17 miles of fatigue management. Finish with reserve for the last descent.
Results
Pikes Peak Ultra 50 Miler finish lines.
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Sources (3)
- Field stats (2026): https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=129512
- Course record (M): https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=118079
- Course record (F): https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=61000