Manitou Springs, CO · September
Pikes Peak Marathon Training Plan
A free marathon plan for the Pikes Peak Marathon, built around the course and your current fitness. Answer four questions and you will see every week of it. No account, no email, no card.
- Distances
- Marathon
- Course
- Hilly
- Usually held
- Each September
The Pikes Peak Marathon course
Up Barr Trail to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak and back down, roughly 7,800 feet of climbing and the same descending, on trail throughout. Times bear no relationship to road marathon times: the winners take well over three hours and most finishers are out far longer. The Ascent, run the day before, covers only the climb.
Weather on race day
Mid-September at the summit can be 40 degrees with wind and hail while Manitou Springs is in the 70s. Afternoon storms above treeline are a genuine hazard, which is why the race enforces cutoffs at the top.
What to train for
Vertical, altitude, and descending, in that order. Long sustained climbs at hiking effort are the core session, and the descent needs its own training or your quads will not survive it. If you live low, treat acclimation as part of the plan rather than an afterthought.
Registration and official details: Pikes Peak Marathon official site
Pikes Peak Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Pikes Peak Marathon?
Most runners give a marathon sixteen to twenty weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the Pikes Peak Marathon course hilly?
Hilly. Up Barr Trail to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak and back down, roughly 7,800 feet of climbing and the same descending, on trail throughout. Times bear no relationship to road marathon times: the winners take well over three hours and most finishers are out far longer. The Ascent, run the day before, covers only the climb.
What is the weather usually like at the Pikes Peak Marathon?
Mid-September at the summit can be 40 degrees with wind and hail while Manitou Springs is in the 70s. Afternoon storms above treeline are a genuine hazard, which is why the race enforces cutoffs at the top.
Do I need an account to get a Pikes Peak Marathon training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.
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