Virtual Pikes Peak Marathon Will Let Runners Race Up and Down Any 14,115-Foot Mountain
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UPDATE: This isn’t real. Please do not contact the good people at the Pikes Peak Marathon to ask about it.
Organizers of the Pikes Peak Marathon announced today that it would offer a virtual option for 2021, allowing runners anywhere to race up and down a 14,115-foot mountain of their choosing. The news comes as entries for the in-person race, scheduled for August 21, sold out within an hour of going on sale.
It will be the event’s first ever virtual race. The in-person race takes runners to the summit of Colorado’s Pikes Peak, at 14,115 feet, and back down, for a total of “26.2 grueling mountain miles.”
“We are pleased to offer runners everywhere a chance to experience the Pikes Peak Marathon virtually,” said John Darnielle, a spokesman for the race. “For the first time, it doesn’t matter where you live—Colorado, Florida, Idaho, even Guam—you can earn a Pikes Peak Marathon finisher’s medal by racing on whatever 14,115-foot mountain you like.”
Runners must complete their race between August 16 and 26, Darnielle said, and submit GPS data showing that covered the requisite distance and elevation.
“We invite runners worldwide to join us in racing the 2021 Pikes Peak Marathon,” he added. “All you need is the entry fee, a GPS watch, and a 14,115-foot mountain.”
