History of the Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon with Mark Tatum

The Steep Stuff Podcast · Sep 18, 2026 · 1h 37m

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One mountain, nearly a century of stories, and a finish line that keeps moving further into the clouds. We sit down to unpack the deep history of the Pikes Peak Marathon and Pikes Peak Ascent, from its early ascent roots to the moment it becomes one of the most competitive mountain running events in the United States.

We talk about how the race really starts taking shape, including the strange early “smokers vs non-smokers” era, the legends who helped define what was possible, and the athletes whose names deserve to be remembered. We dig into why the Pikes Peak results…