Results/Photos

Date: Sept. 20, 2025 Participant: Michelle Sheehan #949 Race: 2025 Pikes Peak Ascent Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles Weather: Chilly start. Heavy winds (tail/cross wind). Sunny at the finish.

Steady Improvement in High-Altitude Challenge Michelle Sheehan completed the 2025 Pikes Peak Ascent Half Marathon with an elapsed time of 4:43:45, showing a notable improvement from her previous time of 4:55:23 in the 2024 race. Her average pace this year was 21:14 min/mile, bettering the previous year's pace of 22:06 min/mile. Finishing 28th in her division (F45-49), Michelle moved up three places compared to last year and advanced to 220th place in her gender category out of 2049 participants overall. Analyzing her splits, Michelle began conservatively with a strong start on Ruxton (11:17 min/mile), and as expected, pace decreased as the course elevation increased. Notably, Michelle navigated through challenging sections, including gaining remarkable ground in the final two miles where her pace extended to 26:55 min/mile. A focused strategy could potentially involve allocating more energy for the challenging segments between Barr Camp and the finish to further enhance performance.