Results/Photos

Date: Sept. 20, 2025 Participant: Brittney Szempruch #985 Race: 2025 Pikes Peak Ascent Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles Weather: Chilly start. Heavy winds (tail/cross wind). Sunny at the finish.

Sustained Performance in Challenging Conditions Brittney Szempruch, 34, from Colorado Springs, tackled the daunting 2025 Pikes Peak Ascent with determination, finishing in 4:50:45. Covering the 13.36-mile course, she maintained an average pace of 21:45 min/mile. She climbed from an elevation of 6,303 feet to 14,061 feet, showing formidable endurance. Notably, Brittney improved her positioning throughout the race, advancing from 1,311 at the start to 884 overall by the finish, demonstrating effective pacing strategies. Her splits reflect her resilience, most notably maintaining a steady place around her gender and division rankings for the majority of the climb. At "Ruxton," Brittney was 303rd in her gender, moving up to 240th at "Top of W's". The final three miles, particularly challenging above the tree line, saw a decrease in pace from 27:31 at "A-Frame" to 35:05 min/mile at the finish. Moving forward, focus on high-altitude training could help to improve performance in the latter stages.