Results/Photos

Date: Sept. 20, 2025 Participant: Monika Gonzalez-Dwyer #832 Race: 2025 Pikes Peak Ascent Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles Weather: Chilly start. Heavy winds (tail/cross wind). Sunny at the finish.

Consistent Progress Amidst Challenges Monika Gonzalez-Dwyer showed notable improvement in the 2025 Pikes Peak Ascent with an overall time of 4:15:36, bettering her previous year's performance by approximately 13 minutes. Her pace improved to 19:07 min/mile from 20:09 min/mile, and she moved up 70 places overall. Monika exhibited a strong start at Ruxton with a 10:22 min/mile pace and maintained competitive positioning by gaining ground through the initial 5 miles. The final miles saw Monika navigating elevations over 12,000 feet with an understandable reduction in speed, with her slowest pace clocking at 26:00 min/mile during the finish. She finished 22nd in her division, showing improvement from last year's 30th place. Analyzing her splits reveals consistent effort, particularly between No Name Creek and 7.8 Summit, where she maintained a sub-18-minute mile pace. Future focus could include maintaining earlier momentum in the race's latter stages and adjusting strategies for pacing in high altitudes.