Results/Photos

Date: Sept. 20, 2025 Participant: Justin Balais #1047 Race: 2025 Pikes Peak Ascent Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles Weather: Chilly start. Heavy winds (tail/cross wind). Sunny at the finish.

Consistent Improvement and Strategic Endurance Evident Justin Balais completed the 2025 Pikes Peak Ascent half marathon in 4:28:30, improving by 18:17 from his previous year's race. His elapsed pace was 20:05 min/mile over the 13.36-mile course. Notably, he improved his overall ranking by 122 places, finishing 629th out of 2049 participants, and also advanced 16 places within his division, Open 30-34, compared to 2024. Justin showed significant endurance improvement on the course’s challenging elevation changes. In the initial stages, he maintained a pace of approximately 9:18 min/mile at Ruxton. Although his pace slowed at higher altitudes, his split times highlight consistent pacing through elevated segments, such as a 29:50 min/mile split at 1 mile to go at an elevation of 13,329 feet. Focusing on altitude training to increase performance efficiency in the final miles could see further gains in upcoming attempts. His commitment to lowering his previous times and consistently improving placement is commendable.