After running my first PPM, I made a few suggestions to the race organizers to change the course description and to add a trail marathon as a qualification. Perhaps my suggestions will eventually be considered.

Sometimes it's good to step out of the box for a look from the outside in. That said, I write this from a constructive viewpoint in hopes that 1) naïve people running PPM for the first time (like me) won't get injured and 2) that first-timers have a realistic chance to finish inside of ten hours to earn their finisher's shirt and medal. Even though I'm a 3:45 to 4:15 marathoner on paved marathon courses, I consider myself lucky to have finished PPM in under ten hours. I would have been really disappointed to have finished in 10:01 and not received a medal. Rules are rules, which is fine. But be aware that you will receive neither a finisher's shirt nor a marathon medal if you finish outside of ten hours. Period.

I again politely suggest that the organizers reword their description of the Barr trail. It now reads The trail is often narrow, winding, and may be gravel, rocks or dirt with sharp turns and abrupt changes in elevation or direction. However, there are no exposed ledges so there is no danger of falling off the trail! & The footing, or surface, of the trail does vary. In the forested sections it is primarily decomposed rock with a mixture of dirt and loose gravel on the surface with the occasional root or rock protrusion. Above treeline (that is, above the A-frame shelter) the trail is primarily loose gravel with one short section of broken rock.

While this is mostly accurate, there are two significant omissions. First, there is ALMOST CONSTANT danger in falling off the trail - down either into rocks, granite boulders, or into sharp points of tree limbs on the many burned out pines. Many, many places would allow a fall of 10 to 50 yards - with the potential of serious injury. No, you won't fall off the proverbial cliff but you can get hurt.

Secondly, the trail in the forest does not have the 'occasional tree root,' it has countless tree roots and many little rocks which can be hidden by the shadows. Trip on one of those and you could break your arm or leg or worse. Just ask the second place male finisher who tripped when, as he said, he lost his focus towards the end of the race. Result: bloody gashes. People are warned to be careful: each year several go to the hospital. I don't know how many went this year.

Running fast times in marathons on paved surfaces does not guarantee a good finish here. Aside from altitude factors near the summit, a steep climb, a trail littered with rocks, boulders and roots, the clinching part is the ability (or lack of it in my case) to RUN DOWNHILL, bounding left, right and over these constant obstacles. Going up to the top is fairly safe since most of us can't go that fast to lose our footing. But downhill is much different and much more dangerous. Almost all the runners I saw were excellent mountain trail runners, competent to leap among the rocks and roots and agile enough to avoid falling (I saw one person fall - only a small knee injury). However, lacking this trail running expertise, I decided to be careful and run only in the parts of the path that were free of rocks and roots, which meant walking 80% of the downhill.

Please note: if you are an overweight marathon runner (and there are lots of these), PPM is not for you. Yes, you might be able to run the Columbus marathon in five and a half hours, which qualifies you for PPM. But you probably wont finish PPM in less than ten hours. Consider the Ascent instead. And, if youre not an experienced trail runner, you're in for a rude awakening. This is one tough puppy, especially the downhill part.

Therefore, I would suggest also that the organizers change their entry requirements to include having run a trail marathon (there are dozens to choose from). That would indicate a runner's ability to negotiate the difficult Pikes Peak trail. Ironically PPM is nearly the opposite of Boston: Boston's qualifying is very difficult but the marathon itself is not too hard (unless a Noreaster blows in your face the whole way as it did in 2007). But PPM qualifying of 5:30 is fairly easy while the marathon is extremely difficult. If you really want to run this one, I advise to do a trail marathon first - one with many rocks and roots and learn to leap going downhill. As you know, this might mean a twisted ankle, knee, or a broken bone.

That said, the race is extremely well organized and supported: the volunteers are terrific. Even the fans, late in the day, stuck around to cheer on the slowpokes like me. The pasta dinner and expo were wonderful. Thanks also to the El Paso County rescue team and I hope they didn't get too much business. The views from high up above the treeline are spectacular: Colorado is one of our most scenic states. I also highly recommend a massage from the local massage school. I got one before and after the race and they both helped.

Nothing else quite compares. When you reach a stage in your marathoning where finishing time isn't such a big deal but a great experience is, then 'run' this race. I experienced the joy and exuberance at the finish line that I hadn't felt in a very long time.

Other than a little bit of running in town at 'only' a 5% grade and a section for a couple of miles at 9,500 ft, you cant run the first half unless you are a trail running elite. There are too many people in the Conga line and impact of grade and altitude is beyond description. Even with that little bit of running, I got to the top in 4:40, almost 2 hours in advance of the cut off. Few in the 2012 race were going to miss the 6:30 cut-off at the top. We had perfect racing weather, which probably helped.

Getting through the tree line and seeing the tiny heads bobbing along the trail far, far above me was the most beautiful and most depressing site I have ever seen in 37 marathons.

The best parts, non-scenery division, were the trail volunteers/rescue and the people in town as you approached the finish. Both groups were wildly energetic and enthusiastic. I especially liked the kazoo band that played at 13,000 ft. They even played 'Rocky Top!'

My only quibbles:
-I get it that the race team has to be intense when it comes to runner safety, but the race website seemed overboard on the downer side. So much negativity. I think you can be serious about the safety issues of mountain running while still showing the joyousness that everyone on the course showed to me during the race.
-'Shame on you' to every runner who was so self-absorbed that they dropped a gel packet or cup on the trail, making the job harder for the race organizers who had to cover the entire trail to pick up after us. The race could lose its permit with the Park Service, plus the aid stations were only 2 miles apart. There's no reason for not holding onto ones trash.

Excellent race in all respects. Incredibly tough course but that's to be expected. Well organized. No complaints whatsoever.

When you get up above timberline, you might as well be 'running' on an entirely different planet. This was #43 for me and the first that involved 'scrambling.' All previous experience was on asphalt. This was a fun race, nice people, a finishers shirt that made the enrty fee worth it...

I don't understand why the sports drink was so 'watered down.' The endurance formula is strong for a reason. Loved the fresh fruit and candy at the aid stations. I wish they had a photographer at the summit to capture that moment for people who wanted it. Awesome experience. I might be back...

Somewhere along the trail at 12,000' I found myself staggering along, dizzy and needing to make repeated stops to let my breathing and heartrate correspond. Looking up at still 2,000' of winding trail through the rock and rubble to the summit, I really thought I was done for. It became hand-to-hand combat with that mountain. I scrapped and clawed my way to the top. But the mountain wasn't done sparring. It began to sleet and the descent was treacherous; slick and cautious footing for much of the way. A few runners got hurt. I ultimately made it though. As a 'flatlander' I could train for the distance, hills, and trails but toss in some unknowns like altitude 'management' and the unpredictable weather and this race became a challenge like no other race I ever experienced. I felt priviledged to be there at this prestigious race and be among so many incredible and encouraging athletes. This is truly an event that will define what you are made of. They did run out of beer and shirts by the time I finished, but I don't care...I beat Pikes Peak!

If you have never run Pikes Peak, then there is nothing anywhere that I have found that is at all comparable to the experience. I have run many trial marathons and some modest altitude runs, but they are totally inadequate to prepare you for this run. It is an event unto itself.

The air at 14,115 feet has less than half of the oxygen found at sea level. Unless you are part of the 1% of the population that lives close enough to such heights to train in them, expect altitude to severely effect your performance. You will walk... a lot. My last two miles literally were 30 minutes-plus EACH. I'm not in bad shape, but all I could do was stagger up the alpine mountian above the tree line. It's humbling.

This marathon is actually two endurance races in one. There is the Ascent up the mountain (13.3 miles)that took me longer than almost any full marathon I have run. This is followed by the Decent which is a lot easier but still slower than the vast majority of my runs at a similar distance due to the relentless downhill ponding and thin air.

Weather conditions are variable, so you need to pack for a wide range of conditions and read the advice found on this site, the race site and any other resource you can find to learn the tricks you will need just to finish.

BELIEVE THE HYPE! This race is every bit as tough as they say! You will need to do a lot of special training to finish it. Your time will be awful. You will suffer like never before. I Loved every minute of it!

Bottom Line: This race lives up to the hype of being the toughest race in America (it is certainly the toughest race that I have ever run). It is also superbly organized and one of the most fun races that I have ever done.

Sign-up, website and pre-marathon: Race spots are limited due to the race being run on the Barr Trail. I was on the website and ready to go as soon as official entry was allowed. This seems to be the best way to guarantee that you will get in. The website and links to Matt Carpenter's website were very helpful (especially the course description). I was a little disappointed at how hard it was to get Matt's book on training for the marathon. It would be really nice (and I think they would sell) if the website would republish this book.

Expo: The expo was small, but meaty for what it was. It was all contained under a big, white tent. Bart Yasso of Runner's World was the MC and was there signing his book. Decent number of useful vendors. I bought my gator here, which turned out to be perfect for running.

Start: I arrived at 5 a.m. and had no problems finding a parking spot along Manitou Ave., which was a five-minute walk from the start. For the marathon there were more than enough porta-potties. I was able to use the bathroom without a wait 10 minutes before the race.

Course and support: Absolutely phenomenal. The search and rescue guys were spread out approximately every 2.5 miles. They were very friends and well trained. It was easy to ask for what you wanted as you approached and have water, Gatorade, grapes, Chex Mix or Skittles waiting for you. Weather was sunny, start temps in the 60s, finish temps hot, in the 80s. The spectators as spare, but the ones that are there are enthusiastic enough to make up for low numbers. Summit was windy with sustained winds about 20 mph.

Water and and port-a-john stops: I was very glad that I bought my water bottle. You have to drink more at altitude, and 2.5 miles between water stops is long when you consider the ascent pace for most people. There are essentially no porta-johns on the course and the treeline ends with three miles to go.

Hotel and transportation: I stayed at a friends house in Colorado Springs, but there were plenty of hotels in Manitou. They were all sold out though, so it would seem that booking a hotel when you are accepted (if not before) would be a good idea.

What worked:
1. The running gators I bought at the expo did a fantastic job of keeping rocks out of my shoes and I do not think I would run this race without them.
2. Stop at every aid station, whether you think you need it or not. You will.
3. Arriving at 5 a.m. got me great parking.
4. Running over rocks without jumping them. This seemed to save a lot of energy.
5. Running with my top wrapped around my waist and hat and sunglasses on. Of course, with the weather of that day I could have ditched the top.
6. Accurate way for me to predict my time: add 30 minutes to your last marathon time and this may give you your ascent time (it worked for me). Use Matt's pace calculator to figure out your descent time. Minus a wrong turn I made, this was accurate to within a 2-3 minutes.
7. Soaking in the creek afterwards (right by the finish) was a great idea.

What could be improved:
1. Training at altitude: Theres not really much you can do about this one, but I think it would have been the single most helpful thing. And I live in Boulder at 5,300 feet.
2. I did bring gloves, but someone at the expo said that they use some thick-handed work gloves that they got at Home Depot. These might have been nicer.
3. More trail running up and down steep trails. I did this about once a week. It was not enough.
4. Wearing trail shoes: I was passed by a lot of people on the descent because I did not feel safe going faster.

This was my 3rd time running the PPM, and my first time trying the double. I faltered on Saturday with only about a mile to go. Had to get some help from S&R. Sunday was a different day. Had a BLAST!! This is the best race in the country. PERIOD! Tough, yes. But worth the effort. Will be back in 2010 to try the double again. See you in August, PPM.

This was by far the hardest marathon I have ever done (and probably the hardest I will do). I am still trying to recover over a month later. Not the pain so much as the weirdness of trying to run again. It still feels like I'm running for the first time (oh well; I guess Chicago is gonna be REALLY UGLY!)

Some advice and comments:
1. The best and most informative website (especially the message board). It truly is like some small village there which may explain the lack of postings on this site about the race. There are several frequent posters who really helped... though NOTHING can prepare you for the course.
2. The course: I tried to explain it to my wife who was there, but did not go above the treeline. It's weird looking up in several places and seeing the top so far away. Above the treeline it was like looking up some huge mall escalators and seeing these dots of people. It was also kind of like being on the moon. ALSO, be prepared to walk A LOT.
3. Buy gaiters.
4. Take some Altoids with you to settle your stomach in case of altitude sickness. I started to feel queasy five miles up and they seemed to work.
5. Be prepared for all weather (last year it snowed). I felt like a mule starting off with all of the things I carried. I wore a two-water-bottle belt, and it was enough because the volunteers at the aid stations refilled them.
6. The volunteers are AMAZING. In some cases they had to carry the tables and stuff three miles or so to set up their stations. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
7. If you are a flat-lander, one thing I would have done training-wise is LEARN how to HIKE! I was being passed while walking by several others who were walking!
8. LEAVE your pride at the start. I thought walking in a marathon was a sign of weakness. But in this one, it's a must! I ended up walking during the first bloody mile!! Do it early on so you can finish this challenge.
9. This is an ultra disguised as a marathon!

Finally I only have 3 knocks on this race:
1. The expo was pitiful; the only reason I say this is that some posters on the website said it would be great. It was not! It was bare-boned with maybe two vendors, and it did not have the gels I was looking for (my fault).
2. I wish the designers or the person in charge of merchandise would get in touch with what people like regarding colors! I brought an extra couple of hundred bucks to spend on the merchandise as I was excited and proud to run this, yet the what they had was very limited (and the colors were bad).
3. Speaking of merchandise, the finisher's jacket was AWESOME... for the women!!! It was a sharp black running jacket with the emblem on the front and "14115 FT" across the back. Unfortunately, I am a guy. For us they chose a silver/bluish color, and it fits like a women's jacket.

Overall, this is an AMAZING experience - one I will never forget. Once I get the 50 states out of the way, I WILL be back (hopefully I will have forgotten the pain by then!!). I am even PROUD to wear the jacket despite the color!!

Without a doubt this is one of the finest and best organized marathons I have ever entered. This was my 6th double this year, and I am still amazed at how well the marathon staff does in their planning for getting the runners off of the peak after the ascent (half-marathon) held the day before the marathon.