A new high-altitude road marathon on Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, built for skyrunners who love to run fast and for road marathoners ready to go higher.
SkyMan is adding a new kind of challenge to skyrunning: a race where every step is runnable, the pace is honest, and the altitude does the hard work.
Skyman, owner and operator of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series, today announced the Pikes Peak Skybound Marathon in partnership with Colorado Springs Sports Corporation and Satori Endurance. The inaugural race takes place August 7, 2027, on the paved Pikes Peak Highway, climbing to the 14,115-foot summit that inspired “America the Beautiful.”
In skyrunning, “technical” has usually meant scrambles, exposed ridgelines and broken rock. Skybound keeps the focus squarely on running and moves the technical challenge into the air itself. With no scrambling to slow the field, the difference between athletes comes down to how well they manage pace, breathing and effort as the oxygen thins.
“With Skybound, we wanted a challenge that acts as a sort of bridge between a road marathon and the Skyrunner®️ World Series – and vice versa,” said Etienne Rodriguez of Skyman, “Altitude, elevation change, landscape, and vistas are fundamental to Skyrunning – Skybound has it all. Without the technical terrain, the difference with Skybound is that running is central. Pikes Peak provides the perfect backdrop to a road marathon at altitude.”
Both races start at approximately 9,236 feet on Pikes Peak Highway. Half marathon runners climb 13.1 miles to the 14,115-foot summit, gaining nearly 4,900 feet. Marathon runners follow the same ascent, turn at the summit and descend to the start, completing 26.2 miles. Runners will set out by headlamp and climb into the sunrise.
“Skybound Marathon is more than just a race; it is an unforgettable climb,” said Jeremy Strom, founder of Satori Endurance. “From the winding switchbacks and thin mountain air to watching the sunrise over Pikes Peak, every mile presents a new challenge and an incredible reward.”
“Skybound Marathon presents an exciting opportunity to showcase Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain while driving economic impact in our region,” said Megan Letham, CEO of Colorado Springs Sports Corporation. “By attracting runners and spectators from across the country and around the world, this event has the potential to boost tourism, support local businesses, and strengthen our growing sports economy.”
BUILT FOR TWO KINDS OF RUNNERS
Skybound grew out of something the Series saw in its own community: many Skyrunner® World Series athletes are also passionate road marathoners, chasing fast times between mountain seasons. Skybound gives them one race that rewards both sides of their running, the leg speed of the road and the lungs and grit of the high mountains.
The race also opens skyrunning to a new audience. Road marathoners who have never raced in the mountains get a familiar paved surface and familiar distances, paired with skyrunning’s defining element: altitude. For many, Skybound will be their first step into the sky.
While the Pikes Peak Skybound Marathon is not part of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series, Skyman Inc. sees it as an exciting new chapter for the sport and has big plans for the race’s future. Further details will be announced in the coming months.
REGISTRATION
Registration for the inaugural Pikes Peak Skybound Marathon opens December 1, 2026, on a first-come basis within established field limits. The first 500 registrants receive Founders recognition and introductory pricing. Each race will reserve 25 men’s and 25 women’s elite entries, with limited charity entries available through official nonprofit partners.
Registration, eligibility details, course information, partnership opportunities and event updates are available at SkyboundMarathon.org.
