A storied rivalry between Colorado mountain runners Kim Dobson and Brandy Erholtz folded back yet another chapter Saturday at the Pikes Peak Ascent.

“It is fun between us,” said Dobson, a four-time winner of the Ascent. “We seem to go back and forth in races.”

Dobson has gotten the better of late, though.

After eclipsing Erholtz at the Mount Washington Road Race in June, 31-year-old Dobson was untouchable in the Ascent as well, winning in a time of 2 hours, 40 minutes and 44 seconds.

Erholtz, who is the only female runner to beat Dobson in an Ascent race – and has done it twice (2009 and 2010) – finished second to her Saturday in 2:51:38.

“Kim is always the one to beat,” Erholtz said. “About halfway through the race today I knew I wasn’t going to catch her.”

Although dominant Saturday, a more-than-a-year hiatus from mountain running has left Dobson in somewhat of a rebuild mode.

In fact, after a lingering hamstring injury slowed her in 2013, and the birth of her son consumed most of her time in 2014, Dobson said she only got back to competitive training about five or six months ago.

“I am not at the fitness level I was before,” said Dobson, who set the women’s Pikes Peak Ascent record in 2012 with a 2:24:58. “I don’t have the time to do those mountain training runs all the time anymore.”

Erholtz, meanwhile, dealt with a much bigger struggle.

The 37-year-old said she spent much of the last month in Minnesota, helping tend to her stepfather, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in July.

A stressful month was met by a peaceful revelation Saturday.

“You can’t take any of this for granted. How great is this race to run,” Erholtz said. “I had a better perspective today and realized how lucky we really are. You can’t take a day like this for granted.”

About 1,800 other runners shared the view with her at the finish line, atop Pikes Peak.