For 50 years, the Garden of the Gods 10-Mile Run has served as the premier race of Colorado Springs. 

The tradition continued at the 50th edition of the race Sunday morning as over 2,000 runners took on the breathtaking 10-mile, 10k, and 10k trail courses through the iconic Garden of the Gods.  

“It’s a beautiful place to run,” race director Michaell Phan said. “This race brings runners out knowing they will face a challenge. There’s not a flat spot in the Garden of the Gods. You’re either going up or down, which makes the race special in that regard.” 

The Garden 10-mile run is the first leg of the Garden to Peak Challenge, which is a race series that also includes the Barr Trail Mountain Race and either the Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon. This year’s 10-mile was sold out, and the event also included a kids’ run and a first-ever 2.9-mile kids’ trail race. 

Sunday’s race was truly a celebration of the local running community, as 80-85% of runners were from El Paso County. On the course, runners encouraged each other up the steep hills and embraced in hugs at the finish line at Rock Ledge Ranch. 

The race also involves around 100 volunteers, as well as local high school cross country and track teams who staff the aid stations and receive donations for their programs. This year’s runners were greeted on the course by minion costumes and ’90s flair, with the winning aid station receiving the highest donation. 

“The running community in the area is so close-knit, it’s like getting together with family,” Abragail Arnold, Pikes Peak Marathon director of strategic partnerships, said. “We see runners we’ve seen for 50-plus years. It’s awesome to welcome them every summer and watch them accomplish some pretty awesome things.”

Emily Chaston, 25, of Colorado Springs, won the overall female title for the 10-mile race in a time of one hour and 11 seconds, and Drake Ingold, 26, of Colorado Springs, took the men’s overall title in a time of 58 minutes and 35 seconds. It was each of their first times running the historic race. 

Chaston is a graduate of Cheyenne Mountain High School and recently moved back to Colorado after competing in cross country and track at the University of Utah. 

 “It was special to take first,” Chaston said. “It was good weather and fun people to compete with. It was a great experience being in my hometown, waking up with my family and having them cheer on the course. I feel really lucky to be a part of the 50th.”

The Garden 10-mile was started by local runners Tom Berg and Martha Berton, who were inspired by the Boston Marathon to create a race in Colorado Springs that could become similarly renowned. After running through the park’s red rock formations with Pikes Peak as a backdrop, the vision for the race was born. 

The inaugural race took place in 1977 with around 376 runners, and attracted 1865 runners the next year. A table at the expo Sunday featured photos of memorable moments from the past 50 years, from a bear course appearance in 2017 to the first Pikes Peak Marathon/Ascent race director, Rudy Fahl, completing the Garden 10-mile. 

Each year is its own individual story, and each runner has their own “why,” such as local runner Kathy Cheney, 48, who ran her first Garden 10 on her late mother’s birthday seven years ago. This year, she is attempting her fourth Garden to Peak Challenge after being diagnosed with breast cancer. 

“This is a really special race for a lot of reasons,” Cheney said. “It’s one of those things where life keeps serving up hard things, and this gives me goals to help me stay focused. I like everything about this race. I love being here.”