Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

Photo by Bob Kane, Design Photography

By KEVIN CARMODY, THE GAZETTE

Had Saturday’s inaugural 25K Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race been fronted with a cash prize, perhaps Tommy Manning or Peter Maksimow would have broken free during the event’s final push.

Or, maybe the two share such a fraternal friendship that neither really sought out the glory of victory.

“Normally, I’ll run to win,” said Manning, a third-year math and science teacher at Fountain Valley School. “Had there been cash on the line, I think we’d probably split it. We’re buddies, and there are other people I’d run against. We ran next to each other nearly the whole time and took turns who was leading.”

Photos from Saturday's race

In the end, Maksimow, an employee at a local running company and auto valet, edged Manning by .01 of a second. They both completed the race stride for stride at a comfortable pace after nearly two hours on the 15-mile loop that featured 2,500 feet of elevation gain. “It was never a competition out there,” Maksimow said. “We knew how to run a good race together. To go off on your own on a day like this would have been difficult. It was nice to have someone to talk to.”

The day started with a 50K race, which did offer $500 to the top male and female finishers, Michael Dominguez of Boulder (4 hours, 9 minutes, 2 seconds) and Eldorado Springs’s Maria Petzold (4:59.01), respectively.

During the race, bundled-up onlookers rang cowbells to show their support as the winding course briefly took the runners past the main spectator area. Frank Robinson chose a quieter approach as he waited for his wife, Geralyn, to complete her race. He held son Carlo, 2, on his shoulders, while 8-year-old son Andre held a sign that read “Go Mama!”

“I’m not a runner, but we can stand in the cold for what she’s doing on the course,” said Robinson, who works for acquisitions while stationed at Peterson AFB. “She did a marathon two months ago, and enjoys trail running, too.”

Nearly 20 minutes the first runners finished, Amanda Ewing, a former steeplechase runner at Northern Colorado, took first in the women’s division. The 30-year-old insurance agent recently took a liking to trail racing and finished more than 11 minutes ahead of the nearest female competitor.

“It was a totally different race because I was by myself most of the time,” Ewing said. “It was more of a mental challenge to keep pushing yourself. It was so nice to be off the track.”

So what kind of small talk kept Manning and Maksimow so far ahead of the competition?

“We were both hoping for beer at the finish line,” Manning chuckled. “Carbs are carbs.”