Engines are set to roar in the mountains above Colorado Springs this weekend, with the return of the iconic Pikes Peak Hill Climb race, set to bring 1,000s to Olympic City, USA.

On June 25, the ‘Race to the Clouds‘ will be held for the 101st time, stretching about 12 miles up 4,725 vertical feet of mountainside over 156 twists and turns. 

The route travels up the iconic Pikes Peak Highway, starting after the reservoirs and passing through well-known areas of Glen Cove and Devil’s Playground to the summit of the mountain. 

Not only will drivers travel up grades of about 10 percent, they’ll also be facing off with potential hail, snow, and wildlife, of of which have caused concerns in the past. 

Major exposure is also a hazard, with this road flanked by huge drops of hundreds of feet. Heavily forested portions of the track are also unforgiving.

Today, the entire route is paved, but in the past, portions of the road consisted of racing on gravel. 

Given the dangerous nature of this course, it’s no surprise that this race has killed seven competitors over the years, four of which were on motorcycles when a fatal accident occurred. 

The motorcycle race was canceled following the 2019 death of Carlin Dunne. The four-time winner was killed less than a quarter-mile from the finish line. 

Tickets to spectate the race are already sold out, but casual race fans should plan to check out ‘Fan Fest’ this Friday, which attracts about 30,000 people to a 10-block stretch of Downtown Colorado Springs.

Find more information here.

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