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Aspen Summer Uphill set Saturday

Dale Strode
The Aspen Times
Runners and mountain bikers will take the test of Aspen Mountain on Saturday with the 20th annual Aspen Mountain Summer Uphill to benefit the Aspen High School cross country running program.
Dale Strode/The Aspen Times |

Take it up a notch.

Or two.

The summer Aspen tradition of the uphill climb up Aspen Mountain is back for the 20th running on Saturday.



The climb, open to runners/hikers and mountain bikers, is a benefit for the Aspen High School cross country running program.

AHS head coach Chris Keleher is the race director for the 20th annual summer ascent of Ajax.




The Aspen Mountain Summer Uphill will start at the base of Aspen Mountain on Summer Road just above the Silver Queen Gondola patio.

The 4.5-mile course will follow Summer Road to the top of Aspen Mountain with a finish at the Sundeck restaurant (3,400 feet of climbing).

Aid stations will be located along the course, including one at Bonnie’s Restaurant.

Entry is $20, tax deductible.

Entrants may preregister at the Ute Mountaineer in downtown Aspen until 5 p.m. Friday or on race day starting at 7 a.m. at the Silver Queen Gondola patio.

The mountain bikers will start at 8 a.m. Saturday. The running/hiking wave will start at 8:15 a.m.

The running record for the summer uphill was set in 1998 by Jeremy Wright at 45 minutes, 24 seconds.

Megan Lund holds the women’s record at 56:06, set in 2003. Megan Lund Lizotte is a former prep standout at Basalt High School who went on to run at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. She’s currently a professional runner based in San Diego and Aspen.

The mountain bike record is held by Keegan Swirbul, a recent Aspen High School graduate turned pro road cyclist. He’s scheduled to race in the USA Pro Challenge with his Bissell Development Team, starting with the Aspen/Snowmass Circuit Race on Monday.

Swirbul climbed Aspen Mountain in 49 minutes, 53 seconds on a bike last summer to set the record.

The Aspen Mountain Summer Uphill is sponsored by the Ute Mountaineer, Paradise Bakery, The Chalet Aspen, the Airport Business Center Foundation, Aspen Sports Chiropractic and Alpine Bank.

For information on the Aspen Mountain Summer Uphill or the Aspen High School cross country running program, contact Keleher at 970-319-7519.

dstrode@aspentimes.com