Bucket List · Bucket list route
Manitou Incline
A former cable car railbed straight up the side of Mount Manitou: 2,744 railroad ties, two thousand vertical feet, in under a mile, at altitude. It is the most concentrated suffering available on any American trail.
- Steps
- 2,744
- Gain
- ~2,000 ft
- Length
- ~0.88 mi
- Average grade
- ~45%Up to 68% near the top
- Record
- Around 17 minutes
- Reservation
- Free, required
The Incline is Colorado Springs' most famous fitness landmark and a rite of passage for anyone who runs in the region. The grade averages around 45 percent and hits roughly 68 percent near the top. There's a false summit that breaks people. Locals run it multiple times a week; visitors from sea level frequently need to sit down.
The benchmark everyone knows: under thirty minutes is respectable, under twenty-five is strong, under twenty is very good. The record sits around seventeen minutes. Descending the Incline itself is prohibited, so you come down the Barr Trail, which adds about three miles.
How to get in
- PermitThe free reservation
A free timed reservation is required, booked online in advance. Slots are released on a rolling basis and weekend mornings go quickly, but the system is easy and there's no cost.
- Open entryOff-peak walk-ups
Availability is generally good for weekday and early-morning slots.
Questions runners actually ask
Do I need a reservation for the Manitou Incline?
Yes, a free timed reservation is required and is booked online. Weekend morning slots go quickly.
Can I come back down the Incline?
No. Descending the Incline is prohibited. You come down the Barr Trail, which adds roughly three miles.
What is a good time?
Under thirty minutes is respectable for a fit visitor, under twenty is strong, and the record sits around seventeen minutes.
Go to the source
Entry rules, dates, standards, fees, and odds change every single year, and the interesting races change them the most. Use this guide to build the plan; use the official site to confirm the details before you book anything.
If this is your kind of thing
Need the races in between? The hard part of a bucket list year is everything else on the calendar: the qualifier, the tune-up, the long run with a bib on.