Mario Macias grabbed an early lead in the 2011 Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run and kept it, winning in 51 minutes, 55 seconds.

Mario Macias knows the hilly Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run course as well as anyone. He is the race’s defending champion, and he placed second there two years ago.

His best time in the Garden is 50 minutes, 59 seconds, only 28 ticks off the course record set in 2009 by Simon Cheprot. Macias will tangle with those hills again on Sunday when a field of about 2,000 line up for the race’s 36th running.

The event begins at 7 a.m. Sunday, June 10, in Manitou Springs, and will be followed by the 7:15 a.m. start of the new Garden of the Gods 5K. The start line for both is on El Paso Blvd., adjacent to Memorial Park.

2011 video Interview with Mario Macias
Photos, video, story from 2011 race

Can Macias, who runs for the Boulder Running Company, set a record? Maybe, but he’ll need some help.

“It all depends on the weather conditions and the competition,” he said. “All it takes is two guys to make it a race.”

That competition may be on the way. Triple Crown of Running race director Ron Ilgen said two of Macias’ Boulder Running Company teammates, Alamosa’s Matt Levassiur (third in the 2012 Colorado 10-mile Championships) and Sean Brown of Colorado Springs (personal best 1:07 half marathon), have entered the race.

Macias blasted the field last year, leading the race from start to finish. He’s happy to return because he enjoys the tough course.

“I really enjoy how challenging the course is and the beautiful scenery, even though you don't have the opportunity to look around during the race,” he said.

There is no clear favorite in women’s race, with many of the top runners preparing for the Olympic Trials. The women’s record (58:49, 2009) is held by Belaynesh Gebre.

Show me the money: All of the top runners will have extra incentive to place highly this year. With the support of two new sponsors, the Triple Crown has increased prize money to $1,500 for the men’s and women’s race winners. It’s a motivator for Macias.

“Any time you can go to race and return home with some prize money is a big plus, but you never know who will show up until you’re at the starting line.”

Ilgen said The Garden of the Gods 10 Mile should offer competitive prize money to attract the top runners.

“The Garden 10 Mile is a well-known and respected race,” he said. “As such, we want to attract top competitive runners, but we also wanted to avoid using the money from the runner’s entry fees. For this year, we have been fortunate to have two new high-end sponsors, Pikes Peak National Bank and Heuberger Subaru, allowing us to put more of our budget towards prize money.

Second place finishers will earn $750. A third-place finish is good for $375.

Garden of the Gods 5K: Runners who want to experience the grandeur of the Garden of the Gods, but who don’t feel they’re up to the 10-mile run, can enter the new Garden of the Gods 5K.
“This new race will provide a great opportunity for people who want the Garden of the Gods experience, but who don't want to go the whole 10 miles,” said Ron Ilgen, Triple Crown Race Director.

The 5K will begin at 7:15 a.m., about 15 minutes after the start of the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run. The starting line for both races is located on El Paso Blvd. in Manitou Springs, adjacent to Memorial Park.

“We think this will be a good fit for a lot of runners,” Ilgen said. “We’re hoping that family members of the 10-mile competitors, as well as new runners looking for a first race, will try the 5K.”

The 5K route will follow the 10-mile course into the Garden of the Gods. It will pass Balanced Rock and then turn back at the 1.55-mile mark near The Garden of the Gods Trading Post.
Online registration ($25) is open at Active.com until June 8. Walk in registration ($30) is available at the Colorado Running Company (822 N. Tejon St., Colorado Springs) and at the Pikes Peak Marathon office (441 Manitou Ave., in Manitou Springs.) Race day registration is $35.
The field is limited to 300 runners, so plan to enter soon.

All finishers will receive a medal as recognition of their accomplishment. Race awards will be presented to the top three in each age group, the top five Masters runners and Top 10 overall.

Garden of the Gods Race Expo: One of the most famous running advocates in the country, Bart Yasso, the “Chief Running Officer” at Runner’s World Magazine, will speak at the first Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run Expo on Saturday, June 9, at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

Yasso is a big fan of the Garden of the Gods run. In his book “My Life on the Run” Yasso writes that the Garden of the Gods 10-miler is his favorite race in the United States. He plans to run in it this year.

“There is something magical about the Garden of the Gods,” he said in a 2010 interview with PikesPeakSports.us. “For me, I'm a natural beauty guy, so I love that.”

The new Expo runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is free and all are invited to attend.  Yasso will speak at 3:30 p.m. His talk, titled “Never Limit Where Running Can Take You” will cover how he discovered running, how it changed his life, his battle with a crippling illness, and many tales from the trail.

Some of the greatest runners ever to compete in the Garden and Colorado running legends Pablo Vigil, Ric Rojas, Mark Weeks and Ted Castaneda will share their stories at 2 p.m.
The men’s race record is 50:31 (Simon Cheprot, 2009). The women’s record (58:49, 2009) is held by Belaynesh Gebre.

Good things to know
•    Cars may not be parked anywhere along the course during the race. The course closes at 6:30 a.m. and opens again at 9:30 a.m. You may be dropped off on course before 6:30 a.m. Walk-in access is available from the Garden of the Gods Nature Center (1805 N. 30th St.) Walk-in is also available from the parking area at the top of Ridge Rd.
•    Press credentials will not be issued. The start/finish (Memorial Park in Manitou Springs) area is open to all. Interviews may be conducted after runners have finished.
•    Parking is always an issue. The best way to get a good parking spot is to arrive early. There will be parking spots at Tajine Alami, 10 Old Man’s Trail, near the start/finish. There are also places to park at Manitou Springs High School (401 El Monte Place) about ½-mile from the starting line, the Briarhurst Manor (404 Manitou Ave.) and Manitou Springs Middle School (415 El Monte Place). Check the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run website for more information.