Ryan Hafer leads the charge up the first hill in the Summer Roundup Trail Run on Sunday, July 8, in Bear Creek Park

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VIDEO: Start of the Summer Roundup Trail Run ** Interview with men's race winner Ryan Hafer ** Interview with Sage Canaday, 2012 U.S. Mountain Running Champion
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Ryan Hafer put his lungs to work as he climbed the steepest parts of the tough Summer Roundup Trail Run course on Sunday. And when it came time to run downhill, he gave his legs all the reign they needed to charge to the win in record time.

"I knew I could use the downhill on the way back," Hafer said. "I like the downhills. They're easy and you don't have to breathe. You just have to move the legs and focus."

Hafer, 26, of Colorado Springs, loped through the tough 12K course in 41 minutes, 46 seconds,  then lifted his arms skyward as he hit the finish line in Bear Creek Park. His broke the old record of 44:54, set in 2011 by Pete Maksimow, and set a standard for the 25-29 age group.

It was a big weekend for the Boulder Running Company/Adidas runner. On Saturday (July 7), he won the Vail Hill Climb (7.5 miles, 2,500 elevationgain) in 49:20, beating the likes of Glenn Randal, Justin Delaney and Simon Gutierrez.

On Sunday, he outran the 2012 Mountain Running Champion Sage Canaday of Boulder, and Geofrey Terer of Colorado Springs, the 2012 Mount Evans Ascent champion.

Hafer said he wasn't thinking about the race record. He just wanted to get a good workout.

"My coach wanted me to get in two hard efforts this weekend since Barr Trail (Mountain Race) is canceled next weekend," he said.

Canaday, 26, won the Mount Washington Hill Climb in New Hampshire in June and will lead the USA Mountain Running Team when it competes in the mountain running world  championships this September in Italy. He said he, Hafer and Terer shared the lead for the first few miles before Hafer surged on High Drive, a swerving gravel road famous for its tough pitches.

"At the turnaround he came by us and I though, 'man, he really looks strong," Canaday said of Hafer.

Terer stayed in the hunt and managed to out-kick Canaday as they made their final strides to the finish. Terer clocked 42:55, with Canaday on his heels in 42:57. Jared Abuya, 35, of Colorado Springs was fourth in 44:40. All ran under the old race record.

There were 679 finishers in the Summer Roundup, the second leg of the Triple Crown of Running. And cooler weather along with recent rains made for a fast course. There were nine records set, including Hafer's new overall and age-group mark. Other new men's age group records included, Terer's finish in the 35-39 age group. And 60-year-old Ron Hendricks' 57:54 effort in the 60-64 age group.

Hafer and Canaday said the Pikes Peak Ascent is a high-priority target on their race schedule. Hafer was 19 in 2005 when he became the youngest runner to win the Ascent.