Matt Carpenter — Skyrunner

Deviating from the Horizontal

Matt Carpenter - SkyRunner: Deviating from the Horizontal

Biography:

Name: Matt Carpenter - Send Email
Wife: Yvonne
Daughter: Kyla
Hometown: Manitou Springs, Colorado, USA
Author: Training for the Ascent and Marathon on Pikes Peak
Business Owner: 2012-2023 Owner/Operator of the Colorado Custard Company
Ciy Council Member: 2010-2013 Manitou Springs City Council Member
Education: Bachelor of Science in computer science from the University of Southern Mississippi
Website: You are here! Homepage is www.skyrunner.com
Signature line: Go out hard, when it hurts speed up!

Age: 59
Birth date: July 1964
Height: 5 feet 7½ inches
Weight: 122 pounds
Resting pulse: 33
Lung capacity: 90.2 VO2, recorded 9/13/90 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO at an altitude of 6,100'. One of the highest known VO2s recorded by a runner (average rate for non-athletes is 44-51; average for athletes is 60-84). This is a measurement of the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to the muscles. More test info: Treadmill protocol - 345 meters/min (4:40min/mile) starting at 0% and increasing the grade 1% every minute. I lasted 5m44s. Weight 55.7Kg (122.8 lbs). Max HR - 187. Max blood lactate - 13.8mmol. In 1994 my VO2 tested even higher (94.9) in Italy which was only logical since the test was done at sea level. However, they claimed their instruments must have been broken and therefore I go with the 90.2.

Favorite actor: Kevin Bacon - Because my Bacon number is 1
Favorite books: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams, The Purple Runner by Paul Christman
Favorite color: Purple
Favorite food: Spaghetti
Favorite movies: Gattaca, the Rocky and Terminator series, the Zero Effect
Favorite places to run: 1. Top three miles of the Barr Trail on Pikes Peak; 2. Rift valley in Kenya
Hobbies: Computers and R/C planes

DQs: 1 - While leading the 2004 US 10K trail championships in Vail, CO, I missed a turn that was not marked near mile three. This cut off a loop and therefore I ran around the finish line to DQ myself.
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Snuck a puff on a cigar when I was a kid and got sick. Never tried smoking cigarettes or anything else. Never chewed tobacco. Never drank alcohol, not even a beer. Never drank coffee and don't use caffeine or drinks/gels/etc that contain it during training or competition. Never taken recreational or performance enhancing drugs. Illegal or not, banned or not, in competition or not.
Longest running streak:   of running at least 1 hour a day started September 1, 2012. 2nd longest streak: 5 years, 57 days. May 12, 1997 - July 9, 2002. Ended when I did a 78 second run (timed) to celebrate my daughter’s birth at 7lbs 8ozs! I then walked around for a half hour feeling happy/scared/hopeful/giddy/worried/excited that I had a daughter:-) I have also had a couple of multi-year and many year+ running streaks.
Most satisfying running accomplishments: (Date order) Winning my first Pikes Peak Marathon 1988. Getting to and finishing the USA Olympic Marathon Trials in 1992. Setting the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon records in 1993. Winning the SkyRunning series in 1994. Cofounding the Incline Club in 1997. Setting an altitude marathon record in 1998. Cofounding the Barr Trail Mountain Race in 2000. Pulling off the Pikes Peak Double win in 2001. Setting the Lake City 50 mile record in 2004. Setting the Leadville Trail 100 record in 2005. This article in Running Times in 2007. Going sub 90 for the Barr Trail Mountain Race in 2007. Breaking the 31 year old Mt Evans Ascent record in 2008. Winning the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 in 2008. Winning a 6th Pikes Peak Marathon in a row in 2011.
Biking:
-In November 2022, I rode my mountain bike 464.1 miles to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in 6 days and once again kept my hour-a-day running streak alive. Daily milage: 78.2, 76.2, 117.9, 73.8, 95.9 and 22.0 (6.1 to Crazy Horse Memorial and 15.9 to Mount Rushmore National Memorial).
-In November 2021, I rode my mountain bike 767.4 miles to Mesa, AZ in 9 days and managed to keep my hour-a-day running streak alive which was one of the most challenging aspects of the trip, other than a very sore butt. Daily milage: 94.4, 66.1, 103.5, 82.4, 123.2, 91.3, 82.5, 53.2 and 70.8.
-In December/January 2020/21, I learned to ride a unicycle and managed not to get hurt.


Matt Carpenter - SkyRunner

In Brief:

(Adapted from an introduction used at a talk I gave)
Matt was one of the premier mountain runners in the United States and was considered by many the best high altitude mountain runner in the world. Matt is the current course record holder of the Pikes Peak Marathon (3:16:39) during which he ran the fastest Ascent run during the marathon (2:01:06). In 2001 he became the first person to win the Ascent and Marathon on back to back days. He repeated this feat in 2007. He is also the record holder of the fastest times for a flat marathon held at altitude - 2:52:57 at 14,350' and 3:22:25 at 17,060'. In 2004, at his first 50 mile race, he broke the course record by over 40 minutes. At the 2005 Leadville Trail 100 he lowered the course record by over 90 minutes to 15:42:59.


Summary and repeat running events:

18 time winner on Pikes Peak (6 Ascents, 12 Marathons) and course record holder of the Marathon with the fastest Ascent ever recorded during a Marathon. Won them both (the Double) in 2001 and 2007
8 time winner of the Barr Trail Mountain Race and former course record holder
8 time winner of the Vail Hill Climb and course record holder
6 time winner of the Imogene Pass Run and course record holder
5 time winner of the Everest SkyMarathon Tibet (4 at 14,350', 1 at 17,060') and course record holder of both
5 time winner of the Aspen SkyMarathon and course record holder
5 time winner of the Triple Crown of Running Series
4 time winner of the Teva Mt Games 10K (twice as USA 10K Trail Championships race)
4 time winner of the Leadville Turquoise Lake 20K and course record holder
4 time winner of the Aspen America’s Uphill Snowshoe Race and course record holder
3 time winner of the Mount Washington Hill Climb
3 time winner of the Vail Piney Lake Half Marathon and course record holder
3 time winner of the Mt. Werner Hill Climb and course record holder
2 time winner of the Skyrunning series
Winner of the Leadville Trail 100 mile and held the course record for 19 years
Winner of the San Francisco North Face Endurance Challenge 50 mile and course record holder
Winner of the Lake City 50 mile and former course record holder
Winner of the Mt Evans Ascent and course record holder
Winner of the Mt Taylor Winter Quadrathlon and former course record holder
Winner of the Winter Park Mary Jane Hill Climb and course record holder
US Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and finisher


Video:

1988 Ascent and Marathon
1989 Marathon
1990 Ascent with 89 Asc/Mar recaps
1992 Ascent and Marathon - Asc/Mar course records broken
1993 Ascent and Marathon - Asc/Mar course records broken again!
1993 Tibet Everest SkyMarathon
1994 Ascent and Marathon
1994 Tibet Everest SkyMarathon
1995 Tibet Everest Top SkyMarathon
1996 Tibet Everest SkyMarathon
1997 Mexico Iztaccihuatl SkyMarathon - part 1
1998 Aspen Taylor Peak SkyMarathon
1998 Skyrunning World Championship, Italy
1998 Tibet Everest SkyMarathon
1999 U.S. FILA SkyMarathon, Aspen, CO
2001 Ascent and Marathon
2007 Ascent/Marathon Documentary
2008 Pikes Peak Incline Club call to arms
2009 Pikes Peak Incline Club call to arms
2009 Pikes Peak Bacon
2009 High-Altitude Dominance - NY Times
2010 Pikes Peak Marathon
2010 Pikes Peak Marathon turn-around
2010 Pikes Peak Marathon Interview
2011 Pikes Peak Incline Club call to arms
2011 Pikes Peak Marathon turn-around
2011 Pikes Peak Marathon Interview
2013 Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame Induction


Radio:

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough aired 3/16/09 & 4/13/09
At 44, Manitou Springs high altitude trail runner Matt Carpenter is setting records at dizzying heights. Interview by Ryan Warner of Colorado Public Radio.


Stories/Articles/Interviews:

Can be found at the bottom of this page.


Magazine Covers:

Triple Crown of Running 9/2007
World Mountain Running Association 3/2007
Marathon & Beyond 3/2006
UltraRunning 10/2005
Trail Runner 9/2002
New England Runner 6/2000
Trail Runner 3/2000
FSA News 2000
Runner’s World (Dutch) 12/1998
Springs Style Summer 1998
UltraRunning 10/1990


Calendars:

Runner’s World 2000
Landmark 1994


Races since 1981:

2015:
4/15/15: Inducted into the Colorado Running Sports Hall of Fame - story, class of 2015

2013:
10/29/13: Inducted into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame - story, video

2011:
8/21/11: Pikes Peak Marathon — 1st place in 3:48:08 with a 2:19:20 Ascent - story, video interview

2010:
8/22/10: Pikes Peak Marathon — 1st place in 3:51:34 with a 2:17:39 Ascent - story 1, story 2, video, video interview
7/18/10: Barr Trail Mountain Race — 3rd place in 1:35:46 (1st was 1:29:05 CR) - story

2009:
11/03/09: Ran for (literally ran to 863 doors in 33 hours spread over 11 days) and won a seat on the Manitou Springs City Council - My City Council Pages
11/01/09: PPRR Fall Series #3 - Ute Valley Park — 1st place in 37:07 - results (Myself and the 2nd place runner lost quite a bit of time due to course marking sabotage)
10/18/09: PPRR Fall Series #2 - Bear Creek Park — 1st place in 29:22 - results
8/11-12/09: Colorado Relay — 38 miles in 5 legs; #5-5.8 miles, #8-12.9, #12-4.7, #19-10.8, #25-3.8 — 1st place team in non-conformist category (most popular category). Our 6 runner team was 2nd overall vs a 10 runner team in the open category.
8/16/09: Pikes Peak Marathon — 1st place in 3:37:02 with a 2:12:04 Ascent - story
7/12/09: Barr Trail Mountain Race — 1st place in 1:32:33 - story
6/07/09: Vail Spring Run-Off 10K / Teva Mt Games — 1st place in 46:15 - top 5 results
6/06/09: Vail Pass Half Marathon / Teva Mt Games — 2nd place in 1:27:15 (1st was 1:26:52)

2008:
12/06/08: San Francisco North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler — 1st place in 6:49:33 course record - story
11/02/08: PPRR Fall Series #3 - Ute Valley Park — 1st place in 35:17
10/19/08: PPRR Fall Series #2 - Bear Creek Park — 1st place in 28:06 - results
8/17/08: Pikes Peak Marathon — 1st place in 3:36:54 with a 2:11:54 Ascent in crazy conditions - actual race photo, story
7/13/08: Barr Trail Mountain Race — 1st place in 1:33:27 - story
6/21/08: Mt Evans Ascent — 1st place in 1:37:01 course record (previous record had stood for 31 years) - website

2007:
12/01/07: San Francisco North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler — 2nd place in 7:10:10 (1st was 6:57:22) - story
8/19/07: Pikes Peak Marathon (as a Double) — 1st place in 3:48:41 with a 2:23:51 Ascent - story, video
8/18/07: Pikes Peak Ascent — 1st place in 2:12:56 - story, see marathon video above
7/15/07: Barr Trail Mountain Race — 1st place in 1:29:33 course record - story
6/03/07: Vail Spring Run-Off 10K / Teva Mt Games — 1st place in 45:23 - story. Team got 1st as well - story
5/29/07: Selected as one of Colorado’s Top 10 Adventure Athletes - story
5/07: The Vail race fiasco (see 6/03/06) resulted in a one on one debate with USATF president Bill Roe published in Running Times

2006:
9/20/06: Pikes Peak Marathon — 1st place in 3:33:07 with a 2:08:27 Ascent - World Mountain Running Association Long Course Championships - story
7/16/06: Barr Trail Mountain Race — 1st place in 1:30:53 masters record - story
6/03/06: Everest Award recipient for Trail Running - story
6/03/06: Vail Spring Run-Off 10K (US 10K trail championships) — 1st place in 44:05, not a USATF member (see 11/4/05) so ineligible for title and prize money - story
3/05/06: North American Snowshoe Championships — 2nd place in 44:29 (1st was 44:10)

2005:
11/04/05: Nominated for USATF Mountain Runner of the Year and Masters Mountain Runner of the Year. Sent this to the USATF when asked for a summary for the judges.
8/20/05: Leadville Trail 100 — 1st place in 15:42:59 course record by 93 minutes, voted 2005 Ultra Running performance of the year - story, report
7/31/05: Beaver Creek Vertical Ascent — 1st place and only runner to start or finish lap 7 - story
7/17/05: Barr Trail Mountain Race — 1st place in 1:31:14 masters record
6/18/05: Mount Washington Hill Climb — 4th place in 1:02:12 masters record (1st was 1:00:54)
6/04/05: Vail Spring Run-Off 10K (US 10K trail championships) — 1st place in 46:41 - story

2004:
8/21-22/04: Leadville Trail 100 — 14th place in 22:43:38 (1st was 17:16:19 course record) - finished what I started - report
7/18/04: Barr Trail Mountain Race — 1st place in 1:31:03
6/19/04: Lake City 50 mile (CO ultra championships) — 1st place in 7:59:44 course record by 43 minutes - report
6/06/04: Vail Spring Run-Off 10K (US 10K trail championships) — Leading by large margin at halfway point but then went off course:-(

2003:
8/17/03: Pikes Peak Marathon — 1st place in 3:43:46 with a 2:14:42 Ascent - video
7/13/03: Barr Trail Mountain Race — 2nd place (1st to top) in 1:34:59 (1st was 1:30:55)
7/06/03: Vail Hill Climb — 7th place in 51:27 (1st was 47:42)
6/07/03: Vail Spring Run-Off 10K — 2nd place in 44:48 (1st was 44:33)

2002:
8/17/02: Pikes Peak Ascent — 1st place in 2:23:22 - video
7/14/02: Barr Trail Mountain Race — Waaayyyy baaaccckkk — 33rd in 2:03:10 (1st was 1:32:54)
7/09/02: Kyla was born:-)

2001:
11/11/01: PPRR Fall Series #4 - Palmer Park — 1st place in 37:12
10/28/01: PPRR Fall Series #3 - Ute Valley Park — 1st place in 35:06
10/14/01: PPRR Fall Series #2 - Bear Creek Park — 2nd place in 26:24 (1st was 25:20)
9/23/01: PPRR Fall Series #1 - Monument Valley Park — 1st place in 24:29
8/19/01: Pikes Peak Marathon (as a Double) — 1st place in 3:53:53 with a 2:24:03 Ascent (1st Double victory in race’s history)
8/18/01: Pikes Peak Ascent — 1st place in 2:16:13
7/15/01: Barr Trail Mountain Race — 1st place in 1:30:07 course record, qualified for the world’s in Italy
1/20/01: North American Snowshoe Championships 10K with deep powder sections — 1st place in 59:30 - story

2000:
11/11/00: Colorado Springs Mayor’s Cup 10K (in messy snow) — 1st place in 32:34
10/28/00: Manitou Springs Mayor’s Cup 5K — 1st place in 15:43 course record
9/10/00: World’s in Germany — 63rd place in 55:56 (1st was 47:29) — Someday I’ll write about this disaster but not for years to come!
8/06/00: Barr Trail Mountain Race — 1st place in 1:31:22
7/02/00: Vail Hill Climb — 1st place in 48:26, qualified for the world’s in Germany
4/01/00: Vail Mountain 10K Snowshoe Race — 4th place in 57:26
2/20/00: Got married to Yvonne

1999:
12/12/99: USATF Mountain Runner of the Year — first time presented
9/17-18/99: Colorado Relay, 3 legs of 2.4, 5 and 9 miles — 2nd place team
7/25/99: Telluride Get High SkyMarathon — 1st place in 4:36:53
7/03/99: Vail Hill Climb — 1st place in 51:49
6/27/99: Aspen Taylor Peak SkyMarathon, 9,711' - 13,435' (US Skyrunning Championships) — 1st place in 3:17:19 course record - video
6/19/99: Mount Washington Hill Climb — 2nd place in 59:16 (1st was 59:03)
5/15/99: Armed Forces Day 10K — 3rd place in 32:03 (1st was 31:27)
3/99: Runner’s World March Bob Rodale Golden Shoe Award
3/20/99: Aspen America’s Uphill Snowshoe Race (3,267' up in 2.5 miles) — 1st place in 41:01 course record - story
3/13/99: St Patrick’s Day 5K — 1st place in 15:34

1998:
10/07/98: Everest SkyMarathon Tibet 14,350' — 1st place, 2:52:57 - video, E-mail diary, official world marathon altitude record recognized by AIMS
9/20/98: Pony Express Trail Run — 1st place in 1:36:35
9/12/98: Imogene Pass Run, 17.1 miles, start 7,810' up to 13,120', finish 8,820' — 1st place in 2:10:20
8/16/98: Pikes Peak Marathon — 1st place in 3:44:27 with a 2:11:28 Ascent
7/12/98: SkyRunning World Championships, Italy — 4th place on real course in 5:46:16 (10th counting those that cut a major portion of the course) - video
6/28/98: Aspen Taylor Peak SkyMarathon 9,711' - 13,435' (US Skyrunning Championships) — 1st place in 3:23:10 - video
6/20/98: Mount Washington Hill Climb — 1st place in 1:00:24
6/06/98: Leadville Turquoise Lake 20K at 10,000' — 1st place in 1:09:46
5/16/98: Armed Forces Day 10K — 1st place in 31:49
4/15/98: Moved to Manitou Springs, Colorado
3/01/98: Pueblo Spring Run-Off 10 Mile — 1st place in 52:36

1997:
11/09/97: Mexico Iztaccihuatl SkyMarathon 17,343' — 3rd place - 1st to top then went off course. Got back on course to finish in 2:57:19 (1st was 2:50:44) - video - part 1
9/06/97: Imogene Pass Run, 17.1 miles, start 7,810' up to 13,120', finish 8,820' — 1st place in 2:07:32
8/16/97: Pikes Peak Ascent — 1st place in 2:10:41
7/27/97: Mt. Evans SkyDualthon, 2m run, 40m bike, 11m run up 14,264' Mt Evans — 2nd place in 3:47:28 (1st was 3:43:46)
6/07/97: Leadville Turquoise Lake 20K at 10,000' — 1st place in 1:16

1996:
10/06/96: Everest SkyMarathon Tibet 14,350' — 1st place in 3:06:43 - video, report
7/28/96: Clean Air Duathlon, R5k B20m R5k — 1st place
6/30/96: Mt Elbert SkyMarathon, start 9,967', top 14,433' — 2nd in 1:57:52 (a runner cut most of the switchbacks to take over the lead and “win” in 1:54:48)
6/09/96: Aspen Castle Peak SkyMarathon — 1st place in 2:46:22
5/18/96: Armed Forces 10K — 1st place in 31:51

1995:
10/02/95: Skyrunning series winner
10/02/95: Everest Top SkyMarathon Tibet 17,060' — 1st place in 3:22:25 - video story
7/16/95: Cervinia Breithorn SkyMarathon, 6,594' - 13,665' — 1st place with a 1:48:18 course record ascent and a 2:32:55 course record
7/15/95: Cervinia Vertical Kilometer, gains 3,280.84' in 2.17 miles from 6,594' to 9,875' — 1st place in 42:14
6/11/95: Aspen Castle Peak SkyMarathon — 1st place in 2:45:58 course record
4/17/95: Boston Marathon — 42nd place in 2:25:57
2/25/95: Black Forest Winter Series #3, 20K — 1st place in 1:10:05
2/23/95: Fila made a mold of my foot to make me custom shoes:-)
2/05/95: Kenya, Mt Kenya SkyMarathon, Sirimon Gate at 7,349' to Lenana Point at 16,355' and back — 7th place - 1st to top (3:29:00) then took a wrong turn and then hosed my ankle and limped to a 5h30m (1st was 5:03:22)

1994:
12/04/94: Pueblo Rock Canyon 1/2 marathon — 1st place in 1:07:17
10/10/94: Skyrunning series winner
10/10/94: Everest SkyMarathon Tibet 14,350' — 1st place in 2:56:08 course record (1st person to break 3 hours in a marathon above 14,000') - video
8/20/94: Pikes Peak Ascent — 1st place in 2:09:35 - video
8/06/94: Italy, 24K road race with 2,600' gain — 1st place in 1:22:30 course record (hottest race I ever ran!)
7/16/94: Mt. Rosa Italy, SkyMarathon, gains 11,014' in 9 miles to 14,947' and back — 2nd to top in 3:14:44 (1st was 3:14:24), 5th place in 4:52:10 (1st was 4:24:27)
7/03/94: Vail Hill Climb — 1st place in 47:49
6/12/94: Aspen Castle Peak SkyMarathon — 1st place in 3:08:27
5/14/94: Imperial Classic 10K — 1st place in 31:18
4/30/94: Elbert Reflections 10K — 1st place in 35:02
4/10/94: Cherry Blossom 10 mile — 17th place in 49:59 after a 4:37 1st mile (1st was 46:01 world record!)
3/26/94: Aspen America’s Uphill Snowshoe Race (3,267' up in 2.5 miles) — 1st place in 45:57
2/26/94: Black Forest Winter Series #4, 25K — 1st place in 1:30:43
2/12/94: Black Forest Winter Series #3, 20K — 1st place in 1:11:04
1/22/94: Black Forest Winter Series #2, 15K — 1st place in 51:54
1/08/94: Black Forest Winter Series #1, 10K — 1st place in 34:32

1993:
10/24/93: PPRR Fall Series #3, Ute Valley Park — Hosed my ankle and broke a bone in my foot (Jones fracture) at 3 miles while leading. Game over:-(
10/10/93: Signed contract with the SkyRunners
10/07/93: Everest SkyMarathon Tibet 14,350' — 1st place in 3:05:40 - story, video
9/18/93: Oh My God 9 Mile Run — 1:04:50
9/11/93: Imogene Pass Run, 17.1 miles, start 7,810' up to 13,120', finish 8,820' — 1st place in 2:05:56 course record
8/22/93: Triple Crown of Running Series Winner
8/22/93: Pikes Peak Marathon — 1st place setting the Ascent and Marathon record in the same race; 2:01:06 up, 3:16:39 up and down - video
8/08/93: Sierre-Zinal, Switzerland — 5th place in 2:40:37 (led for 25 of the 31K and died, 1st was 2:32:44 course record)
8/01/93: Thyon-Dixence, Switzerland — 1st place 1:08:40 - missed CR by 12 seconds:-(
7/25/93: TCR Colorado Springs 10K Classic — 2nd place in 30:35 (1st was 30:07)
7/03/93: Vail Hill Climb, 7.5 miles — 1st place in 46:53 course record
6/19/93: Mount Washington Hill Climb — 1st place in 59:49
6/13/93: TCR Garden of the Gods 15K — 1st place in 47:44 - missed CR by 4 seconds:-(
6/05/93: Leadville Turquoise Lake 20K at 10,000' — 1st place 1:13:47
5/16/93: TCR Garden of the Gods 10K tune-up — 1st place in 31:50 course record
4/25/93: Denver Cherry Creek Sneak 5 mile — 2nd place in 24:10
3/27/93: Aspen America’s Uphill Snowshoe Race (3,267' up in 2.5 miles) — 1st place in 42:01 course record
2/27/93: Black Forest Winter Series #4, 25K — 1st place in 1:29
2/13/93: Black Forest Winter Series #3, 20K — 1st place in 1:12
2/07/93: Snowmass 1.5 mile Uphill Snowshoe Race — 1st place in 24:10 course record
2/06/93: Mountain Man Winter Triathlon snowshoe leg — fastest leg 1:28:59
1/23/93: Black Forest Winter Series #2, 15K — 1st place in 53:38
1/09/93: Black Forest Winter Series #1, 10K in the snow — 1st place in 35:37
1/01/93: Search and Rescue 10K — 1st place in 33:40

1992:
8/23/92: Triple Crown of Running Series Winner
8/23/92: Pikes Peak Marathon — 2nd in 3:43:45 with a 2:05:05 Ascent course record (1st was 3:24:35 course record)- video
7/29/92: TCR Colorado Springs 10K Classic — 7th place in 31:55 (1st was 29:42 course record)
6/20/92: Mount Washington Hill Climb — 1st place 1:00:43
6/14/92: TCR Garden of the Gods 15K — 4th place in 50:21 (1st was 48:30)
6/06/92: Leadville Turquoise Lake 20K at 10,000' — 1st place in 1:08:47 course record
4/11/92: US Olympic Marathon Trials in Columbus, OH — 50th place in 2:32:26 — 104 started, 55 finished, I finished! (1st was 2:12:43)
2/22/92: Black Forest Winter Series #4, 25K — 1st place in 1:28:04
1/26/92: Houston-Tenneco Marathon — 16th in 2:19:44, qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials (1st was 2:13:12)
1/11/92: Black Forest Winter Series #1, 10K — 1st place in 36:00

1991:
11/30/91: Seattle Half Marathon — 1st place in 1:06:49
11/10/91: PPRR Fall Series #4, Palmer Park — 1st place in 46:30
10/20/91: Pony Express Trail Run — 1st place in 1:45:27
10/13/91: Pueblo River Trail 1/2 Marathon — 2nd place in 1:11:02 (1st was 1:08:57)
9/21/91: Glenwood Springs Fall Color Classic — 1st place
9/07/91: Imogene Pass Run, 17.1 miles, start 7,810' up to 13,120', finish 8,820' — 1st place 2:15:05
8/25/91: Triple Crown of Running Series Winner
8/25/91: Pikes Peak Marathon — 6th in 4:06:51 with a 2:28:13 Ascent (1st was 3:46:43)
8/03/91: Wildest Race in town (Zoo Run) — 1st place in 24:06
7/21/91: TCR Colorado Springs 10K Classic — 6th place in 32:00 (1st was 30:27)
6/22/91: Sailin’ Shoes 10K — 1st place in 31:18
6/09/91: TCR Garden of the Gods 15K — 3rd place in 48:46 (1st was 47:40 course record)
5/04/91: Bud Light Doc Holliday 35 mile Trail Run, 6,500' gain — 1st place in 4:41:27
4/20/91: Amish Country 1/2 Marathon, Lancaster, PA — 1st place in 1:07:02
4/12/91: Moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado
3/30/91: Aspen America’s Uphill Snowshoe Race (3,267' up in 2.5 miles) — 1st place in 42:38 course record
2/16/91: Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon, 15m bike, 4.9m run, 1.9m ski, 1m snowshoe to 11,301' and back down in reverse — 1st place in 3:35:39 course record
2/02/91: Mountain Man Winter Triathlon snowshoe leg — fastest snowshoe leg in 1:22:38 course record on 1st place team
1/01/91: Colorado Springs Search and Rescue 10K (Gold Camp/Bear Creek Rd) — 1st place in 33:48

1990:
12/22/90: Florida 10K (while visiting family) — 1st place in 30:26
12/09/90: Florida 10K (while visiting family) — 1st place in 30:53
11/11/90: Columbus Marathon — led at the half in 1:05:26, in lead pack at 17 in 1:25:07, then a death march to a 2:32:08 for 77th
10/21/90: 10K in Denver — 1st place in 30:45
9/22/90: Glenwood Springs Fall Color Classic — Leading at 2h30 where course markings were sabotaged, went wrong way and ran for 3h40m
9/13/90: VO2 tested at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center at 90.2
8/26/90: Pikes Peak Marathon (as a Double) — 6th place in 4:00:18 (1st was 3:35:03) with a 2:20:23 Ascent
8/25/90: Triple Crown of Running Series Winner
8/25/90: Pikes Peak Ascent — 1st place in 2:07:36 - video
7/28/90: Mount Sopris Runoff 16.5 miles (gain 800' in 8, drop 1,000' in 8.5) — Unofficial 1st; ran with leader and then ran back for 33 miles total
7/15/90: TCR Colorado Springs 10K Classic — 1st place in 30:56
7/07/90: Mt Werner Classic Hill Climb, 10.4 miles, 3,560' climb, Steamboat Springs — 1st place in 1:14:12
7/01/90: Vail Hill Climb (14th Annual), 7.5 miles — 1st place in 48:00
6/16/90: 5K leg in relay race — 15:03
6/10/90: Garden of the Gods 10 Mile — 1st place in 51:34 course record
6/03/90: Steamboat Springs 10K — 2nd place in 30:40 (1st was 30:24)
5/20/90: TCR Garden of the Gods 10K — 1st place in 32:17 course record
5/12/90: Denver Mercy Hospital Challenge 10K — 1st place in 31:27
5/12/90: Denver Mercy Hospital Challenge less than 2 mile run (turn-around pylon placed on wrong road) — 1st place in 8:01
4/29/90: Denver Cherry Creek Sneak 5 mile — 5th pace place 24:41 (1st was 24:09)
1/10/90: First run on my new Quinton Q65 Treadmill

1989:
9/23/89: Mountain Man Fat Tire Biathlon, 5k run, 22k mt bike, 5k run — 1st place in 1:35:45
9/09/89: Imogene Pass Run, 17.1 miles, start 7,810' up to 13,120', finish 8,820' — 1st place in 2:09:41 course record
9/04/89: Denver $20,000 Main Course Challenge 10K — 3rd place in 30:37 (1st was 30:05)
8/20/89: Pikes Peak Marathon (as a Double) — 1st place in 3:39:26 with a 2:14:00 Ascent - video
8/19/89: Triple Crown of Running Series Winner
8/19/89: Pikes Peak Ascent — 2nd place in 2:08:25 (1st was 2:06:47)
8/06/89: Vail Piney Lake Half Marathon (11th annual) — 1st place in 1:12:59 course record
7/16/89: TCR Colorado Springs Classic 10K — 2nd place in 30:40 (1st was 30:26)
7/08/89: Mt Werner Classic Hill Climb, 10.4 miles, 3,560' climb, Steamboat Springs — 1st place in 1:09:50 course record
7/02/89: Vail Hill Climb (13th Annual), 7.5 miles — 1st place in 47:27 course record
6/11/89: TCR Garden of the Gods 10 Mile — 2nd place in 52:16 (1st was 51:46 course record)
4/30/89: Denver Cherry Creek Sneak 5 mile — 5th pace in 24:48 (1st was 23:35 course record)
2/26/89: Air Force Academy indoor 2 mile — 1st place in 9:38
1/14/89: Mountain Man Winter Triathlon, 15 mile XC ski, 9.1 mile snowshoe, 12.4 mile speed skate — 5th place in 4:56:13 (1st was 4:33:13)

1988:
9/10/88: Imogene Pass Run, 17.1 miles, start 7,810' up to 13,120', finish 8,820' — 1st place in 2:13:36
8/21/88: Pikes Peak Marathon — 1st place in 3:38:05 with a 2:12:16 Ascent - video
8/08/88: Vail Piney Lake Half Marathon (10th annual) — 1st place in 1:14:34 course record
7/09/88: Mt Werner Classic Hill Climb, 10.4 miles, 3,560' climb, Steamboat Springs — 1st place in 1:10:54 course record
7/03/88: Vail Hill Climb (12th annual), 7.5 miles — 1st place in 48:26 course record
5/07/88: Avon Mud Trudge 5K — 1st place in 15:54
4/30/88: Denver Cherry Creek Sneak 5 mile — 7th pace place in 25:07 (1st was 24:32)
1/30/88: Mountain Man Winter Triathlon, 15 mile XC ski, 9.1 mile snowshoe, 12.4 mile speed skate — 14th place in 5:51:49 (1st was 4:39:16)

1987:
9/27/87: Denver 10K — They turned us wrong — 5.7 in 29:51
8/26/87: SNUG/KZYR Series Final Standings — 3rd place
8/26/87: SNUG/KZYR Mt Bike Race Series #7, Lost Lake Looper 18 miles — 9th place in 1:38:37 (1st was 1:29:33)
8/22/87: Pikes Peak Ascent — 4th place in 2:18:51 (1st was 2:09:33)
8/18/87: Vail Time Trial Bike Series Final Standings — 1st place
8/18/87: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #6, Upper Vail Pass — 1st place in 15:49 course record
8/12/87: SNUG/KZYR Mt Bike Race Series #6, Edwards June Creek Jump, 3 laps of 5.8 miles — 7th place in 1:44:06 (1st was 1:30:03) Crashed, concussion, hairline fracture of jaw, don’t remember getting back on my bike let alone finishing!
8/08/87: Steamboat Mountain Folk Triathlon, swim 3/4 mile, mtn bike 22 miles, run 10K — 1st place in 2:11:16 course record
8/04/87: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #5, Homestead 18 mile criterium bike race — finished in main pack with the same time
8/02/87: Denver Bud Light Triathlon swim 1 mile, bike 25 miles, run 10k — 26th place in 2:15:43
7/29/87: SNUG/KZYR Mt Bike Race Series #4, Vail Vanquisher, 6 mile 10 lap criterium — 6th place in 41:52 (1st was 36:31)
7/25/87: Dillon Dash 10K, 5K up, 5K down — 1st place in 33:53
7/23/87: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #4, Vail Pass Tandem Bike Race — 1st place with Harald Fricker (See it to believe it)
7/19/87: Snowmass Suicide Hill Challenge 10K (3 down, 3 up) — 2nd place in 34:44 (1st was 34:21)
7/15/87: SNUG/KZYR Mt Bike Race Series #3, Beaver Creek, 3 laps of 5.3 miles — 5th place in 1:29:35 (1st place was 1:20:45)
7/07/87: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #3, 10 miles up Vail Pass, same course as Coors Classic race — 1st place 29:34
7/05/87: Vail Hill Climb (11th annual), 7.5 miles — 2nd place in 50:31
6/28/87: Boulder Governor’s Cup Triathlon, swim .5 mile, bike 26 miles, run 5 miles — 1:47:22
6/24/87: SNUG/KZYR Mt Bike Race Series #2, Spraddle Creek Craw — 3rd place in 31:13 (1st was 28:17)
6/16/87: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #2, 5.25 miles from Ford Park to Gore Creek Campground — 3rd place in 12:01 (1st was 11:45)
6/10/87: SNUG/KZYR Mt Bike Race Series #1, 5 miles up Davos Trail — 3rd place in 21:09 (1st was 17:08)
6/02/87: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #1, 10k flat — 3rd place in 12:45 (1st was 12:24)
5/10/87: Moved to Vail, Colorado

1986: (non collegiate)
8/19/86: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #6, 2.5 miles up Beaver Creek Road — 1st place in 11:51 course record
8/10/86: Vail Athlete Vail Pass Hill Climb bike race, 9 miles — 4th place in 29:26 (1st was 28:24)
8/05/86: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #5, 4 miles up Vail Pass — 1st place in 15:59
8/03/86: Vail Piney Lake Half Marathon (8th annual) — 1st place in 1:15:37 course record
7/22/86: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #4, 6.3 miles flat — 5th place in 14:26 (1st was 13:29)
7/20/86: Snowmass Suicide Hill Challenge 10K (3 down, 3 up) — 1st place in 34:28
7/08/86: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #3, 2.5 miles up Beaver Creek Road — 1st place in 12:01
7/06/86: Vail Hill Climb (10th annual), 7.5 miles — 1st place in 49:47 course record
6/29/86: Vail Athlete Vail Pass Hill Climb bike race, 9 miles — 2nd place in 30:39 (1st was 30:36)
6/24/86: Vail Time Trial Bike Series #2, 3 miles up Vail Pass — 1st place in 16:08
5/11/86: Singletree Mother’s Day 10K — 3rd place in 33:31 (1st was 32:38)
5/05/86: Lived in Vail, Colorado for the summer 5/05-8/24

1985: (non collegiate)
8/17/85: Winter Park Mary Jane Hill Climb, 5.3 miles, gain 2,062' to 11,142' — 1st place in 38:22 course record
8/03/85: Winter Park 10K trail race — 3rd place in 34:20
7/07/85: Vail Hill Climb, 7.5 miles — unofficial 3rd place (ran unregistered) in 51:59
5/19/85: Lived in Vail, Colorado for the summer 5/19-8/19

1984: (non collegiate)
8/05/84: Vail Piney Lake Half Marathon (First mountain race) — 3rd place in 1:23:54 (1st was 1:17:15 course record)
7/31/84: While living in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, I visited Vail, Colorado, for a week 7/31-8/07

1983: (Marathon)
4/18/83: Boston Marathon - 2:41:09 - 867th

1982: (Marathon)
12/4/82: Mississippi Marathon - 2:41:23 - 7th (1st 15-19)

1981: (Marathon)
12/12/81: Mississippi Marathon - 3:11:11 63rd
6/2/81: First entry in my running log after joining cross country team


Stories/Articles/Interviews:

Most of these were archived to my site after the websites vanished or deleted their content...

Runner Matt Carpenter Is In Peak Form: 6/22/2009 - 1 photo
A story done by Investor’s Business Daily for their “Leaders & Success” section.

The Lung Sounds Off: 6/12/2009 - 1 photo
An interview I did with RW after winning the 2009 Teva Games 10K Spring Runoff trail race in Vail, Colorado.

Matt Carpenter - Interview: 3/29/2009 - 4 photos
Pete Magill did an interview with me for his Younger Legs for Older Runners site. And while you never know what you are going to get when you do interviews he did an awesome job for an awesome site!

At 44, a Running Career Again in Ascent: 2/23/2009 - 1 photo
The New York Times sent out a reporter one week, a photographer the next and a videographer on the third. This is the result.

Over the Hill?: 10/21/2007 - 2 photos
The Denver Post did a front page story on athletes over 40 who still break records and stereotypes.

The Power to Vanish Into Thin Air: 5/29/2007 - 4 photos
Story done by the Rocky Mountain News after I was selected as one of Colorado’s top 10 adventure athletes.

A Brief Chat with Matt Carpenter: 5/23/2007
An online interview with Runner’s World.

Sky High: 5/17/2006 - 1 photo
An interview with the Colorado Springs Independent.

Matt Carpenter: Deviating from the Horizontal: March/April, 2006 - 6 photos
A rather lengthy piece from Marathon & Beyond.

The Hammer: Carpenter nails Leadville 100 — what’s next?: 8/27/2005 - 3 photos
Pretty extensive coverage of the 2005 Leadville Trail 100 Mile race.

The Man and the Mountain: September, 2002 - 7 photos
This is a lengthy piece done by Trail Runner magazine just before my daughter was born. It covers a lot of material including some stuff that generated quite a few letters to the editor. In fact, 6 months later they were still printing letters to the editor.

Matt ‘Skyrunner’ Carpenter: 4/1/2001 - 2 photos
This is an interview I did with KidsRunning.com about being a reader at an elementary school for Read Across America day.

Touching the Sky: 1/10/2001 - 1 photo
This is an interview I did with KidsRunning.com. Kids are the future of our sport so we need to support kids running!

A Brief Chat with Matt Carpenter: 8/1/2000
An online interview with Runner’s World.

Meet Matt Carpenter: Superstar Skyrunner: 11/5/1998 - 2 photos
An online interview with Cool Running. Has a schedule of my training program.

A Brief Chat with Matt Carpenter: 9/3/1998
An online interview with Runner’s World.

Portrait of a Skyrunner — Matt Carpenter: Summer, 1998 - 3 photos
This was in Springs Style magazine which also had me on the cover.

Matt Carpenter shows it can be done: 6/26/1998
A story done after my 3rd win on Mt. Washington.

Going Down with Matt Carpenter: 6/21/1998
An interveiw done on the van ride down after 1998 Mt. Washington Road Race for Cool Running.

Runner’s High: Running in the Sky : 6/17/1998 - 1 photo
A piece on Skyrunning, this one by the Denver Post, has an intro about my first mountain race.

Mountain Matt: March, 1998
A story by Rocky Mountain Sports Magazine.

Air Matt: 8/7/1997 - 3 photos
The Colorado Springs Gazette did this piece before the 1997 Pike Peak races.

Never Conquer the Peak: 8/7/1997
When the Colorado Springs Gazette asked what it was like to have “really conquered the peak” I let them know.

Lung in Men’s Clothing: January, 1996
A short piece by Outside Magazine after the 1995 Everest marathon.

Worrisome world of Matt Carpenter: November, 1995 - 1 photo
Outside Magazine really likes to talk up the air filter I wear on smoke filled airplanes and in polluted cities.
Read my “SkyRunning in Tibet” story to get more on the air quality of some 3rd world countries.

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