Date set for 100th running of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, fan fest to return

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- It's been more than a century since the first cars revved up to the top of Pikes Peak, but now the date has been set for the official 100th running of the world-famous race.

The 100th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will take place on June 26, 2022, according to executive director Megan Leatham.

With the historic milestone, race officials say they expect even more interest from auto manufacturers and race teams.

“Pikes Peak is legendary in the motorsports world, it’s a racing venue like no other," Leatham said in a statement sent Tuesday. "Our 100th Running will be a perfect opportunity for drivers to bring their best game to Pikes Peak to cap the first 100 years of competition while ushering in a new century of racing on America’s Mountain.”

Also announced Tuesday is the return of the Hill Climb Fan Fest, which was cancelled for the past two years due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Fan Fest will take over the streets of downtown Colorado Springs just ahead of race day. An exact date for the downtown celebration hasn't been set yet.

The very first Hill Climb took place in 1916, and it was won by Rea Lentz in the Romano Special with a time of 20 minutes, 55.6 seconds. Jump ahead decades, and now racers are regularly hitting the sub-10 minute mark. The current record-holder is Romain Dumas, who blazed up the highway in an all-electric Volkswagen with a time of 7 minutes, 57.148 seconds.

Ticket sales for the event will be announced at a later date.