Pikes Peak International Hill Climb – Race to the Clouds Guide
Originally published September 2016. Last updated September 2026: expanded Tier B hill-climb guide, facts table, table of contents, modern records (2018–2024), internal links, FAQ schema, and editorial refresh while preserving legacy images and Unser-era narrative.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) is America’s Race to the Clouds — a 19.99 km climb on the Pikes Peak Highway from Mile 7 to the 14,115 ft summit in Colorado. Founded in 1916 by Spencer Penrose, the event is one of the oldest and most diverse motorsport contests on earth: motorcycles, open-wheelers, rally cars, trucks, and electric prototypes share one mountain road.
The hill climb matters because thin air robs internal-combustion power while paved tarmac and modern machinery keep rewriting the record books. The official full-course overall record stands at 7:57.148, set by Romain Dumas in the 2018 Volkswagen I.D. R. Compare PPIHC with other iconic events in our greatest motorsport events roundup and with US road racing at Watkins Glen or Road America.
Contents
- Pikes Peak International Hill Climb facts
- Penrose, the highway, and 1916
- Louis, Bobby, and the Unser dynasty
- AAA and USAC open-wheel years
- Audi and Peugeot rally invasion
- Rod Millen and Monster Tajima
- Paving the highway
- Loeb, Dumas, and the electric era
- 2018–2024 records and winners
- Hall of Fame and museum
- Frequently asked questions
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb facts
| Location | Pikes Peak Highway, Colorado Springs area, Colorado, USA |
|---|---|
| Event type | Annual hill climb on public mountain road (156 turns) |
| Founded | 1916 (Spencer Penrose; highway opened 1915) |
| Traditional date | Last Sunday of June |
| Course length | 12.42 miles (19.99 km) full summit course |
| Start / finish altitude | Start ~9,390 ft (Mile 7); summit 14,115 ft |
| Average grade | ~7.2% with ~4,720 ft (1,440 m) climb |
| Nickname | Race to the Clouds |
| Full-course overall record | 7:57.148 — Romain Dumas, Volkswagen I.D. R, 2018 |
Record note: compare times only on the same full summit course. Some years (including 2025) ran shortened routes for safety; those times are not comparable to full-course records.
Penrose built the road, then the race
Colorado Springs entrepreneur Spencer Penrose widened the carriage route into the Pikes Peak Highway in 1915, spending about $500,000 of his own money so tourists could reach the summit. In 1916 he organised the first competitive run — effectively three races in one event. Rea Lentz won overall in a Romano Special in 20:55.6.
The 2016 centenary celebrated 100 years of racing though not 100 consecutive editions: World Wars paused the event from 1917–1919 and 1942–1945.
Spencer Penrose and the Penrose Trophy
Penrose also founded The Broadmoor Hotel and El Pomar Foundation; the hill climb remains tied to Colorado Springs hospitality and philanthropy.
Nine wins for Louis Unser, ten for Bobby
Louis Unser first won in 1934 in a Stutz Special and added eight more overall victories through 1953, when his record stood at 15:15.4. The Unser name would dominate the mountain for decades.
Louis Unser won nine times between 1934 and 1953
Bobby Unser matched the family legend with nine wins between 1956 and 1968, becoming the first driver under 12 minutes (11:54.9 in 1968 in the Rislone Special). Brother Al Unser won in 1964 and 1965; Robby Unser added four more Unser wins from 1989 to 2004. In total the family claimed 26 overall victories — enough for fans to joke about renaming the peak Unser Mountain.
When IndyCar heroes raced the mountain
From 1946 to 1970 the climb counted toward AAA and then USAC open-wheel calendars. Mario Andretti won his only Pikes Peak in 1969. Rick Mears triumphed in 1976 before his Indy 500 dynasty; Al Unser Jr. set a 11:38.3 record in 1983. Ted Foltz won the last USAC-sanctioned edition in 1970.
1986 — Bobby Unser in the Audi Sport Quattro
Mouton, Rohrl, and the Group B circus
European rally stars arrived in force from 1984. Michèle Mouton won the Open Rally class in an Audi Sport Quattro; she returned in 1985 to win overall in 11:25.390. Audi took three straight wins with Mouton, Bobby Unser, and Walter Röhrl, whose 10:47.850 stood briefly before Ari Vatanen’s Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 run of 10:47.220 — immortalised in the film Climb Dance. Robby Unser won again for Peugeot in 1989.
Millen versus Monster Tajima on dirt and tarmac
Rod Millen and Japan’s Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima traded records through the 1990s and 2000s. Tajima’s extreme Suzuki XL7 finally broke the 10-minute barrier with 9:51.278 in 2011 on the still-mixed surface.
Sebastien Loeb smashed the record in 2013
Full asphalt from 2012 onward
Colorado Springs began paving the highway in 2002, completing the full tarmac course by late 2011 for the 2012 race. The bigger grid included electric entries; Rhys Millen (Rod’s son) set a new benchmark at 9:46.164 in a Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
Loeb under nine minutes; Dumas under eight
Nine-time world rally champion Sébastien Loeb arrived in 2013 with Peugeot’s 875 hp 208 T16 and clocked 8:13.878 — the first sub-nine-minute full run on the paved course. Dumas won in 2014 and again in 2016 with a Norma prototype in 8:51.445.
Nobuhiro Tajima in the Rimac E-Runner Concept_One
2015 brought the first overall win for an electric car: Rhys Millen in the Drive eO PP03, while Tajima finished second in the Rimac E-Runner. Rhys Millen later joined the sub-nine club with 8:57.118 in the eO PP100 in 2016.
2016 PPIHC winner Romain Dumas
Volkswagen I.D. R and Ford SuperTruck eras
In 2018 Dumas and Volkswagen’s I.D. R electric prototype rewrote the record book with 7:57.148 — still the official full-course overall time. Thin air hurts piston engines; electric torque helped both the I.D. R and later hybrid efforts.
Dumas returned in 2023 with Ford’s SuperVan 4 (8:47.682 in the Pikes Peak Open division) and in 2024 won overall again as King of the Mountain in the Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck with 8:53.553 on the full summit course — proof that the event still attracts factory-backed spectacle even after the absolute record plateaued.
Organisers occasionally shorten the route when conditions demand (for example a 2025 run to Glen Cove); those times must not be compared with summit records above.
Hall of Fame at the Penrose Heritage Museum
The Pikes Peak Hill Climb Museum Hall of Fame inside the Penrose Heritage Museum (across from The Broadmoor) honours Penrose, officials, and drivers including Louis and Bobby Unser. Inductees include Spencer Penrose, Thayer Tutt, Jim Reilly, Al Rogers, Nick Sanborn, and Frank & Kaye Peterson.
Frequently asked questions about the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
What is the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb?
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) is an annual race up the Pikes Peak Highway in Colorado — nicknamed the Race to the Clouds — with 156 turns over 12.42 miles (19.99 km) to the summit.
When was the first Pikes Peak hill climb?
The first race was held in 1916, one year after Spencer Penrose finished widening the highway. Rea Lentz won the inaugural overall climb.
How long is the Pikes Peak hill climb course?
The full summit course measures 12.42 miles (19.99 km) with 156 turns, climbing about 4,720 ft from the start near Mile 7 to the 14,115 ft summit.
What is the Pikes Peak hill climb record?
The official full-course overall record is 7:57.148, set by Romain Dumas in the 2018 Volkswagen I.D. R electric prototype.
Who has won Pikes Peak the most times?
The Unser family dominates the all-time list with 26 overall wins, including nine each for Louis and Bobby Unser and multiple victories for Robby Unser.
When was the Pikes Peak course fully paved?
Paving began in 2002 and the entire route was asphalt in time for the 2012 race, ending the mixed dirt-and-tarmac era.
Did Sebastien Loeb set a record at Pikes Peak?
Yes. Sébastien Loeb ran 8:13.878 in 2013 in the Peugeot 208 T16 — the first sub-nine-minute full-course time before Dumas lowered the mark further in 2018.
Has an electric car won overall at Pikes Peak?
Rhys Millen took the first overall electric victory in 2015 with the Drive eO PP03. Romain Dumas’s record-setting 2018 run was also in a fully electric Volkswagen I.D. R.
When is the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb held?
The traditional race date is the last Sunday of June each year on Pikes Peak — America’s Mountain near Colorado Springs.
Why does altitude matter at Pikes Peak?
At the summit, thin air can cost internal-combustion engines up to roughly 30% of sea-level power. Electric motors do not breathe air the same way, which is one reason electric and hybrid entries have become so competitive on the mountain.
Related reading
- Greatest motorsport events in the world
- Audi Sport Quattro S1 — Pikes Peak and Group B weapon
- Watkins Glen International — US road-racing cradle
- Road America — National Park of Speed
- Nürburgring Nordschleife — another mountain of myth
Event organiser: Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (ppihc.org)
Museum: Penrose Heritage Museum, Colorado Springs (Pikes Peak Hill Climb Experience)
Related Posts