Running News Daily

The global mountain running community is mourning the loss of one of its most admired champions. American skyrunning legend Megan Kimmel, the 2016 Skyrunner World Series champion and one of the sport’s most accomplished athletes, has passed away at the age of 46.

Kimmel leaves behind a remarkable legacy that helped shape modern mountain running. Renowned for her fearless racing style, resilience on the toughest terrain, and unwavering passion for the sport, she inspired athletes around the world both on and off the trails.

Her competitive achievements placed her among the greatest mountain runners of her generation. In 2014, she captured a silver medal at the Skyrunning World Championships in Chamonix, announcing herself on the global stage. A year later, she delivered one of the most memorable performances in skyrunning history by setting a course record at the prestigious Dolomites SkyRace—a mark that remains unbeaten to this day.

Throughout her career, Kimmel amassed victories at some of the world's most demanding mountain races, including Matterhorn Ultraks, The Rut, Yading Skyrun, and Broken Arrow. Whether climbing steep alpine ascents or descending technical trails, she consistently demonstrated the strength, skill, and determination that defined her career.

One of her most iconic moments came in 2018 at the legendary Pikes Peak Marathon. Kimmel crossed the finish line in 4:15:04, breaking Lynn Bjorklund’s long-standing 37-year-old course record by 14 seconds. The achievement cemented her status as one of the finest mountain athletes of her era and added another historic chapter to an already extraordinary career.

Yet those who knew Kimmel often spoke less about her victories and more about her character. Living in Silverton, Colorado, she became a beloved figure within the trail-running community, known for encouraging younger athletes, sharing her experience freely, and bringing warmth and positivity wherever she went.

Perhaps nothing captured her relationship with running better than her own words following her Pikes Peak triumph:

“I have always viewed running as a form of therapy rather than pressure. Even on days when I didn't feel like running or racing, those moments often became some of the most rewarding. That is why I am most grateful for running and why it will always be part of my life.”

Those words reflected the philosophy that guided her journey—a belief that running was not merely about competition, but about personal growth, joy, and connection.

Today, the trails she loved remain, stretching across the rugged landscapes that shaped her career. But for countless runners, competitors, and friends, those mountains will never feel quite the same. Megan Kimmel's achievements will endure in record books, yet her greatest legacy may be the inspiration she provided to generations of athletes who dared to chase summits because she showed them what was possible.

The mountain running world has lost a champion, a mentor, and a cherished friend. Her footprints may fade from the trails, but her influence will continue to rise with every runner who follows the path she helped create. 

Catlan runner ran 3:27:39, nearly 11 minutes shy of Matt Carpenter’s record, which has stood for 26 years

One of the most revered records in American mountain running has withstood a challenge from this generation’s greatest ultrarunner.

Despite an early fast pace, Catalan mountain running superstar Kilian Jornet fell short of breaking Matt Carpenter’s ascent and overall course record in the 64th edition of the Pikes Peak Marathon on Sunday, finishing in 3 hours, 27 minutes, 29 seconds — nearly 11 minutes slower than Carpenter’s 3:16:39, set in 1993.

But Swiss ultrarunner Maude Mathys still provided reason to celebrate. Mathys won the women’s division in 4:02:45, crushing the course record set by Megan Kimmel last year in 4:15:04.

Carpenter’s course record has stood for 26 years. Jornet came to the Pikes Peak Marathon as part of the Salomon Golden Trail World Series, a collection of some of the top mountain races in the world, racing in the hopes of breaking the record after also falling short in 2012.

But he said afterward that his legs felt heavy during his morning warmup. He set a course record at the Sierre-Zinal trail race in Switzerland just two weeks ago, but he said that the short turnaround wasn’t a factor in his race today.

At the halfway mark — the summit of Pikes Peak — the record quest appeared to be in jeopardy. Jornet summited in 2:09:15, more than eight minutes behind Carpenter’s 2:01:06 ascent record, which Carpenter set in the same race he recorded the overall record.

For Carpenter, now 55, Pikes Peak is and remains his domain. He has won the marathon 12 times and the ascent-only run — held the day before the marathon — six times. He has lived in Manitou Springs for years and trained frequently on the Pikes Peak course, learning how to handle the altitude while navigating the flats, switchbacks and steep sections.

In recent years, trail running has exploded in popularity throughout the U.S. and the world, ushering a sport from the fringes of distance running to the mainstream. That has brought a new era of young, accomplished runners who have broken and rebroken records and so-called fastest-known times — thought to be untouchable. Despite the onslaught, Carpenter’s records at both Pikes Peak and the Leadville 100 still stand years after they were set.

The Pikes Peak Marathon course starts in Manitou Springs at 6,300 feet, before climbing more than 7,700 feet to Pikes Peak’s summit at 14,115 feet. The race is the second-oldest marathon in the United States and was the first in the U.S. to record an official women’s finisher.

Just past the first mile, Jornet was already leading the pack by a few steps. Just before five miles, he had built up his lead to more than 90 seconds, on pace to hit the summit in under two hours. But his legs soon caught up with him, and he slowed, summiting in 2:09:15.

Jornet had run this race in 2012, winning in 3:40:26. But he also competed with a heaver race schedule then.

Pikes Peak is one of only three races Jornet will do all year. Already, Jornet holds the course record counterclockwise and clockwise for the Hardrock 100, one of Colorado’s other esteemed ultra runs that starts and finishes in Silverton and loops through Ouray, Telluride and Lake City in the San Juan Mountains, forcing runnings to ascend some 33,000 feet over 100.5 miles.

Megan Kimmel had not run the Pikes Peak Marathon in nearly 10 years, but the 38-year-old runner out of Ridgway spent much of Sunday’s descent contemplating whether or not to go for a record-breaking time. “I took note of what my time was up top, and I was like ‘I think it’s still doable,’” Kimmel recalled thinking. “At Barr Camp, I was kinda like ‘Ah, I don’t have it.’” While she didn’t think she’d be breaking Lynn Bjorklund’s record set in 1981, Kimmel kept a solid pace to keep distance between her and the competition. Her mindset changed once more, however. “It wasn’t until I hit the pavement on Ruxton (Avenue) that someone was like, ‘You can do it. There’s time,’ ” Kimmel said. “That’s when I kicked it.” Her only remaining issue was figuring out the exact time she needed. Kimmel said she knew the record was just a little over 4 hours, 15 minutes but didn’t know how many seconds she had to work with. “Once you get closer to the finish line here, people really keep you going for sure,” Kimmel said. “But I have to say, I didn’t notice it that much because I was so focused on the time and the finish that I kinda had tunnel vision going on.” The focus paid off as Kimmel stormed through the tape in 4:15:04, good for a new record and the 14th-best overall time. Kimmel chalked up her performance to living at altitude and near-ideal conditions a day after the Ascent was shortened due to expected weather. She was able to complete the marathon in a sleeveless racing top without slowing to add or remove layers.