Barr can’t hold Carpenter

Matt Carpenter hasn’t won all 10 runnings of the Barr Trail Mountain Race. It just seems that way.

On Sunday morning, the Manitou Springs resident added another title to his list, winning the 12.575-mile event for the sixth straight year and eighth time overall.

The race begins near the Pikes Peak Cog Railway in Manitou Springs and proceeds up Barr Trail to Barr Camp, where runners turn around and descend back into Manitou.

Carpenter, 44, finished the trek in 1 hour, 32 minutes, 33 seconds — just 3 minutes off his course record set in 2007.

Alex Nichols, 24, of Colorado Springs was the runner-up in 1:33:26 while Coronado High School graduate Ryan Hafer, a 23-year-old who won the Pikes Peak Ascent in 2005, finished third in 1:35:20.

Brandy Erholtz, 31, of Bailey set a course record in becoming the top women’s finisher in 1:49:08. Erholtz won last year’s Ascent by nearly 10 minutes.

Silverton’s Megan Kimmel, 29, was second in 1:50:09 while Letitia Dusich, 28, of Colorado Springs followed in 1:53:59.

A record 354 runners finished the race, breaking last year’s mark of 351.