Apolo Ohno made a trip to Colorado this week, taking flight with the famous Air Force Thunderbirds ahead of the Air Force Academy graduation. Ohno's Colorado experience didn't end there though, with the eight-time Olympic speed skating medalist also opting to take on one of Colorado's most iconic hikes – the Manitou Incline.
A video of Ohno making the trek up 2,700-plus steps over the course of slightly less than a mile was published to the Olympic City USA Instagram account. While Ohno is taking a casual approach toward climbing the route in this more recent video video, he's no stranger to tackling it with speed, claiming to have hit a time of 17 minutes and 45 seconds in 2006.
If confirmed, Ohno's time would have been potentially record-setting, though it was never made fully official. In years to come, Manitou Incline speed records would be taken much more seriously, with new standards for proof and a standardized approach toward a start and finish line implemented.
Today, the official records on the Manitou Incline per a reputable website called Fastest Known Time are 17 minutes and 25 seconds by Rémi Bonnet (2022) and 17 minutes and 45 seconds by Joseph Gray (2015). These records include their own controversy with many considering Gray's time to be the most substantiated and most official record for the notorious route. Either way, all of these times in the record-setting range are well ahead of the hour to two hour time it takes many to finish the route.
Those seeking to climb the Manitou Incline must make a free reservation here. Note that it's extremely strenuous and not for everyone, climbing more than 2,700 steps and gaining 2,000 vertical feet in less than a mile.
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