These letters have been archived from Friday, August 25, 2006

Letters to the Editor

Ascent gate crasher stole spotlight from real stars

After reading The Gazette’s coverage of the Pikes Peak Ascent, I was very surprised how much attention was given to somebody who did not enter the race and disrupted a great event (“Ecuadorian fast to finish, slow to register,” Sports, Aug. 20). Silvio Guerra’s actions took away from the awesome battle the top three Ascent finishers had, and will always leave a bitter taste behind.

The media should not have given all this attention to somebody who does not deserve this attention, and spoils the competition in a race. In my opinion, over the last years the race organizers have done a good job in catering to athletes who deserve to get into the race after it fills. There is a well-published and fair way of doing this.

If people such as Guerra cannot follow these rules, and think that they deserve the right to just show up and be able to enter the race, they are wrong. They are disrespectful to the race organizers and competitors, and should not be given any attention. I think he falls into the category of streaking during a stadium event, he was just a disruption during a great race, and deserves no attention at all.

Cornelis Guijt
Colorado Springs

Volunteers made race better for exhausted runners

I want to give a big thank-you to all of those who volunteered to work the Pikes Peak Ascent this year. Their cheers, encouragement and handfuls of Skittles helped many a runner accomplish a huge feat. Kudos especially for those aid stations at the A-Frame and the Cirque; they really made that long stretch more bearable.

Emily Adcox
Colorado Springs

This letter was archived from Sunday, August 27, 2006

Thanks for coverage on Ascent, Marathon

What a weekend on the Peak this was! Thank you so much for your articles about the Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon. We appreciate the wonderful coverage The Gazette gave this 51st running of the weekend.

It was an exciting weekend to say the least, and then to read about it from so many aspects as you covered has been fun for those of us caught up in the business of the events. You have been a wonderful supporter these past years of what to many of us is a significant sports happening in the Pikes Peak region, for which we are grateful.

Joyce McKelvey
Black Forest

Copyright 2006, The Gazette, a division of Freedom Colorado Information. All rights reserved. Used with permission.