Climb4Change brings timed stair races back to Castle Rock's Challenge Hill

Climb4Change turned Philip S. Miller Park’s Challenge Hill into a fundraising workout Saturday, drawing runners, walkers and families to Castle Rock’s 200-step staircase while directing proceeds to the Town of Castle Rock’s Therapeutic Recreation program. Same-day registration opened at 6:30 a.m., and the Challenge Hill and trails area stayed closed to the public until 1 p.m.

The event was built around a climb that is short on distance and high on effort. Participants ascended 178 feet on each of the four challenges, pushing up the timber steps in a format that mixed timed racing with a more relaxed community option. The town also offered a non-timed Run4Fun family run on a quarter-mile course, and families could choose a non-timed fun run or walk anywhere in the park at their own pace.

Entry ranged from $25 to $45, plus fees, and children under age 5 were free. The official Climb4Change page listed Race to the Top, Run4Fun, Trail Race, Power Hour, ClimbNRun 5K/10K and Trail Reps among the event formats, giving the day a wider appeal than a single race category. The town page also pointed to a course record of 1 minute, 3 seconds for Race to the Top, held by Mark Ewell.

The event fit neatly into the role Philip S. Miller Park plays in Castle Rock’s recreation economy. The town describes the park as a 300-acre regional destination with Challenge Hill, an amphitheater, the Miller Activity Complex, an adventure playground and an interconnected trail network. Visit Castle Rock says the park opened in 2014 and now attracts more than 1 million annual visitors, a scale that makes events like Climb4Change part fitness challenge and part civic gathering.

Castle Rock also uses Challenge Hill as a signature feature of the park itself. The town describes it as a 200-timber-step climb similar to the Manitou Springs Incline, and says the trail system offers views of Pikes Peak and the Front Range. With No Limits Physical Therapy sponsoring the event, Climb4Change once again tied local recreation to a specific public purpose, channeling attention, participation and dollars toward a program designed for residents with therapeutic needs.