SANTA FE STUDENTS TAKE ON PIKES PEAK!
How long would it take YOU to run the Pikes Peak Marathon? This year, Luis Chavez's math students at Aspen Community Middle School are going to find out.
Twenty-six grueling miles rise over 7,800 feet to the top of America’s most famous mountain, taking even the most extreme runners over four hours to reach the 14,115 foot peak. A raw dirt trail, strewn with rocks and natural obstacles provides some 1800 runners a vertical challenge of nearly 6000 feet in the first 10 miles of the race. And let’s not forget about the descent!
Chavez’s story project takes math out of the classroom and onto the trail, exploring distance, rate and other mathematical concepts involved with the famous Colorado marathon. Oxygen levels, endurance, speed and determination are just some of the variables in this massive story problem. Students discover the physical and mental aspects of training for and running the Pikes Peak Marathon, calculating how long it would personally take them to complete “America’s Ultimate Challenge.” ®
