Matthew Edwin Carpenter (born July 20, 1964)"Matt Carpenter, Club Member Since 9/10/1997"
Incline Club members' list
Skyrunner.com is an American

Ultramarathon An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of . Various distances are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of to over . 50k and 100k are bot ...

er as a

trail runner Trail running is a sport-activity which combines running, and, where there are steep gradients, hiking, that is run "on any unpaved surface". It is similar to both mountain and fell running (also known as hill running). Mountain running may, h ...

and in high altitude marathons.

Early life

Carpenter was born in North Carolina, before moving to Kentucky and then Mississippi while in high school. He took up running while living there, because he had "nothing else to do". Over time it became a way to fund his college education, and subsequently an escape from bereavement in the period following the death of his mother. As a student at

the University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

he frequently visited

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, and moved there after graduation, first to

Vail Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numer ...

in 1987, then to

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since 2 ...

four years later, before settling in

Manitou Springs Manitou Springs is a home rule municipality located at the foot of Pikes Peak in western El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The town was founded for its natural mineral springs. The downtown area continues to be of interest to travelers, ...

in 1998.

Physiology

Carpenter stands at and weighs . In 1990, his VO₂ max, a measure of the body's ability to intake oxygen, was calculated to be 90.2 during tests at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, the highest they had recorded."The power to vanish; High-altitude runner Matt Carpenter leaves foes gasping for breath"
Brian Metzler, '' Rocky Mountain News'', May 29, 2007 This, and his rigorous training regime—he claims to have run daily for over five years between 1997 and his daughter's birth in 2002—are credited as the keys to his enduring success.

Endorsement & dominance

After signing with

Fila Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. ...

Skyrunners in 1993, he won either thirteen"Climb Every Mountain"
, SWE Region I Conference - Colorado Track or fifteen of the seventeen high altitude marathons he entered, setting records at both (with a time of 2:52:57) and (a time of 3:22:25).
, Brian Metzler, ''

Runner's World ''Runner's World'' is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Hearst in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Before its acquisition by Hearst, it was founded and published by Rodale, Inc. in Emm ...

'', May 23, 2007 Later in his career he moved to ultrarunning, and sustained his previous success, setting course records in the San Juan Solstice 50-mile race in

Lake City, Colorado Lake City is a Statutory Town that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States. It is located in the San Juan Mountains in a valley formed by the convergenc ...

in 2004, and breaking the record for the Leadville Trail 100 race in 2005 by over an hour and a half."Local legend Matt Carpenter talks races, routes and reasons why"
, Kirk Woundy, ''Colorado Springs Independent'', May 18, 2006 Carpenter has won the

Pikes Peak Marathon The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon is a trail running competition that begins at the base of Pikes Peak, in Manitou Springs, Colorado, and climbs over 7,815 feet (2382 m) to the top of the 14,115 foot (4302 m) peak. Since 1956, the event takes p ...

on twelve occasions, the

Hill Climb eight times, the

Imogene Pass Imogene Pass is a high mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains in the southwest part of the US state of Colorado. It crosses a ridge connecting Ouray, Colorado with Telluride, Colorado, and is the highest mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains ...

Run six times, the

Barr Trail Barr Trail is a trail in the Pike National Forest that begins in Manitou Springs, Colorado and ends at the Pikes Peak summit. The high elevation trail with a long sustained grade is rated more difficult by the U.S. Forest Service. With a elevat ...

Mountain Race, Everest SkyMarathon Tibet, and

Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the '' Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (C ...

SkyMarathon five times each, and holds the course record for all of these events. He is also the record holder for running the fastest flat marathons run at altitude at both 14,000 and 17,000 feet. His success in the sport has been so extensive and dominant that he has been compared to

Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong ('' né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. Regarded as a sports icon for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005 after recovering f ...

,"The Legendary Matt Carpenter"
Carey Cuprisin, Cuivienen.org blog, August 23, 2005 and described as "one of the greatest mountain runners of all time"."High-altitude runner Matt Carpenter leaves foes gasping for breath"
Trailrunningblog.com, May 29, 2007 Carpenter's greatest dominance has been on Pikes Peak. He has won eighteen races; six ascents and twelve marathons, including an unprecedented double, winning both on consecutive days in 2001. On the ascent he holds the age group record for both 40- to 44-year-olds, and 25- to 29-year-olds, the latter the outright record with a time of 2:01:06, set during the 1993 marathon. In the marathon itself, he holds the record for the 20- to 24-, 25- to 29-, 35- to 39- and 40- to 44-year-old age groups, as well as the outright fastest time of 3:16:39, also in 1993.Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon Age-Group and Course Records
Skyrunner.com In October 2013, Carpenter was the first distance runner inducted into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame.
, Brent Briggeman, ''Colorado Springs Gazette'', April 16, 2013Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame

Later life

He currently lives with his Brazilian-born wife Yvonne and their daughter Kyla, born in 2002. The couple are both members of the Incline Club, their local trail-running group, and are so dedicated to their sport that their wedding was held during a Sunday morning training run along the Waldo Canyon Trail in February 2000."Waldo Canyon Wedding; Couple dashes to say 'I do'"
Deb Acord, '' The Gazette'', February 21, 2000 Since 2012, Carpenter and his wife own and operate the Colorado Custard Company, a small shop in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Matt 1964 births Living people American male ultramarathon runners Sportspeople from Asheville, North Carolina University of Southern Mississippi alumni People from Manitou Springs, Colorado American sky runners World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships winners