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    One Last Big Climb: Cirque Series Debuts at Mt. Baldy

    October 5, 2026

    At a Glance: The inaugural Cirque race up Mt. Baldy brought runners to Southern California's for the final race of the 2026 series. At 9.1 miles with a season-high 3,926 feet of vertical, the course delivered relentless climbing, technical descending and plenty of reasons to watch your step. Mason Coppi and Lucinda Kolpa claimed the first-ever Pro victories at Baldy.

     

    Photos by @austinelliottphoto and @mattflynnparker

     

    ONE LAST BIG CLIMB

     

    The Cirque Series saved its biggest climb for last.

     

    On October 3, runners gathered in Southern California's San Gabriel mountain range for the inaugural Cirque Series Mt. Baldy: the final race of the 2026 season.

     

    The numbers told part of the story: 9.1 miles and 3,926 feet of vertical gain, the most climbing of any Cirque Series race this year.

     

    The landscape told the rest.

     

    Rugged, rocky mountains rose above sun-soaked Southern California. Yucca plants bloomed and loomed along the course. Lizards darted out of the way of approaching feet. Loose gravel, stone and even rock-slide debris kept racer eyes locked on the trail. It was a very different kind of Cirque.

     

     

    UP WAS HARD. DOWN DEMANDED PRECISION.

     

    Nearly 4,000 feet of climbing demanded strong legs on the way up. The descent was steep and highly technical. Racers couldn't simply let gravity take over. Picking a line meant looking ahead, committing to each step and knowing when speed was worth the risk.

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    On a course where one poorly placed foot could change the race quickly, precision mattered.

     

    A regional heat wave added another challenge, but a strong mountain wind gave relief the runners while testing the vendor's canopies staked down near the finish line.

     

    COPPI MAKES IT FOUR

     

    Mason Coppi entered Mt. Baldy already responsible for some of the biggest performances of the 2026 Cirque Series. He saved another one for the finale.

     

    Coppi crossed the finish in 1:25:57.8, more than 10 minutes ahead of second place, to claim his fourth Cirque Series victory of the season after wins at Snowbird, Grand Targhee and A'Basin.

     

    Noam Franchi finished second in 1:36:27.9, while California's Brody Barkan completed the inaugural men's Pro podium in 1:43:03.8.

     

    PlaceAthleteHometownTime
    1Mason CoppiLakewood, CO1:25:57.8
    2Noam FranchiCuenca1:36:27.9
    3Brody BarkanMill Valley, CA1:43:03.8

     

    KOLPA CLAIMS THE FIRST BALDY TITLE

     

    On the women's side, Lucinda Kolpa made her mark on Cirque Series history by becoming the first women's Pro champion at Mt. Baldy.

     

    Kolpa finished in 1:49:05.4, opening a gap of nearly five minutes over a tight race for the remaining podium spots.

     

    Alexa Aragon took second in 1:53:51.9, with Nature's Sunshine Mountain Team athlete Jamie Brusa right behind her in 1:54:09.1, just over 17 seconds separating second and third.

     

    PlaceAthleteHometownTime
    1Lucinda KolpaBozeman, MT1:49:05.4
    2Alexa AragonSalt Lake City, UT1:53:51.9
    3Jamie BrusaBelgrade, MT1:54:09.1

     

     

    A FINISH LINE WORTH EARNING

     

    For plenty of runners, this was their first Cirque Series race. They picked a memorable one to start with.

     

    After more than nine miles of climbing, careful footwork and a descent that demanded attention all the way home, the finish line filled with tired legs and big smiles.

     

    Some raced for the podium. Some raced the clock. Others simply wanted to see if they could take on nearly 4,000 feet of climbing and make it back down.

     

    They did.

     

     

    THAT'S A WRAP, 2026

     

    From Cannon Mountain in June to Mt. Baldy in October, the 2026 Cirque Series took runners across 10 mountain venues and a season full of steep climbs, fast descents, changing weather and unforgettable finish lines.

     

    Mt. Baldy gave the season an appropriate sendoff: the biggest climb of them all.

     

    And while the final race is in the books, we're not quite finished celebrating 2026.

     

    Stay tuned as we look back at the season, the moments that defined it and the athletes who kept showing up and pushing peaks all year long.

    Nature's Sunshine Editorial Team

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