Leadville Trail 100

The Leadville Trail 100 Run (aka The Race Across The Sky or the LT100) is an ultramarathon held annually on rugged trails and dirt roads near Leadville, Colorado, through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. First run in 1983, the race course climbs and descends 15,600 feet (4,800 m), with elevations ranging from 9,200 to 12,620 feet (2,800–3,850 m). In most years, fewer than half the starters complete the race within the 30-hour time limit.

Leadville Trail 100
DateAugust 18–19
LocationLeadville, Colorado
Event typeUltramarathon trail run
Distance100-mile (160 km)
Established1983
Course recordsMatt Carpenter 15:42:59 (2005);
Ann Trason 18:06:24 (1994)
Official sitewww.leadvilleraceseries.com

Course

The course is a 50-mile (80 km) out-and-back dogleg run primarily on the Colorado Trail, starting at 10,200 feet (3,100 m). The centerpiece of the course is the climb up to Hope Pass at 12,620 feet (3,850 m), encountered on both the outbound trek and on the return.

History and records

In the early 1980s Colorado Ultra Club president Jim Butera had the idea of creating a 100 mile run in Colorado. When Aspen and Vail showed no interest Butera found support by Lake County Commissioner Ken Chlouber to hold the event in Leadville as a way to bring in visitors after the closing of the Climax Molybdenum Mine. Butera designed the course and the first running was held on August 27–28, 1983, with Butera serving as race director with the assistance of Chlouber and Merilee Maupin.[1]

Leadville is one of the four 100-milers in the United States that make up the "Western Slam", completing four western 100-mile (160 km) events: the Leadville 100, the Western States 100 in northern California, the Wasatch Front 100 in Utah, and the Angeles Crest 100 in southern California. Leadville is also a part of the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (the Vermont 100, Western States 100, Leadville and the Wasatch Front 100, originally Old Dominion 100 instead of Vermont) and an optional part of the Rocky Mountain Slam (Hardrock 100 plus three of four other races in the Rocky Mountains: Leadville, the Bear 100, the Bighorn 100, or the Wasatch Front 100). Leadville is also one of the valid qualifying events for the Western States 100.

Leadville was the venue for the American debut of the Tarahumara runners of Mexico. In 1992 the Tarahumara first showed up to run outside their native environs. Wilderness guide Rick Fisher and ultra-runner Kitty Williams brought some of them to Leadville. However the experiment went bust. The problem, it turned out, was psychosocial, i.e. an unfamiliarity with the trail and the strange ways of the North. The Indians stood shyly at aid stations, waiting to be offered food. They held their flashlights pointed skyward, unaware that these "torches" needed to be aimed forward to illuminate the trail ahead. All five Tarahumara dropped out before the halfway point.[2] The Tarahumara teams came back in 1993 and 1994 and won the Leadville event outright both years. In 1993, 52-year-old Tarahumara runner Victoriano Churro came in first, followed by 41-year-old teammate Cerrildo in second. In 1994, a five-man Tarahumara team took on Ann Trason in a much-publicized race in the ultrarunning community. Twenty-five-year-old Tarahumara runner Juan Herrera won in a record time of 17:30. His mark stood for 8 years until broken by Chad Ricklefs in 2002 (17:23), then again by Paul DeWitt in 2004 and finally by current record holder Matt Carpenter's performance in 2005 (15:42). Trason finished in second place with a time of 18:06, which remains the course record for female runners.

Notable Finishers

The winner of the first race in 1983 was Skip Hamilton of Aspen, CO., in a time of 20:11:18

Matt Carpenter is the current course record holder. His time of 15 hours and 42 minutes in 2005 shattered the previous Leadville Trail 100 record. The publisher of Colorado Runner magazine, Derek Griffiths, said afterwards, “It was a perfect race for him. He finished in daylight, for crying out loud — no one has ever done that before. I think he has just raised the bar of ultra racing to a whole new level.”

Ann Trason holds the female LT100 record, 18:06:24, which she set in 1994. Trason is widely recognized as one of the greatest ultrarunners of all time, and nearly won the race outright in 1994. Charles Williams holds the record of the oldest man to ever complete the race, which he did at the age of 70 in 1999. He was featured in the August 1999 issue of GQ magazine, which compared his training for the race to that of a professional football player.

Bill Finkbeiner became the first person ever to receive the "Leadville 2000-Mile Buckle" for twenty LT100 finishes in 2003. Finkbeiner has a total of 30 consecutive finishes, starting in 1984.[3] In 2014, Kirk Apt finished his 20th Leadville 100. In 2019, Eric Pence finished his 25th Leadville 100, becoming the third person to earn 25 or more buckles, along with Finkbeiner and Garry Curry.[4]

Results

Men's Winners[5]

YearWinnerTimeAgeState/Country
2023 JP Giblin 17:07:25 29  Colorado
2022Adrian Macdonald16:05:4433 Colorado
2021Adrian Macdonald16:18:1932 Colorado
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019Ryan Smith16:33:2440 Colorado
2018Rob Krar15:51:5741 Arizona
2017Ian Sharman17:34:5136 England
2016Ian Sharman16:22:3935 England
2015Ian Sharman16:33:5334 England
2014Rob Krar16:09:3237 Arizona
2013Ian Sharman16:30:0232 England
2012Thomas Lorblanchet16:29:2830 France
2011Ryan Sandes16:46:5420 South Africa
2010Duncan Callahan17:43:2527 Colorado
2009Timmy Parr17:27:2327 Colorado
2008Duncan Callahan18:02:3925 Colorado
2007Anton Krupicka16:14:3524 Nebraska
2006Anton Krupicka17:01:5623 Nebraska
2005Matt Carpenter15:42:5941 Colorado
2004Paul DeWitt17:16:1936 Colorado
2003Paul Dewitt17:58:4535 Colorado
2002Chad Ricklefs17:23:1835 Colorado
2001Steve Peterson17:40:53 Colorado
2000Chad Ricklefs18:07:5733 Colorado
1999Steve Peterson18:47:3137 Colorado
1998Steve Peterson18:29:2136 Colorado
1997Steve Peterson18:10:4535 Colorado
1996Steve Peterson19:29:5634 Colorado
1995Kirk Apt20:33:0533 Colorado
1994Juan Herrera17:30:4225 Mexico
1993Victoriano Churro20:03:3352 Mexico
1992Rick Spady19:51:1040 Colorado
1991Steve Mahieu19:38:0444 Colorado
1990Jim O'Brien17:55:5737 Colorado
1989Sean Crom18:56:4033 Colorado
1988Rick Spady18:04:0336 Colorado
1987Skip Hamilton18:44:5542 Colorado
1986Skip Hamilton19:26:0941 Colorado
1985Jim Howard19:15:5730 California
1984Skip Hamilton18:43:5039 Colorado
1983Skip Hamilton20:11:1838 Colorado

Women's Winners[5]

YearWinnerTimeAgeState/Country
2023Jacquie Mannhard21:24:55 Colorado
2022Clare Gallagher19:37:5730 Colorado
2021Annie Hughes21:06:5823 Colorado
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019Magdalena Boulet20:18:0646 California
2018Katie Arnold19:53:4046 New Mexico
2017Devon Yanko20:46:2935 California
2016Clare Gallagher19:00:2724 Colorado
2015Elizabeth Howard19:34:0943 Texas
2014Emma Roca19:38:0441 Spain
2013Ashley Arnold20:25:4226 Colorado
2012Tina Lewis19:33:4430 Colorado
2011Lynette Clemons19:59:0630 Colorado
2010Elizabeth Howard21:19:4838 Texas
2009Lynette Clemons20:58:0135 Colorado
2008Helen Cospolich23:21:5331 Colorado
2007Tammy Stone22:44:5445 Colorado
2006Diana Finkel20:43:1934 Colorado
2005Nikki Kimball20:28:2134 Montana
2004Anthea Schmid20:50:0532 Colorado
2003Valerie Caldwell22:54:16 New Mexico
2002Anthea Schmid19:44:2430 Colorado
2001Janet Runyan21:47:44 Colorado
2000Amanda McIntosh22:16:1735 Texas
1999Amanda McIntosh22:05:2234 Texas
1998Ann Trason20:58:3237 California
1997Julie Arter24:08:0736 Colorado
1996Martha Swatt-Robison23:30:1134 Colorado
1995Linda Lee22:59:0139 Colorado
1994Ann Trason18:06:2433 California
1993Christine Gibbons20:55:5931 Colorado
1992Theresa Daus-Weber23:37:2337 Colorado
1991Alice Thurau22:10:3535 Colorado
1990Ann Trason20:38:5129 California
1989Kathy D'Onofrio20:50:4125 Colorado
1988Ann Trason21:40:2627 California
1987Randi Young24:12:5735 Colorado
1986Maureen Garty22:45:0136 Colorado
1985Marge Hickman26:57:5035 Colorado
1984Teri Gerber28:17:4135 California

Leadville Race Series

The LT100 is one of six races presented under the Leadville Trail 100 banner. The other five events are as follows:

  • Leadville 10K Run: This is an open event the week before the main Trail 100 race, comprising the first and last portions of the full Trail 100 course.
  • Leadville Trail 100 MTB: This mountain bike race was added in 1994. The race was the idea of Tony Post, then a marketing vice president at the Rockport Company, sponsor of the event who arranged for television coverage for both races. The first mountain bike race drew just 150 entrants, while the 2009 edition allowed 1400 entrants. This USA Cycling-sanctioned race is held on a course that roughly parallels the LT100 run course, with some sections in common. It is held the same weekend as the 10K, and has attracted cyclists including Dave Wiens, Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis. In 2010, Levi Leipheimer won the Leadville Trail 100 MTB in a then record time of 6:16:37, breaking the previous course record of 6:28:50 set in 2009 by Armstrong. The current course record is 5:58:35, set in 2015 by Alban Lakata. Howard Grotts, of Durango CO., has won the last three editions of the race, most notably in 2019 when a number of world tour road professionals competed in the race.
  • Silver Rush 50 MTB: This race is a USAC-sanctioned 50-mile (80 km) mountain bike race through the mining districts east of Leadville in late July.
  • Silver Rush 50 Run: This is a 50-mile trail run introduced in 2008 that follows the same route as the MTB course. The event occurs the day after the MTB event. Competitors who complete both Silver Rush events are recognized with a Silver Queen or Silver King award.
  • Leadville Trail Marathon: This is a 26.2-mile (42.2 km) marathon through the mining districts east of Leadville, is held in June each year. The midpoint of the course is at Mosquito Pass, with an altitude of 13,185 feet (4,019 m). In 2006, a "heavy" half marathon event of 15 miles was added, which is run on the same day and also goes to the top of Mosquito Pass.

A competitor who officially finishes the Trail 100 Run, Trail 100 MTB, the Marathon, the Silver Rush bike or run, and the 10K is called a "Leadman" or "Leadwoman", a title which nods to the Ironman Triathlon. Charles Bybee currently holds the most Leadman titles, with 10 years of finishing all events (2007-2010, 2012–2017). In 2015, Junko Kazukawa completed the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning and the Leadwoman series, becoming the first person to complete both events in a single year.[6][7] In 2019 Dion Leonard became the first male to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning and the Leadman series in one year.[8]

All events of the 2020 edition of the race series were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all registrants given a deferral and a refund option for each race.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Colorado Encyclopedia". 10 April 2020.
  2. Don Kardong in Runner's World, March 1995 v30 n3 p84(8)
  3. "Auburn, CA - the Endurance Capital of the World". Archived from the original on 2006-06-15. Retrieved 2006-06-23.
  4. https://www.facebook.com/leadvilleraceseries/posts/766126816786350
  5. Leadville Trail 100 Results
  6. Fields, Jenn (December 25, 2015). "Denver woman completes Grand Slam of Ultrarunning and Leadwoman". The Denver Post. Denver, Colorado. Archived from the original on 4 June 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  7. Smith, Tonia (January 28, 2016). "Junko Kazukawa: Grand Slammer, Leadwoman, 2x Cancer Survivor". UltraRunning Magazine. Bend, Oregon. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  8. "Dion Leonard: 2 series, 8 races, 3 months, 936 km". www.waa-ultra.com. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  9. "2020/2021 LRS Cancellations, Deferral Info, and FAQs".

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