Leadville Trail 100

The Leadville Trail 100 Run (aka The Race Across The Sky or the LT100) is an ultramarathon held annually in mid August 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 . In most years, fewer than half the starters complete the race within the 30-hour time limit.

Course The course is a out-and-back dogleg run primarily on the Colorado Trail, starting at . The centerpiece of the course is the climb up to Hope Pass at , 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.

In 2001, the race organizers created the Leadville Trail 100 Legacy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting welfare of Lake County residents. In 2010, Chlouber sold the Leadville Trail organization and its associated events to Life Time Fitness.

Leadville is one of the four 100-milers in the United States that make up the "Western Slam", completing four western 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. Unlike many other 100-mile races, Leadville has no qualifying standards. Entrance can be gained through an open lottery, via select qualifying races, through charitable donations, by signing up for coaching and/or the Leadville Run camp, or as a member of Life Time Fitness.

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.Don Kardong in Runner's World, March 1995 v30 n3 p84(8) 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, then again by Matt Carpenter in 2005, and finally by David Roche in 2024.

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

David Roche is the current course record holder for the Leadville Trail 100 Race. His 2024 time of 15 hours, 26 minutes, and 34 seconds in 2024 shattered the 19 year record previously held by Matt Carpenter. He bettered his time by just over 14 minutes in 2025, with a time of 15:12:30.

Ann Trason held the female LT100 record, 18:06:24, for 31 years, set in 1994. Trason is widely recognized as one of the greatest ultrarunners of all time, and nearly won the race outright in 1994. In 2025 it was broken by Anne Flower in a time of 17:58:19. 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 to receive the "Leadville 2000-Mile Buckle" for twenty LT100 finishes in 2003. Finkbeiner has a total of 30 consecutive finishes, starting in 1984. In 2014, Kirk Apt finished his 20th Leadville 100. In 2026, Eric Pence finished the race for the 31st time, moving into first on the all time finishers list.https://www.facebook.com/leadvilleraceseries/posts/766126816786350

Results Key: Course record

Men's WinnersLeadville Trail 100 Results

Year Winner Time Age State/Country2026Adrian Macdonald15:47:23372025David Roche15:12:30372024 David Roche 15:26:34 36 2023 JP Giblin 17:07:25 29 2022 Adrian Macdonald 16:05:44 33 2021 Adrian Macdonald 16:18:19 32 2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2019 Ryan Smith 16:33:24 40 2018 Rob Krar 15:51:57 41 2017 Ian Sharman 17:34:51 36 2016 Ian Sharman 16:22:39 35 2015 Ian Sharman 16:33:53 34 2014 Rob Krar 16:09:32 37 2013 Ian Sharman 16:30:02 32 2012 Thomas Lorblanchet 16:29:28 30 2011 Ryan Sandes 16:46:54 20 2010 Duncan Callahan 17:43:25 27 2009 Timmy Parr 17:27:23 27 2008 Duncan Callahan 18:02:39 25 2007 Anton Krupicka 16:14:35 24 2006 Anton Krupicka 17:01:56 23 2005 Matt Carpenter15:42:59 41 2004 Paul DeWitt17:16:19 36 2003 Paul Dewitt 17:58:45 35 2002 Chad Ricklefs17:23:18 35 2001 Steve Peterson 17:40:53 2000 Chad Ricklefs 18:07:57 33 1999 Steve Peterson 18:47:31 37 1998 Steve Peterson 18:29:21 36 1997 Steve Peterson 18:10:45 35 1996 Steve Peterson 19:29:56 34 1995 Kirk Apt 20:33:05 33 1994 Juan Herrera17:30:42 25 1993 Victoriano Churro 20:03:33 52 1992 Rick Spady 19:51:10 40 1991 Steve Mahieu 19:38:04 44 1990 Jim O'Brien17:55:57 37 1989 Sean Crom 18:56:40 33 1988 Rick Spady 18:04:03 36 1987 Skip Hamilton 18:44:55 42 1986 Skip Hamilton 19:26:09 41 1985 Jim Howard 19:15:57 30 1984 Skip Hamilton18:43:50 39 1983 Skip Hamilton 20:11:18 38

Women's Winners

Year Winner Time Age State/Country2026Mckendree Hickory19:39:12382025Anne Flower17:58:1935 2024 Mary Denholm 18:23:51 37 2023 Jacquie Mannhard 21:24:55 38 2022 Clare Gallagher 19:37:57 30 2021 Annie Hughes 21:06:58 23 2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2019 Magdalena Boulet 20:18:06 46 2018 Katie Arnold 19:53:40 46 2017 Devon Yanko 20:46:29 35 2016 Clare Gallagher 19:00:27 24 2015 Elizabeth Howard 19:34:09 43 2014 Emma Roca 19:38:04 41 2013 Ashley Arnold 20:25:42 26 2012 Tina Lewis 19:33:44 30 2011 Lynette Clemons 19:59:06 30 2010 Elizabeth Howard 21:19:48 38 2009 Lynette Clemons 20:58:01 35 2008 Helen Cospolich 23:21:53 31 2007 Tammy Stone 22:44:54 45 2006 Diana Finkel 20:43:19 34 2005 Nikki Kimball 20:28:21 34 2004 Anthea Schmid 20:50:05 32 2003 Valerie Caldwell 22:54:16 2002 Anthea Schmid 19:44:24 30 2001 Janet Runyan 21:47:44 2000 Amanda McIntosh 22:16:17 35 1999 Amanda McIntosh 22:05:22 34 1998 Ann Trason 20:58:32 37 1997 Julie Arter 24:08:07 36 1996 Martha Swatt-Robison 23:30:11 34 1995 Linda Lee 22:59:01 39 1994 Ann Trason18:06:24 33 1993 Christine Gibbons 20:55:59 31 1992 Theresa Daus-Weber 23:37:23 37 1991 Alice Thurau 22:10:35 35 1990 Ann Trason20:38:51 29 1989 Kathy D'Onofrio20:50:41 25 1988 Ann Trason21:40:26 27 1987 Randi Young 24:12:57 35 1986 Maureen Garty22:45:01 36 1985 Marge Hickman26:57:50 35 1984 Teri Gerber28:17:41 35

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 5:20:26, set in 2026 by Keegan Swenson and Matthew Wilson. Swenson has won the last six editions of the race. Silver Rush 50 MTB: This race is a USAC-sanctioned 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 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 . 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. In 2019 Dion Leonard became the first male to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning and the Leadman series in one year.

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.

Leadville Trail 100

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