Leadville Trail 100

The Leadville Trail 100 Ultramarathon (aka The Race Across The Sky or the LT100), first run in 1983, is an ultramarathon held annually on trails and dirt roads at high altitude west and south of Leadville, Colorado, through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The course is difficult, with runners climbing and descending 15,600 feet, with elevations ranging between 9,200-12,620 feet. Because of its difficulty, it is common for less than half the starters to complete the race ahead of its 30 hour time limit. The next edition of the LT100 is set for August 15-16, 2009 starting at 4am on the 15th.

The Trail 100 is distinctive in having no entrance lottery. Returning finishers are very likely to be accepted, but otherwise the race is strictly first-come, first-served. Race entry packets are mailed out soon after the first of the year, and some racers will over-night their entrance forms to become one of the 500 or so people accepted every year.

Course

The course is a 50-mile out-and-back dogleg, starting at 10,200 feet. The centerpiece of the course are two climbs up to Hope Pass, an ascent to 12,620 feet, encountered on both the outbound trek and on the return.

History and records

Race co-founder Kenneth Chlouber, an avid marathon runner, conceived of the race as a way to make Leadville famous and bring visitors during a period of economic downturn. When he told the local hospital administrator about his idea he was told, "You're crazy! You'll kill someone!" Ken responded, "Well, then we "will" be famous, won't we?"

Matt Carpenter, age 41, is the 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 set in 1994. As of 2003, her mark was the eighth best ever by any runner. [http://leadvilletrail100.com/results/LT100RunThru2003.html]

Bill Finkbeiner, of Auburn, California became the first person ever to receive the "Leadville 2000-Mile Buckle" in 2003 for his twenty LT100 finishes. [http://www.auburnendurancecapital.com/athletebios.shtml] Finkbeiner, Tim Twietmeyer at the Western States Endurance Run in Auburn, and Rick Gates at the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run are the only 20-time finishers of 100-milers in the modern era. Leadville is one of the four 100-milers in the United States that make up the "Western Slam", completing four western 100-mile events: the Leadville 100, the Western States 100 in Northern California, the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run in Utah, and the Angeles Crest 100 in Southern California. Leadville is also a part of the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (the Vt 100, Western States 100, Leadville and the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run) 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 Mile Endurance Run, the Bighorn 100, or the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run).

Leadville is also one of the valid qualifying events for the Hardrock 100.

Other Trail 100 Races

The LT100 is only one of the races presented under the Leadville Trail 100 banner. The Trail 100 10k is an open event the week before the main Trail 100 race, comprising the first and last portions of the full Trail 100 course.

In 1994 the Leadville Trail 100 MTB mountain bike race was added. This NORBA-sanctioned race is held on a course that roughly parallels the LT100 run course, and which has some sections in common with the run course. It is held the same weekend as the 10k, and has attracted leading US cycling stars such as Dave Wiens, Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis to compete.

The Silver Rush MTB race is a NORBA-sanctioned 50 mile mountain bike race through the mining districts east of Leadville, in late July. The Silver Rush 50 mile run is a running race introduced in 2008. It is held on the same course as the Silver Rush MTB race on the following day.

In early July, the Leadville Trail Marathon, a 26.2 mile marathon, is contested through the mining districts east of Leadville. In 2006 a “heavy” half marathon class was added.

A competitor who competes in the Trail 100 Run, Trail 100 Mountainbike, the Marathon, the Silver Rush bike, and the 10k is called a "Leadman" or "Leadwoman", a nod to the Ironman Triathlon.

External links

* [http://www.leadvilletrail100.com/ LeadvilleTrail100.com] - Official website of the Leadville Trail 100 Mile
* [http://www.coolrunning.com.au/kevintiller/website.php?pagename=Main.Leadvillefinish CoolRunning.com.au] - 1998 leadville 100 mile race finish: the following is a short description of the incredible finish at the leadville 100 mile trail race by keith woestehoff', Kevin Tiller
* [http://www.skyrunner.com/story/2005l3.htm SkyRunner.com] - 'The Hammer: Carpenter nails Leadville 100 – what’s next?' David Ramsey, "The Gazette"
* [http://www.vhtrc.org/forum/lt-100-03.htm VHTRC.org] - 'Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run: Leadville, Colorado, August 16-17, 2003', Mike Campbell, Virginia Happy Trails Running Club