Leadville Trail 100 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leadville Trail 100 |
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| Date | August 18–19 |
| Location | Leadville, Colorado |
| Event type | Ultramarathon trail run |
| Distance | 100-mile (160 km) |
| Established | 1983 |
| Course records | Matt Carpenter 15:42:59 (2005); Ann Trason 18:06:24 (1994) |
The Leadville Trail 100 Run, also known as The Race Across The Sky or the LT100, is a super-long running race. It's an ultramarathon held every year in the tough mountains of Leadville, Colorado. The race takes place on rough trails and dirt roads in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
This challenging race first started in 1983. Runners climb and descend about 15,600 feet (4,800 m) during the race. The course goes from 9,200 feet (2,800 m) up to 12,620 feet (3,850 m) high. Most years, less than half of the people who start the race finish it. They have a time limit of 30 hours to complete the course.
Contents
The Race Course
The Leadville Trail 100 course is a 50-mile (80 km) "out-and-back" run. This means runners go out 50 miles and then turn around to come back the same way. The race mostly follows the Colorado Trail. It begins at an elevation of 10,200 feet (3,100 m).
The most important part of the course is the climb up to Hope Pass. This pass is very high, at 12,620 feet (3,850 m). Runners have to go over Hope Pass twice. They climb it on the way out and again on the way back to the finish line.
Race History and Records
In the early 1980s, Jim Butera had an idea for a 100-mile race in Colorado. When other towns weren't interested, Ken Chlouber from Leadville helped out. They wanted to bring visitors to Leadville after a local mine closed. Jim Butera designed the course. The first race happened on August 27–28, 1983.
The Leadville 100 is one of four 100-mile races in the US called the "Western Slam." To complete it, runners must finish the Leadville 100, the Western States 100 in California, the Wasatch Front 100 in Utah, and the Angeles Crest 100 in California. Leadville is also part of other special running challenges.
In 1992, runners from the Tarahumara tribe of Mexico came to Leadville. They are known for their amazing long-distance running. At first, they had trouble because the trail and customs were new to them. All five Tarahumara runners dropped out before the halfway point.
However, the Tarahumara teams returned in 1993 and 1994. They won the Leadville race both years! In 1993, 52-year-old Victoriano Churro won. In 1994, Juan Herrera, a 25-year-old Tarahumara runner, set a new record. He finished in 17 hours and 30 minutes. This record stood for 8 years.
The current men's record was set by Matt Carpenter in 2005. He finished in an incredible 15 hours and 42 minutes. Ann Trason holds the women's course record. She finished in 18 hours and 6 minutes in 1994.
Amazing Finishers
- Skip Hamilton was the first winner of the race in 1983. He finished in 20 hours, 11 minutes, and 18 seconds.
- Matt Carpenter holds the fastest time ever. His 2005 finish was so fast that he finished in daylight. This was something no one had done before.
- Ann Trason is the fastest woman in the race's history. Many people think she is one of the best ultrarunners ever. She almost won the entire race in 1994.
- Charles Williams is the oldest man to finish the race. He completed it in 1999 when he was 70 years old.
- Bill Finkbeiner was the first person to earn the "Leadville 2000-Mile Buckle." He got it in 2003 for finishing the LT100 twenty times. He has now finished 30 races in a row!
Race Results
Men's Winners
| Year | Winner | Time | Age | State/Country |
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| 2023 | JP Giblin | 17:07:25 | 29 |  Colorado |
| 2022 | Adrian Macdonald | 16:05:44 | 33 | Colorado |
| 2021 | Adrian Macdonald | 16:18:19 | 32 | Colorado |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2019 | Ryan Smith | 16:33:24 | 40 | Colorado |
| 2018 | Rob Krar | 15:51:57 | 41 |  Arizona |
| 2017 | Ian Sharman | 17:34:51 | 36 |  England |
| 2016 | Ian Sharman | 16:22:39 | 35 | England |
| 2015 | Ian Sharman | 16:33:53 | 34 | England |
| 2014 | Rob Krar | 16:09:32 | 37 | Arizona |
| 2013 | Ian Sharman | 16:30:02 | 32 | England |
| 2012 | Thomas Lorblanchet | 16:29:28 | 30 |  France |
| 2011 | Ryan Sandes | 16:46:54 | 20 |  South Africa |
| 2010 | Duncan Callahan | 17:43:25 | 27 | Colorado |
| 2009 | Timmy Parr | 17:27:23 | 27 | Colorado |
| 2008 | Duncan Callahan | 18:02:39 | 25 | Colorado |
| 2007 | Anton Krupicka | 16:14:35 | 24 |  Nebraska |
| 2006 | Anton Krupicka | 17:01:56 | 23 | Nebraska |
| 2005 | Matt Carpenter | 15:42:59 | 41 | Colorado |
| 2004 | Paul DeWitt | 17:16:19 | 36 | Colorado |
| 2003 | Paul Dewitt | 17:58:45 | 35 | Colorado |
| 2002 | Chad Ricklefs | 17:23:18 | 35 | Colorado |
| 2001 | Steve Peterson | 17:40:53 | Colorado |
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| 2000 | Chad Ricklefs | 18:07:57 | 33 | Colorado |
| 1999 | Steve Peterson | 18:47:31 | 37 | Colorado |
| 1998 | Steve Peterson | 18:29:21 | 36 | Colorado |
| 1997 | Steve Peterson | 18:10:45 | 35 | Colorado |
| 1996 | Steve Peterson | 19:29:56 | 34 | Colorado |
| 1995 | Kirk Apt | 20:33:05 | 33 | Colorado |
| 1994 | Juan Herrera | 17:30:42 | 25 |  Mexico |
| 1993 | Victoriano Churro | 20:03:33 | 52 | Mexico |
| 1992 | Rick Spady | 19:51:10 | 40 | Colorado |
| 1991 | Steve Mahieu | 19:38:04 | 44 | Colorado |
| 1990 | Jim O'Brien | 17:55:57 | 37 | Colorado |
| 1989 | Sean Crom | 18:56:40 | 33 | Colorado |
| 1988 | Rick Spady | 18:04:03 | 36 | Colorado |
| 1987 | Skip Hamilton | 18:44:55 | 42 | Colorado |
| 1986 | Skip Hamilton | 19:26:09 | 41 | Colorado |
| 1985 | Jim Howard | 19:15:57 | 30 |  California |
| 1984 | Skip Hamilton | 18:43:50 | 39 | Colorado |
| 1983 | Skip Hamilton | 20:11:18 | 38 | Colorado |
Women's Winners
| Year | Winner | Time | Age | State/Country |
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| 2023 | Jacquie Mannhard | 21:24:55 | Colorado |
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| 2022 | Clare Gallagher | 19:37:57 | 30 | Colorado |
| 2021 | Annie Hughes | 21:06:58 | 23 | Colorado |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2019 | Magdalena Boulet | 20:18:06 | 46 | California |
| 2018 | Katie Arnold | 19:53:40 | 46 |  New Mexico |
| 2017 | Devon Yanko | 20:46:29 | 35 | California |
| 2016 | Clare Gallagher | 19:00:27 | 24 | Colorado |
| 2015 | Elizabeth Howard | 19:34:09 | 43 |  Texas |
| 2014 | Emma Roca | 19:38:04 | 41 |  Spain |
| 2013 | Ashley Arnold | 20:25:42 | 26 | Colorado |
| 2012 | Tina Lewis | 19:33:44 | 30 | Colorado |
| 2011 | Lynette Clemons | 19:59:06 | 30 | Colorado |
| 2010 | Elizabeth Howard | 21:19:48 | 38 | Texas |
| 2009 | Lynette Clemons | 20:58:01 | 35 | Colorado |
| 2008 | Helen Cospolich | 23:21:53 | 31 | Colorado |
| 2007 | Tammy Stone | 22:44:54 | 45 | Colorado |
| 2006 | Diana Finkel | 20:43:19 | 34 | Colorado |
| 2005 | Nikki Kimball | 20:28:21 | 34 |  Montana |
| 2004 | Anthea Schmid | 20:50:05 | 32 | Colorado |
| 2003 | Valerie Caldwell | 22:54:16 | New Mexico |
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| 2002 | Anthea Schmid | 19:44:24 | 30 | Colorado |
| 2001 | Janet Runyan | 21:47:44 | Colorado |
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| 2000 | Amanda McIntosh | 22:16:17 | 35 | Texas |
| 1999 | Amanda McIntosh | 22:05:22 | 34 | Texas |
| 1998 | Ann Trason | 20:58:32 | 37 | California |
| 1997 | Julie Arter | 24:08:07 | 36 | Colorado |
| 1996 | Martha Swatt-Robison | 23:30:11 | 34 | Colorado |
| 1995 | Linda Lee | 22:59:01 | 39 | Colorado |
| 1994 | Ann Trason | 18:06:24 | 33 | California |
| 1993 | Christine Gibbons | 20:55:59 | 31 | Colorado |
| 1992 | Theresa Daus-Weber | 23:37:23 | 37 | Colorado |
| 1991 | Alice Thurau | 22:10:35 | 35 | Colorado |
| 1990 | Ann Trason | 20:38:51 | 29 | California |
| 1989 | Kathy D'Onofrio | 20:50:41 | 25 | Colorado |
| 1988 | Ann Trason | 21:40:26 | 27 | California |
| 1987 | Randi Young | 24:12:57 | 35 | Colorado |
| 1986 | Maureen Garty | 22:45:01 | 36 | Colorado |
| 1985 | Marge Hickman | 26:57:50 | 35 | Colorado |
| 1984 | Teri Gerber | 28:17:41 | 35 | California |
The Leadville Race Series
The LT100 is part of a bigger group of races called the Leadville Trail 100 series. There are five other events in this series:
- Leadville 10K Run: This is a shorter race, about 6.2 miles long. It happens the week before the main 100-mile run. It uses the first and last parts of the longer course.
- Leadville Trail 100 MTB: This is a 100-mile mountain bike race. It was added in 1994. Famous cyclists like Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer have raced here. The current record is 5 hours, 58 minutes, and 35 seconds, set by Alban Lakata in 2015.
- Silver Rush 50 MTB: This is a 50-mile (80 km) mountain bike race. It takes place in late July. The course goes through old mining areas near Leadville.
- Silver Rush 50 Run: This is a 50-mile trail run. It started in 2008 and follows the same route as the Silver Rush MTB race. If someone finishes both Silver Rush events, they get a special "Silver Queen" or "Silver King" award.
- Leadville Trail Marathon: This is a 26.2-mile (42.2 km) marathon race. It's held every June. The highest point of the course is at Mosquito Pass, which is 13,185 feet (4,019 m) high. A shorter "heavy" half marathon (15 miles) was added in 2006.
Someone who finishes the Trail 100 Run, Trail 100 MTB, the Marathon, either Silver Rush event, and the 10K is called a "Leadman" or "Leadwoman." This title is similar to the "Ironman Triathlon" award. Charles Bybee has the most Leadman titles, with 10 finishes.
All races in the 2020 series were canceled. This was due to the coronavirus pandemic. People who had signed up could choose to get a refund or race another year.
See also
- Leadville Trail 100 MTB
