Leadville 100: stoke levels are high for the ‘race across the sky’
"Running 100 miles across these hills is a privilege and guaranteed adventure," says top contender Addie Bracy
If you aren’t yet a trail or ultra fan, let this weekend’s legendary race, the Leadville Trail 100 Run, be your introduction.
First held in 1983, Leadville 100 is an out-and-back course from the small town of Leadville, Colo., sitting at 3,100 metres elevation. The race boasts over 4,800 metres elevation gain, and traverses forest trails and mountain roads through the Colorado Rockies, earning it the nickname ‘the race across the sky’ for its stunning vistas.
Fans were looking forward to seeing 2-time champion Anton Krupicka race again, after a return from injury and a third-place finish in 2021, but the athlete won’t be on the start-line this year. “My body just hasn’t cooperated the second half of the summer to allow me to stand on the start line confident in a finish,” Krupicka shared on Instagram.
#KnowBeforeYouGo The annual Leadville 100 Trail Run kicks off on Saturday. What began as a race in 1983 with 45 runners has grown to 800 participants competing in this 100-mile ultramarathon through the mountainous terrain. Slow and steady… #LeadvilleRD pic.twitter.com/6sT77tCJje
— USFS_Pike&San Isabel (@PSICC_NF) August 19, 2022
The 2022 Leadville 100 starts at 6 a.m. E.T. on Saturday, Aug. 20. Here’s everything you need to know to follow this year’s race, including a few of the top contenders and how to stay tuned.
Men’s field
Lewis, 46, is one of the most recognizable names on this year’s starting line. The Cincinnati-based winner of the 2021 Big’s Backyard Ultra in what was at the time a record 85 yards (laps) and 570.2 km, he’s known for his zen-like persona, passion for teaching and exuberant promotion of plant-based nutrition.
Matt FlahertyÂ
Indiana’s Flaherty, 37, made his 100-mile debut at the 2021 Leadville 100, finishing second in 16:59:38. He fought hard to close the gap on the legendary Anton Krupicka in the last 30 miles, eventually passing him close to the finish. “I had a pretty damn good day,” Flaherty said.
Ian Sharman
“Can’t say I’m not nervous, despite running this race so many times,” Sharman, 41, posted on Instagram on Wednesday. The British coach and ultrarunner based out of Bend, Ore., has run over 100 ultras and is a four-time champion of Leadville 100.
Women’s field
Addie Bracy
Denver-based Olympian, coach, and sports-psychologist Bracy, 36, won the 2021 Run Rabbit Run 100, and says she’s feeling ready for this year’s race. She took to Instagram to share her goals for this year’s race: “to enjoy this beautiful sport I get to be part of and the connection I’ll get to feel to the mountains, my best humans coming to support me, the volunteers on the course who make this possible, and the hundreds of other brave athletes, some of whom I have the pleasure of coaching, taking on the same challenge that day.”
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Boulder-based Gallagher, 30, was the 2016 Leadville 100 women’s champion and likens returning to race Leadville to coming home. “Sure, I like to go to the Alps or the Dolomites, but there are some of the most spectacular mountains on earth, right in my backyard,” she says. Gallagher won the 2019 Western States 100 Endurance Run, and is a Ph.D. candidate passionate about climate justice.
Devon Yanko
Salida, Colo.’s Yanko is a pro runner, coach, and aspiring homesteader. Yanko, 40, won Leadville 100 in 2017, and is a self-proclaimed “lover of all distances, though mostly the longer the better.” A veteran of the ultra-distance, Yanko finished fourth at High Lonesome 100 earlier this year.
Devon Yanko wins the 2017 Leadville Trail 100 in 20:46:29. (Photo: @Amy_Leedham) #LT100 pic.twitter.com/NGHctsuKpb
— iRunFar (@iRunFar) August 20, 2017
Follow Leadville 100 on Twitter and Instagram for race updates. You can see the full racer start list here , and follow the live results of this year’s Leadville 100 here.
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