At 4 a.m. Saturday, 828 runners representing 48 states and 41 countries turned on their headlamps and toed the start line of the Leadville Trail 100 Run with the ultimate goal of crossing the finish line in under 30 hours. First they would have trek through grueling Rocky Mountain terrain with elevations ranging from 9,200 to 12,600 feet – with 15,000 feet of total elevation gain throughout the course.
Ryan Smith, 40, of Boulder, Colo. and Magda Boulet, 46, of Berkeley, Calif. were the first male and female runners to proudly stride into the race ribbon, a bucket list win for both.
Smith crossed the finish line with a time of 16:33:24. Earning second place in the men’s division behind Smith was Chad Trammell, 35, of Anchorage, Ala. who completed the course in 17:56:26. Trammell was closely followed by Devon Olson, 31, of Steamboat Springs, Colo., who placed third with a completion time of 17:57:17.
Boulet’s first place finish in the women’s division was earned with a time of 20:18:06. Cat Bradley, 27, of Nederland, Colo. followed narrowly, finishing at 20:45:48 and earning second. Samantha Wood, 34, of Colorado Springs, Colo., placed third, completing the course in 23:52:04.
370 of the 828 runners that started the race successfully crossed the finish line, earning a highly-regarded Leadville Race Series belt buckle which serves as a proud symbol of their endurance, determination and grit. Those who finished in under 25 hours earned themselves the “Big Buckle” award while those finishing anytime between 25 and 30 hours earned the “Small Buckle”.
Finishers ranged from 20 to 65 years of age. 81 percent of the finishers were male while 19 percent were female, contributing to a four percent growth in female finishers year-over-year.
Michelle Duffy, Senior Marketing Manager of the Leadville Race Series at Life Time, said, “I could not be more proud of everyone who raced today. All of their training, sacrifices and preparation has paid off. You could see the hunger in runners’ eyes at the start, they were ready to take on the mountains. I’m already excited for 2020.”
Athletes who have successfully completed the Leadville Trail Marathon, Silver Rush 50 MTB or Run, Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB, Leadville Trail 10K Run and Leadville Trail 100 Run presented by La Sportiva within the allotted cut-off times have earned the coveted title of “Leadman” and “Leadwoman”. 60 endurance athletes earned the title in 2019, 54 of them male and 6 female.
The Leadville Trail 100 Run is owned and produced by Life Time, the premier healthy lifestyle brand. It is among more than 30 premier athletic events owned by the company, including the Miami Marathon, the New York City Triathlon, the Chicago Triathlon, and the Dirty Kanza. Life Time strives to produce exceptional event experiences for both participants and spectators as an extension of its Healthy Way of Life philosophy.
About the Leadville Race Series
Started with only 45 runners as the Leadville Trail 100 in 1983, the Leadville Race Series now consists of seven running events and four mountain biking events, plus six events in the Leadville Qualifying Series. The Race Series stretches across three months, and hosts thousands of racers on foot and on mountain bike in some of the world’s most iconic events. Endurance athletes worldwide now make the pilgrimage to Leadville, Colo., with the single goal of competing in “The Race Across the Sky.” Visit www.leadvilleraceseries.com for more information.
About Life Time® – Healthy Way of Life
Life Time champions a healthy and happy life for its members across 144 destinations in 39 major markets in the U.S. and Canada. As the nation’s only Healthy Way of Life brand, Life Time delivers an unmatched athletic resort experience and provides a comprehensive healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment experience that goes well beyond fitness to encompass the entire spectrum of daily life for individuals, couples and families of all ages. For more information visit www.lifetime.life.