The Leadville Trail Marathon and Heavy Half presented by La Sportiva, owned and produced by Life Time, welcomed a field of approximately 1,500 runners from all 50 states and six countries to Leadville’s high country on Saturday.
Rain and snow started early and grew to a full on snowstorm as runners approached Mosquito Pass. The runners, however, showed true grit and determination as they crossed the finish line in the midst of the snowstorm.
The marathon and half marathon events typically take runners up to 13,185 feet at Mosquito Pass, the highest continuous pass in the country. Despite the event team’s best efforts to clear Mosquito Pass, both courses were altered to turn around slightly below the summit, due to Leadville’s colder spring that brought snow and freezing temperatures. Additional mileage was added elsewhere to maintain course distances of 26.2 and 15.7 miles respectively.
Saturday’s courses were out-and-back routes across extreme terrain on dirt roads and singletrack, winding through the mining district on the east side of Leadville. Saturday’s events welcomed runners ranging from 14 to 84 years of age.
“We kicked off the season in true Leadville fashion, with all four seasons represented in a single day,” said Tamira Jenlink, Leadville Race Series Race Director. “And equally true to our Leadville family of athletes, they met the challenge full-on. The energy was high and only increased as the weather and subsequently the course presented a myriad of shifts and challenges. It was a truly epic day and kickoff to the season!”
Scott Spillman of Denver won the men’s marathon in 3:36:51 while Eleanor Pell of Boulder won the women’s marathon in 4:02:14, the 19th best overall time.
Jimmy Ortega of Bayfield finished 176th in the marathon in 5:26:46 to lead La Plata County’s contingent.
In the heavy half, Brier Youngfleish of Durango finished 17th among the women, and 55th overall, in 2:56:44, to lead the county.
Jeff Cuno of Albuquerque (2:12:20) and Ali Kalner of Denver (2:13:54) won the heavy halfs.
The next run events on the Leadville Race Series are the Life Time Silver Rush 50 on July 8, the Life Time Leadville 10K Run on Aug. 13, and the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 Run on Aug. 19.
More information at https://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/
