Leadville Trail 100 MTB
100 miles at extreme altitude through Colorado's high country — start at 10,000 feet, climb to 12,424. The Race Across the Sky.
The vibe
The Race Across the Sky
The Leadville Trail 100 MTB is one of the hardest hundred miles in cycling. It starts at 10,000 feet in the highest incorporated city in North America, climbs to 12,424 feet at the top of Columbine Mine — the halfway turnaround — and returns the same way. The altitude alone would make any 100-mile ride brutal. The elevation gain (over 13,000 feet total), loose mining roads, and high-altitude exposure make it legendary.
Lance Armstrong famously raced it. Kenny Belaey rode it on a trials bike. Rebecca Rusch has won it more times than seems fair. But the real story is the thousands of amateur riders who show up every August having trained through Colorado’s winter and spring, all chasing the sub-9-hour belt buckle or simply the finish line.
Leadville’s race week is a destination unto itself — the marathon, the trail run, the 100-mile road race all happen in the same week. The town is small (population 2,600), the welcome is genuine, and the altitude will humble anyone who hasn’t spent serious time above 10,000 feet. Train high, taper carefully, and start slower than you think you need to.