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The Leadville Trail 100 MTB will return this weekend for the 32nd edition of the bike race that is renowned for its high altitude terrain, long sustained climbs, and limited technical terrain. The third stop on the Life Time Grand Prix is truly an ultimate altitude endurance test more than it is anything else.
This year, the Willow Fire that swept through a key corner of Lake County this June has changed the nature of the race even more, forcing the race to pivot from its set course. The replacement is similar, but it does have a few key changes that could play a pivotal role in the racing.
Then again, the climb to the top of Columbine at over 12,500 feet is still present and will undoubtedly be the big focal point of the race, regardless of what comes before or after the halfway point.
The Course
In broad strokes, Leadville’s course remains familiar: 100 miles, with 50 miles out, 50 miles back, and just under two miles of singletrack.
On closer inspection, the course has lost a lot of its bite. With the Willow Fire causing the Forest Service to close key areas of the course, including the climb and descent of Powerline, Hagerman Pass Road, and Sugarloaf Mountain.
To make up the distance, the organizers have added more flat terrain around Turquoise Lake, including a substantial bit of pavement to replace the punishingly steep Powerline climb. These changes dramatically reduce the amount of total climbing over the 101-mile course to 9,897 feet of total elevation gain. What’s more, 6,100 feet of that climbing is done in the first half of the race. Previous editions had over 14,000 feet of total climbing.
The climb up Columbine (7 miles, 8% average) remains the big test on the day and will still be enough of an effort to cause major splits and attrition towards the end of the race, but it should be a larger group than normal at the bottom of the climb. Additionally, without the leg-breaking climb of Powerline in the finale, bigger groups could arrive at the finish together.
All that being said, the race is still a climbing test that ranges from 9,000 to 12,500 feet of altitude. That will always make the biggest difference by the time the leaders cross the line in Leadville after the 100 miles of racing.
The Contenders
One thing is certain heading into Leadville 100 this year: we won’t see the same two winners we saw last year. Kate Courtney, who smashed the women’s course record last year, has signed with FDJ United-Suez and is fully submerged in the world of road racing. The 2024 champion, Melisa Rollins, will be in the field and looks to be the favorite as she has seen a return to form this summer after a spring of injury.
In her way will be the likes of Sofia Gomez-Villafañe, winner in 2023, Hannah Otto, winner in 2022, and outsiders like Anna Gibson, who represented the US in Skimo at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
On the men’s side, however, Keegan Swenson has returned after winning the race five times in a row with eyes on tying the record of six Leadville wins this summer. Currently, David Wiens has the record of six consecutive wins at the race (coincidentally, he was denied a seventh win by none other than Lance Armstrong). Swenson will be heading to the race wearing the rainbow bands from his marathon MTB Worlds win last year, and will certainly be eyeing the record as he transitions into the back half of his career.
The big challenge will come from Quinn Simmons, who was a late addition to the start list after a successful Tour de France. Simmons was a top mountain biker as a junior and finished second in 2019 as an 18-year-old. Simmons has yet to race an American off-road since Swenson took over the scene in 2022, but is renowned for his high-altitude prowess.
Beyond the big two, Cobe Freeburn, Bradyn Lange, Cam Jones, Alexey Vermeulen, Matt Beers, and Leadville specialist John Gaston could all provide a surprise.
Life Time Grand Prix Standings
Leadville is the third of six Life Time Grand Prix events and always plays a key role in pushing riders up and down the standings. After two gravel races at Sea Otter and Unbound, here is how things stand heading into the first mountain bike race of the season.
Women’s standings
| Rank | Athlete | Points |
| 1 | Sofia Gomez Villafane | 60 |
| 2 | Cecily Decker | 48 |
| 3 | Rosa Kloser | 46 |
| 4 | Hayley Preen | 44 |
| 5 | Lauren Stephens | 42 |
| 6 | Paige Onweller | 41 |
| 7 | Cecile Lejeune | 36 |
| 8 | Lauren De Crescenzo | 35 |
| 9 | Sarah Lange | 33 |
| T-10 | Samara Sheppard | 31 |
| T-10 | Morgan Aguirre | 31 |
Men’s Standings
| Rank | Athlete | Points |
| T-1 | Keegan Swenson | 54 |
| T-1 | Matthew Beers | 54 |
| 3 | Alexey Vermeulen | 46 |
| 4 | Brendan Johnston | 42 |
| 5 | Cobe Freeburn | 40 |
| 6 | Bradyn Lange | 39 |
| 7 | Simon Pellaud | 38 |
| 8 | Cameron Jones | 35 |
| T-9 | Anton Stensby | 30 |
| T-9 | Martins Blums | 30 |
How to Follow the Race
The race starts on Saturday, August 15, with the men at 6:00 a.m. mountain time, followed by the women at 6:10 a.m. The race will be streamed on the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel and Velo will be on the ground with video, written, and social coverage throughout the weekend.
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