The Leadville 100, aka “The Race Across the Sky”, is a grueling mountain bike race that covers 104 miles of rugged terrain, with a peak altitude of 12,600 feet, and around 12,000 feet of elevation gain.
Despite picking up mountain biking later in life, in the non-mountainous regions of North Carolina, it didn’t take long for me to hear about one of Colorado’s most challenging mountain bike races. Back then I had no intention of ever racing it! It wasn’t until moving to Colorado and embracing the dirt here that I considered it.
It became a bucket list item, and I eventually entered the lottery for the 2024 race. In truth, I hadn’t expected to get in. So, when my name was pulled, I had to rethink my summer training!
Training
To be successful at the Leadville 100 mountain bike, you need to be prepared for varied terrain, from punishing climbs, to tight turns, rocky descents, and steady-state endurance.
I did most of my regular weekly training around the dirt roads in Boulder County. I set aside a weekend in July to pre-ride the course in Leadville. That weekend was invaluable as there is nothing better than Leadville itself to prepare you for this adventure.
If you have the means, then I highly recommend pre-riding sections of this course. And, taking your time to ride the out and back course also allows you to take in the incredible views and scenery that I tend to miss in the frenzy of race day.
For those who are unable to travel to Leadville, never fear! You can still prepare for this course by focusing on:
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Building your endurance.
Plan for long rides working at an aerobic effort. As much as possible, find terrain that will help you mimic the features of the course. As you get closer to the race, you can begin to include more tempo efforts to mimic the effort changes that are common throughout the race.
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Work your skills.
While the course features quite a bit of double-track fire road, there are still plenty of technical elements. Be ready for switchbacks by practicing cornering at speed (even if you don’t have hills like those on the Leadville 100 mountain bike course). Get on rocky terrain. Be ready for the powerline climb and descent by practicing on loose dirt or sand.
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Get strong for climbing.
The entire course features 12,000 feet of climbing, while a good chunk of that happens on the Columbine climb, which is a roughly 7-mile section, going from 9500 feet up to 12,500 feet. While this climb begins on a fire road, it ends up on a rocky single track, which gets tricky with out-and-back traffic. The Powerline climb, which you first descend and then later climb, is also a challenging section, featuring both rock and loose gravel.
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High-Intensity Training
If you don’t live at altitude, your best defense (and offense) for the high altitude is to get as fit as you possibly can. A key part of this recipe should include some higher-intensity interval training. This will help build your cardiovascular capacity and complement the endurance and strength work you are doing.
Race Day
Race morning was cold as we lined up in our starting corrals. It is typical for Leadville mornings to be chilly, so be prepared for this likelihood.
Because I hadn’t done a qualifying race prior, I started in the very last corral (mistake!). I knew this would be a challenging place to start with my time goals, but challenge accepted! If you have the opportunity to do a qualifying race, then do so. This can greatly improve your starting position.
The first few miles of the race were fast and furious not only because it was a cold descent out of town but also an opportunity to get in front of as many people as possible before hitting the first section of tighter trail. I had been warned that even early in the race, I would encounter walkers on St. Kevin’s and Sugarloaf Pass. By the time I had reached the pass, it seemed like EVERYONE but a handful of us were walking.
My original game plan was to take this climb conservatively and then create space on the Powerline descent that follows, a strategy designed to maximize my strength. I ended up burning too many matches surging and red-lining it to get around the massive walls of walkers. For a quiet person, calling out “passing” to the crowds of walkers boosted my already high HR! The returning stretch of Powerline is an infamous ascent at mile 80ish, but on the way out this early descent needs to be respected to avoid any early mishaps.
After the Powerline descent, you ride on a paved road for a few miles. Ideally, this is where you want to find wheels to draft off of. I’m guessing it’s because I started so far back that I didn’t get much help here. It was just before reaching Twin Lakes Dam that I came to terms with the fact that I was not going to hit my goal time. I mentally readjusted and came up with a new goal time.
Twin Lakes is where I stopped for the first time to replenish my food/fluid. I had a crew of 2 friends there waiting with my snacks. Then it was on to the next big challenge: Columbine Mine. This is a brutal 8-mile climb, with loose dirt and rock that ascends to 12,600 ft. Having ridden it successfully back in July on my training weekend, I knew what was coming and how to ride it. Of course, on race day, we need to be prepared for the curveballs that come our way.
Most of the climb is a clean, switch-backing jeep road that allows you to just put your head down and grind your way up. The last couple of miles the road narrows and is super steep with loose dirt and big rocks. I knew it was coming and once you hit this section you can see the top far off in the distance. This is where my heart sank! This is where all I could see was a line of dismounted riders walking their bikes in single file. It’s single file because we share the road with riders coming down from the top and turn around point.
There was no room to maneuver my bike around this walk line, so I was soon forced off my bike. Any opportunity I got where there was a break from the descenders, I would sprint around a few walkers. I did get lucky and closer to the top where I managed to both get some space from walkers and descenders to hop on my bike to ride the last bit to the top. There’s time at the top for a very quick breather before tackling the Columbine descent.
If you haven’t already gotten this message: if you have time goals, do a qualifier to get in a better corral!
I decided once I had a clear trail ahead of me to just go for it…both frightening and risky with 2-way traffic, I just let ‘er rip! It’s in these moments in races that I unlock a new level of riding that I would never have attempted in practice…on the very edge of control! Forcing yourself to work technical trails in training is vital to be able to take advantage of these opportunities on race day.
I knew I could gain some time here but just not enough. Once down at the bottom and back to the Dam, I found my crew to restock one last time.
It was during the ride back to the Powerline climb that I felt the wheels start to come off. I again started readjusting expectations and focused on just riding in the moment. With no one around me to ride with, I was getting both physically and mentally tired. This is where I should have been eating more, but I got lazy (do as I say not as I do!).
Powerline is challenging on the best of days, but at mile 80 it’s just cruel! Luckily at this point, I wasn’t surrounded by the masses, so I got to choose the best lines…and walk them too! Powerline is notorious for breaking spirits. But wait, I wasn’t finished yet! I still had to get up and over Sugarloaf and St Kevin’s with whatever energy I had left. This is where you see plenty of carnage on the side of the trail. I vowed to not be carnage.
Out of St Kevin’s, you are back on the road to climb back into town. This section can be mind-numbing, so prepare mentally for that. Find some good songs to sing, or some mantras to keep you pushing. I was happy to have pre-ridden the course because just when you think it’s a smooth road home, you are taken off road one last time onto the baby head section. If I hadn’t known this was coming, it might have broken me.
For the last 5 miles, I went into survival mode, mustering the energy I had left from what was an incredibly challenging day. While hard, it felt good knowing I had emptied the tank.
Heading toward the finish shoot in Leadville is MAGIC! All of the pain, and fatigue washed away as I crossed that finish line.
The feeling of crossing the finish line of the Leadville 100 is one I’ll never forget (nor one that my backside will ever forget!). Bucket list check ✅. But I loved it enough that I may go back for more, especially now that I am smarter and wiser about the course.
Did you get into the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike race? Contact us for more information about coaching for this iconic adventure.
