One of the most grueling trail-running races on earth, the Leadville 100, is changing course this year as a wildfire burns within a few miles of the start line.
The 42nd running of the ultramarathon is three weeks away, on Aug. 22, and racers still aren’t sure where the new course will take them. A portion of the pre-approved racecourse is closed for the Willow Fire, one of the four largest wildfires in Colorado today.
Race directors tell the Denver Post their biggest concern is maintaining the mileage and vertical gain that makes this race so popular. The traditional course covers 14,000 vertical feet over 100 miles – a fitting tribute to Colorado’s reputation as the 14er state – and competitors spend most of their time above treeline.
The fastest runner at last year’s race, David Roche, of Boulder, finished in just over 15 hours. The cutoff time is 30 hours. Many racers spend at least a full day on the trail.
“We’re doing our best to be able to maintain the mileage and at least the same amount of vertical gain,” Kimo Seymour, with race organizer Life Time, tells the Post. “One of the conversations has been, would we trade some mileage for a little bit more gain, or vice versa? If we had to have less gain, could we add a bit more mileage? So there may have to be a trade-off there.”
Also changing is the route for the OTHER Leadville 100, the mountain bike race, happening one week earlier on Aug. 15. That one traditionally covers 12,000 vertical feet.
To the west, at the foot of Colorado’s second-tallest peak, Mount Massive, nearly 200 personnel are still fighting the Willow Fire. It has burned nearly 7,200 acres since June 28 and is 66% contained, although gusty winds and persistent dry heat have made it wildly unpredictable. In the early days of the fire embers were blowing up to a half-mile from the main fire, sparking “spot fires” across the foot of Mount Massive.
Read more about the last-minute Leadville 100 shuffle from the Denver Post.
Preview image via LeadvilleRaceSeries.com.