Leadville Trail Marathon & Heavy Half
Leadville, CO
- Marathon, Half Marathon
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
Simply put, the nation’s toughest marathon. The Life Time Leadville Trail Marathon and Heavy Half presented by La Sportiva takes trail runners through the historic mining district’s challenging trails to the highest point of any Leadville Race Series event: Mosquito Pass (13,185 feet). As you take on the baddest trails … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Jun 27):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 69 | 73 | 72 | 74 | 70 |
| L (°F) | 39 | 37 | 44 | 52 | 33 |
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Its all about the Turn Around...
Well, this one for me was good. Lots of issues this year, Shingles, crazy cough and a blown out knee. However this one was a great race. Another runner gave … MORE
Well, this one for me was good. Lots of issues this year, Shingles, crazy cough and a blown out knee. However this one was a great race. Another runner gave me a pin, it says, ( What if you can? ), Think about that… Weather was good, wind came up, very cold at the top, maybe 35 degree, the rescue folks all had full on jackets on. Lots of rocks, dig deep for sure, the top is what its all about, views and 13,200 fr. +-, air is thin. Look at the winners , they all come from high altitudes. Volunteers were great and a cut above other races. Swag is all good. This was my 9th mug. Just a note, in the past we have had lots of snow and water on the way up, this year not much of either…
Dig Deep, Run to the Snow, turn around.
Another marvelous race at 10,100 ft. Never droping below 10,100 feet elevation. You climb to 13,100 ft.. Snow at the top. This was my 8th time on the mountain. My … MORE
Another marvelous race at 10,100 ft. Never droping below 10,100 feet elevation. You climb to 13,100 ft.. Snow at the top. This was my 8th time on the mountain. My results are all over the place. However, The runners are amazing high quality, women, men, young people runners. One young guy 14+-, did a crazy good job. They are amazing runners, I think there are more women than men, don’t know for sure. Aid stations are great, start and finish are great, the after race event is perfect, food, drink, beer, happy folks all around. The swag is always amazing, shirt, medal, mug, no corners cut. Lots of races give little of cheap stuff. Not this one. Poles are good if you are slow or older, me 73. Marathon starts at 6:30 and the Heavy half starts at 9:00, this race was hot and clear, it has also been snowing at the top. Be prepare folks.
Respect the elevation
I wanted to be humbled and humbled I was. I signed up for the Leadville trail marathon a few months ago as a way to challenge me in my 50-miler … MORE
I wanted to be humbled and humbled I was. I signed up for the Leadville trail marathon a few months ago as a way to challenge me in my 50-miler training but also because I’d never done a trail marathon before and thought it would be fun. And parts of it were.
Right now I feel the strongest and healthiest I’ve ever been in my entire life and I knew Leadville would knock me out of that confidence. I’ve never wanted to quit a race more. It’s also now the Number 1 hardest race course I’ve ever done, surpassing the Blue Ridge Marathon, and that’s a killer road course! It also took me longer than even my 50K because of the terrain.
Though I’d done the Leadville Heavy Half (15 miles) back in 2019, it was too snowy for us to go up Mosquito Pass. Not so this year. I have never felt more out of breath and weak than trying to climb, hike, power walk and run up those trails. Then to turn around and try to do the same thing going downhill at steep angles and on piles of loose rocks and dirt-colored rocks was pure madness to me. I tripped so many times I lost count and I’m amazed I never fell. I did see other runners fall though and it wasn’t pretty.
Though I rarely look at race courses before the race, perhaps I should have this time: “The Leadville Trail Marathon is 26.4 miles of out-and-back dirt roads and single track that takes runners through the historic mining district on the east side of Leadville, Colorado. It has an elevation gain of 6,167 feet. The course is primarily on old mining roads and trails, topping out at 13,185 feet at Mosquito Pass. This is the HIGHEST continuous pass in the country and the highest trail Marathon in the US.”
Quite frankly I was unprepared 🤣
Despite all of the challenges, it was a helluva race. It was a tough, unique and beautiful course; it has awesome organizers and volunteers; and they give out great medals and coffee mugs at the finish.
I will never run this race again. But I’m glad I did today because it taught me a lot.
Top 5 best American Races
Good folks, well ran, great running organization. Good Expo, great food at the end, can't beat that part. Views are just the best. Today was very good temps, had to … MORE
Good folks, well ran, great running organization. Good Expo, great food at the end, can’t beat that part. Views are just the best. Today was very good temps, had to put on gloves, it did warm up. The thin air is the pits going up hill but no big deal going down . They also have mountain bike races and Ultras. Headquarters is in Leadville and right on main street. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Best of times, worst of times...
After almost 50 marathons in 30 different states, this was by far the most unique and most difficult race I've ever completed. I can't say "run", because I ran very … MORE
After almost 50 marathons in 30 different states, this was by far the most unique and most difficult race I’ve ever completed. I can’t say “run”, because I ran very little. Unless you are a mountain goat, or an elite trail runner, be prepared to do lots and lots of hiking/walking. The course overall has 6000 feet of elevation gain, which is packed into basically 3 never-ending climbs. Even when you get to come down those climbs, they were often either too steep or too rocky for me to run. I’ve only run 1 road marathon that was over 4 hours, and that was the 2nd race of a weekend “double”. Therefore, completing this one in 7.5 hours should give you an idea of how difficult it really is!
Now…the climbs are rewarded with some of the most amazing snow-capped mountain views I’ve ever seen, so I’d suggest that the torture is worth it. Furthermore, although it’s not the 100 miler that Leadville is famous for (and the course is completely different), it’s still put on by the same folks in the same cool Colorado town. Therefore, it’s incredibly well-organized, and you feel well-supported. The aid stations are manned with awesome volunteers and stocked beyond belief!…tons of GU products, waffles, chips, pop, water, GU drinks, fruit, etc. Anything you could possibly want!
Following a few miles of much-needed downhill to the finish, you are rewarded with a red carpet-lined finish, a nice medal, a “finishers” coffee mug, a few cold beers, and a BBQ pork sandwich. You also get emailed FREE race photos, which you will definitely want from this one!
Holy Crap! Do it!
This 'race' kicks your butt. But you will like getting kicked! So many nice people and amazing views. Course is simple... but the altitude will get you :) I trained … MORE
This ‘race’ kicks your butt. But you will like getting kicked! So many nice people and amazing views. Course is simple… but the altitude will get you 🙂 I trained for the hills so my legs were good… mostly… but about 12,500′ the best i could manage was an ungraceful walk. At the top got water and a quick pic and back to where the oxygen was!! Going down was great, felt better with every step… until the course goes up again. Heart rate was zone 5 the whole race and 100+ the rest of the day even just sitting having a drink. Acclimate to the altitude for as long as you can before the race. I did not stay in town, I wish I had, cool town!