Mountain bike · Leadville, Colorado · since 1994
Leadville Trail 100 MTB
The 2027 race is Saturday, August 14, 2027. The 2026 race ran Saturday, August 15, 2026, on a fire-modified course.
What is the Leadville Trail 100 MTB?
The Leadville Trail 100 MTB is a roughly 105-mile out-and-back mountain bike race held each August in Leadville, Colorado, starting and finishing downtown at 10,200 feet and climbing past 12,400 feet at the Columbine Mine. It began in 1994 with 150 riders and now takes about 1,500-2,000 riders chosen by lottery or through qualifier races. Finishers under 12 hours earn a belt buckle; under 9 hours earns the big buckle. The next race is August 14, 2027.
Entry is by lottery or qualifier. The 2027 lottery runs December 1-15, 2026, with results in January 2027; it is free to enter and your card is charged only if selected. Guaranteed entries come from qualifier races (Sea Otter Fuego XL, Lutsen 99er, Silver Rush 50 MTB, Leadville Stage Race, Little Sugar MTB, Austin Rattler MTB; at least 35 coins each), Life Time member priority registration from November 24, 2026, training camp and coaching packages, and charity partner slots. 2026 entry was $525-$625.
- Next edition
- Usually
- Second Saturday of August
- Start
- Corner of 6th Street and Harrison Avenue, downtown Leadville, Colorado; corrals stage on Harrison Avenue
Leadville, Colorado - Distances
- About 105 miles (traditional course), 101.3 miles in 2026 — Out-and-back from downtown Leadville to the Columbine Mine turnaround
- Terrain
- High-altitude dirt roads, jeep track and some singletrack between 10,200 and about 12,500 feet, with five main climbs: St. Kevin's, Sugarloaf, Columbine, Powerline and Turquoise Lake Road
- Climbing
- 12,304 ft on the longest route
- Riders
- about 1,500-2,000 riders a year
- Cost
- $525-$625 (2026 pricing)
- Founded
- 1994 by Ken Chlouber, who with Merilee Maupin had started the Leadville Trail 100 Run in 1983 after the Climax mine closed
- Organizer
- Life Time (Leadville Race Series)
How the Leadville Trail 100 MTB started
Leadville's economy collapsed when the Climax molybdenum mine closed in the early 1980s. Ken Chlouber, a miner and later state legislator, figured a 100-mile foot race would make people stay in town overnight and spend money. He and Merilee Maupin started the Leadville Trail 100 Run in 1983.
The mountain bike race followed in 1994 with 150 riders. It became the second-oldest of the well-known 100-mile mountain bike races in the country and grew into one of the most sought-after endurance events in the sport. Lance Armstrong's 2009 win in a then-record 6:28:51 pushed it onto a much bigger stage.
Life Time bought the race in 2010 and folded it into the Life Time Grand Prix series in 2022. Keegan Swenson won six straight from 2021 to 2026, tying the men's record. Chlouber and Maupin also set up the Leadville Trail 100 Legacy Foundation in 2002, which funds local needs and a scholarship for Lake County graduates.
What to expect on the day
The race starts at 6:00 am at 6th and Harrison with the elite men, followed by color-coded corrals through about 6:50 am. The course goes out and back: St. Kevin's, Sugarloaf and the Powerline descent on the way out, then the long climb to the Columbine Mine turnaround above 12,400 feet, and the same climbs in reverse on the way home. Powerline inbound is the one riders talk about.
The traditional course is about 105 miles with 12,304 feet of climbing. Fire management changed the 2026 route to 101.3 miles and 9,897 feet, so check the athlete guide each year. Cutoffs in 2026 were 8:15 chip time for the big buckle, 11:15 chip time for the finisher buckle and 12:15 gun time for the course; the site's history page describes the standard as sub-9 for the big buckle and sub-12 to finish.
The altitude is the real opponent. The start is at 10,200 feet and the whole course sits above 9,000. Riders who can arrive a week or more early do better. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in August, so pack a layer for the descents.
Weather in Leadville for the Leadville Trail 100 MTB
Mid-August in Leadville is cool. Around August 12 the average daily high is about 67 F and the low about 41 F, with roughly a one-in-three chance of rain, mostly afternoon storms. Mornings at the start are near freezing some years.
Loading the forecast for Leadville…
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Times are local to Leadville.
The town
Sleep, eat, fix the bike.
Leadville is a former silver-mining town of about 2,600 people at 10,154 feet, the highest incorporated city in the United States, about 100 miles southwest of Denver. Its Victorian main street, Harrison Avenue, is a National Historic Landmark district and the start line for the Leadville Trail 100 MTB and Run. Riders come for the race, the paved 11.6-mile Mineral Belt Trail and high-altitude dirt.
Denver International Airport is about 125 miles and two hours 20 minutes by car via I-70 and then Highway 91 over Fremont Pass or US 24 over Tennessee Pass; downtown Denver is about 100 miles. Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) is 62 miles and has daily commercial flights. Vail is 44 miles and Colorado Springs 128. Shuttles from Denver run to Frisco, 30 miles away, and Lake County Transit offers free door-to-door service in town, but for race weekend you will want your own car. Uber and Lyft are scarce.
Leadville Trail 100 MTB FAQ
When is the Leadville Trail 100 MTB 2027?
Saturday, August 14, 2027, starting at 6:00 am at 6th Street and Harrison Avenue in Leadville.
How do I get an entry?
Lottery (December 1-15, 2026, results in January), a coin from a qualifier race, Life Time member priority registration, a training camp or coaching package, or a charity slot.
How much climbing is there?
The traditional course is about 105 miles with 12,304 feet of climbing between 10,200 and roughly 12,500 feet. The 2026 fire-adjusted course was 101.3 miles with 9,897 feet.
What is the cutoff?
Twelve hours to earn a finisher buckle; under nine hours earns the big buckle. In 2026 the course cutoff was 12:15 gun time.
What does it cost?
2026 entry was $525-$625. The lottery itself is free to enter.
How high is it?
Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States at about 10,150 feet. The course tops out above 12,400 feet at the Columbine Mine.
Sources · 7 pages we read
- leadvilleraceseries.com https://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/mtb/leadvilletrail100mtb/
- leadvilleraceseries.com https://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/lottery-qualification/
- leadvilleraceseries.com https://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/history/
- en.wikipedia.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadville_Trail_100_MTB
- socalcycling.com https://socalcycling.com/2026/08/14/life-time-leadville-trail-100-mtb-presented-by-kenetik/
- en.wikipedia.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadville,_Colorado
- weatherspark.com https://weatherspark.com/m/3368/8/Average-Weather-in-August-in-Leadville-Colorado-United-States
Facts checked September 15, 2026. Dates and prices come from the organizer and change. Confirm on the official site before you book anything.
