Brief Report: Leadville 100 Run Camp 2024

The Leadville Trail 100 is an event that needs to introduction, but the run camp may just be one of the best-kept secrets in the finisher's toolkit. For me, registering for camp was two-fold: registration for camp can get you an entry into the iconic 100 miler in August, so you don't have to take your chances with the lottery, and the camp would also give me an opportunity to see what happened to my body at altitude. I think it is safe to say that this event was life-changing for me. 

Think of it as a church camp for ultrarunners. Instead of the sleep deprivation, hunger and physical exhaustion inflicted on us teenagers to drive us to the alter under the influence of the Holy Spirit, those same drivers buy you into the gospel of Leadville. Ken and Merilee Chlouber are our ministers in this new religion, and their inspirational speeches sure could rivel many of those given by seminary graduates. We left indoctrinated. 

I'm keeping this report on the short side as much of the content will be covered in the upcoming Leadville Trail 100 post. 

Race website: https://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/run/100-run-camp

Location:  ★★★★★

Leadville, Colorado is the place of legends. Learning some of the history of the town during our dinner meetings was fascinating. For a town that was 100% dependent financially on mining to survive and even thrive after the closure of the mine is a testament to the power of sports and belief. The highest city in the US at 10,119 feet elevation, Leadville will leave you breathless (sorry, I had to make at least one terrible pun). Leadville is a small town with a single grocery store, a handful of gas stations, a college and a quaint main street hosting a mix of small restaurants, souvenir shops and outdoor equipment. Despite the small town nature, we had surprisingly good cell service and access to the necessities. 

Organization: ★★★★★

The Lifetime Race Series team is truly professional. They have pre-event communication and intra-event briefing absolutely dialed. There were some changes to the event that felt a little last-minute, but with the wildfires and variable snowpack, that's not something to hold against the organizers. I always felt like I had just enough information without being overwhelmed.

Course:★★★★★

We got to see most of course, the exception being Twin Lakes to Winfield up and over Hope Pass. Unfortunately due to snowpack at this time of year, and wildfires in the area, this was off limits. The team did an amazing job making an alternate route for day 3 with comparable climbing. I'll give the full course rundown in the upcoming Leadville Trail 100 blog.

Day 1, a night run, was the final 12.6 miles from Mayqueen to the finish. It was cold, dark and drizzling rain. A true experience. 

Day 2 was the 27 miles from Mayqueen to Twin Lakes, without going through the cow field of Outward Bound. 

Day 3, instead of Hope Pass, was a climbing adventure of 24 miles (and 3400 ft of vert) on the other side of Leadville, partially on the Silver Rush 50 course. A wonderful end to the training camp!

Food: ★★★★★

We were fed so well throughout the weekend. Breakfast was catered in with a variety of substantial foods like quiche/frittatas and breakfast meats, along with bagels, yogurt parfaits and fruits for those like me who were suffering with the altitude. Aid stations were fully stocked with ultra snacks and plenty of Skratch. Lunches were a huge spread, with a Mediterranean buffet on day 2 and curry on day 3, right at the end of the runs. Dinners were an organized sit-down affair that were far fancier than anything I would have even thought to go out for after a long day on the trails. 

I really resent giving 5 stars across the board, but LT100 Run Camp 2024 earned it. 

To summarize: If you ever want to run the Leadville Trail 100, I cannot recommend camp highly enough! What an inspiring and educational experience!