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LEADVILLE 100 MILES RUN 2021 GOES TO MACDONALD AND ANNIE HUGHES. Bronze for Kupricka.
LEADVILLE 100 MILES 2021: GOLD TO ADRIAN MAC DONALD – ANNIE HUGHES. BRONZE ANTON KRUPICKA, What an emotional one hundred miles from Leadville today. The return of King Anton Krupicka, two-time champion here 2006-07, plus victory for local hero Annie.
The Leadville 100 Miles were born back in 1983. Today, they are one of the top3 Ultra trails in America, along with Hard Rock and Western States. On a personal level, after toeing this finish linel in 2010, Leadvile is for me THE BEST.
Local girl Annie Hughes wins Leadville 100 miles 2021. Foto: Leadville.
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LEADVILLE 100 MILES 2021
Race Report by Mayayo.
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The Leadville 100 Miles 2021 kicked off yesterday Saturday, August 17 at 04:00 AM local. in the small town of Leadville. It has a maximum finishing time of 30 hours, closing the finish line at 10AM on Sunday the 22nd with a rifle shot in the air by founder, retired miner Ken Chlouber.
LEADVILLE 100 MILES: HISTORY 1983-2021
Run up to an altitude of four thousand meters, on the roof of the Rocky Mountains; relive in the historic Opera or Saloon the adventures that the magician Houdini, Caruso the tenor, gunman Doc Hollyday or the writer Oscar Wilde who all lived there when Leadville was founded as ORO CITY
As a runner, you will feel yourself treading on the footsteps of legends, such as the Tarahumara, Ann Trason, Matt Carpenter, Tony Krupicka or our very own spaniard, Emma Roca, champion in 2014. All that…and much more is Leadville 100 Miles.
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During that first visit by a Spaniard to the 100 Miles of Leadville, which we made in 2010, we felt transported to another time: The legend of that Oro City is still present in local traditions. Thus, the town festivals include donkey races, shhoting contests and much more traditions which go back to the mining heritage of the town.
The Fourteeners above Leadville. Foto: Mayayo.
As a runnner, the most special thing about Leadville is its altitude: Nestled at 3,100m, it is the highest town in the United States and being surrounded by up to fourteen four thousand, which form the “Nolan’s 14” crossing. The lowest point of the race is at 2800 m. and the highest at 3840 m.
When we compare it with UTMB we see that although here we have less unevenness, we also run at a much higher average altitude, where we have less oxygen to take advantage of with each puff. And they give us 16 hours less to finish. No wonder they call it THE RACE ACROSS THE SKY. (“The Race Across the Sky”)
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LEADVILLE 100 MILES 2021: THE COURSE
The track consists of an 80km round trip loop with the 3,800m Hope Pass double pass as the race ceiling, as we see in the race profile below.
The trophy ceremony is held on Sunday 19 at 12:00 a.m., in it, the finishers who have managed to finish the test under 30 hours receive a Buckle, larger for those who manage to finish sub-25h.
The day of the test only celebrates the 100-mile distance, however, the organization has a wide variety of events and camps, both Trail and MTB (including a 100-mile race the week before the 100-mile trail ) throughout the year, dubbed the Leadville Race Series.
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LEADVILLE 100 MILES 2021: RACE REPORT
WINNERS MACDONALD AND HUGHES
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Mac Donald and Hughes have been clear winners of this 2021 Leadville 100 Miles, offering in both cases a great race from start to finish. Adrian’s time of 16h18m is the fifth fastest in history, just behind Anton’s 16h14m in 2005.
Behind them, many runners will continue to enter until the maximum period of 30 hours is exhausted. It remains to be seen how many will make it to finalists before – in colorful local tradition – race director Ken Chlouber marks the end of the term with a shotgun blast into the air.
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START LEADVILLE 100 MILES 2021
The start was cool, as usual, below 10ºC but with calm weather. The first 25km already saw a strong pace in the lead, where Anton came out calmer, passing in 15th place and would be gaining positions over time
Ahead, after the first 50km we saw Cody Reed leading with 3h56, running alongside Tyler Andrews. Behind them were Bryan Kerl 4:01, Matt Flaherty 4:04 and an Adrian MacDonald who at 4:04 awaited his moment. Two great veterans were already shining in the top10, Ian Sharman at 4h06 (7th) and Anton himself with 4h10 (10th)
The women’s race was then already ahead of Annie Hughes. Back in May we already told you about how good Annie Hughes was. Today she has been the clear dominator that we expected from the beginning.
The second third of the race, up to km100, is the round trip on the roof of the race, Hope Pass. It is always a key section because it represents the greatest unevenness up and down the race, as well as a key moment in the race.
The one way trip through Twin Lakes saw Cory Reed first, with veterans Sharman and Krupicka gaining positions, the latter marching in seventh place already. Meanwhile, among the girls Annie passed through here with an 11-minute lead over Kara Henry and Jana Willsey.
WINFIELD OUT AND BACK.
The old abandoned school in Winfield marks the halfway point of the event after 80km. The return to Twin Lakes after touching it and starting the lap, already saw Mac Donald leading by 14 minutes, with Sharman and Krupicka behind him and Tyler Andrews third.
Sharman is nothing less than four-time champion of Leadville 100 Miles, where he beat in 2013-15-16-17. Anton himself, as he passed by, smiled saying. “Ian and I again, just like the old days …”
Meanwhile, Annie continued to expand the lead, which was already 17min when crowning Hope Pass back towards Twin Lakes. Following her were now Kim Dobson and Blake Wageman. He would go through Twin Lakes already with 26min to spare.
The long up-down that brings us closer to the finish line, with the Sugarloaf pass as the key point, I already saw how Anton Krupicka was second, about 22 minutes from the lead, but with 7 minutes over Sharman.
ADRIAN MACDONALD CHAMPION
The final stage saw a solid Mac Donald continue at a great pace until crossing the finish line with a time of 16:18. A brilliant brand that, as we pointed out from the start, represents the fifth best time in the long history of the Leadville 100 Miles.
After him, however, the fight for the podium was very much alive until the last moment. Matt Flaherty came from behind, buying time hard on Anton. About 15km from the finish line he passed him. Silver for Flaherty, bronze for Kupricka for a solid 17h08 return. Anton is back!
ANNIE HUGHES WINS THE WOMEN.
Annie kept pace with her, always marching a leading leader towards the finish line. The young runner based in Leadville was about to achieve a dream: to win the ultra trail so she left everything and she came to live in this remote town in Colorado, when she was just 20 years old. She is also struggling to get into the absolute top15.
Today, with just 23 years she has achieved it: Annie Hughes wins the hundred miles of Leadville with a time of 21h06m58s. In the absolute classification, she enters the 14th position. Magnificent.
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Thank you for the wonderful article and Congratulations to all the runners but especially to Annie Hughes from her Indianapolis family!! 💝