[Editor’s Note: This article was written by guest columnist Clare Gunton.]
After weeks of uncertainty brought on by the Willow Fireplace outdoors of Leadville, Colorado, entrants and supporters of the 2026 Leadville Race Collection, together with the Leadville 100 Milescheduled for August 22, acquired welcome information when organizers introduced that, barring any important modifications in hearth situations or air high quality, the rest of the race season is predicted to proceed as deliberate.
The Willow hearth outdoors of Leadville, Colorado on July 14. Photograph: Dan Crespo
In an announcement on July 15, organizers of the Leadville Race Collection confirmed plans to proceed with the Leadville Mountain Bike Stage Racethe Leadville Path 100 Mountain Bike Racethe Leadville 10k, and the Leadville 100 Mile run.
Organizers added that programs would require reroutes as a result of hearth’s influence, however expressed their pleasure at having “the inexperienced gentle to maneuver forward with the remainder of our race season.” The fireplace most instantly affected the Sugarloaf space of the Leadville 100 Mile, between the Mayqueen and Outward Certain assist stations, together with the famed Powerline part. For the reason that course is an out-and-back, the unique course traces by way of the fireplace zone twice. The group additionally famous that each one remaining selections stay topic to alter based mostly on components together with the Air High quality Index (AQI) and any modifications within the hearth’s standing.
David Roche profitable the 2024 Leadville 100 Mile and setting a brand new course report. Photograph: Life Time
The Willow Fireplace, which had burnt greater than 6,800 acres west of Leadville as of the announcement, started on June 28, inflicting obligatory evacuations, short-term closures of forests and roads, and quite a few air high quality alerts within the space. It additionally led to the cancellation of the Silver Rush 50 Mile run and mountain bike races, initially scheduled for July 6 and 12, respectively.
The Leadville Race Collection attracts 1000’s of runners and riders to its 10 mountain biking and operating occasions in Leadville, the very best integrated metropolis in America at 10,152 toes (3,100 meters). The Leadville-based occasions run between June and August every year, and the group additionally hosts two multi-day coaching camps. Its marquee occasions are the 100-mile run and mountain bike occasions, and the Leadville 100 Mile run is likely one of the oldest 100-mile path races in America, and the most important. The collection is a significant financial driver for the town of Leadville.
A bit of the Leadville 100 Mile. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Whereas organizers proceed to watch situations carefully, the announcement offers some certainty for the 1000’s of athletes getting ready to journey to Leadville within the coming weeks for the assorted races.
