Leadville Trail 100 MTB loses iconic Powerline climb due to wildfire but 2026 route 'closely follows the traditional course'

An updated course for this year's Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetic was revealed today by event owners and organisers Life Time, with most of the route intact and coming in at 102.1 miles, just two miles shorter than previous editions.

The show will go on as the third stop in the Life Time Grand Prix off-road series, elite riders beginning at 6:00 a.m. MDT on Saturday, August 15.

The reroute bypasses the 'Powerline' section of the course used for four decades, this area damaged by a massive wildfire in late June and was under a 'red zone' evacuation. The US Forest Service noted this area would be closed from July 7 to September 30, 2026, "for the protection of public health and safety".

The main trails at Hagerman Pass Road and Sugarloaf Mountain next to Turquoise Lake were impacted, as well as the long 'Powerline' section to the south that made the connection to Twin Lakes and the Columbine climb.

The adjusted route "closely follows the traditional course", organisers stated in a press release. The distance is just two miles shorter than previous editions and the total elevation gain comes in at 9,916 feet, which is close to 4,500 fewer feet of climbing than before. That difference comes from the omission of Hagerman Pass Road and Sugarloaf Mountain, ridden before in the opening and closing 23 miles on an out-and-back course.

Still prominent on the course is the climb and descent of Columbine, with eight miles in each direction of technical singletrack, washouts and consistent gradients of 8%-15%. This is the section where moves are made, last year Keegan Swenson (Specialized Off-road) winning a fifth consecutive time. Kate Courtney (She Sends Racing) won the women's race in record time, while the top Life Time competitor was runner-up Melisa Rollins (Liv Racing Collective), who won Leadville in 2024.

"Athletes will head west from Harrison Ave as normal, first taking on St. Kevin's climb before heading back east around Turquoise Lake to avoid the areas affected by the Willow Fire," a press release from Life Time read.

"Athletes will rejoin the original course at the bottom of the Powerline Descent, before heading into the Outward Bound aid station at mile 22.7. Riders will then ascend the iconic Columbine climb before heading back to town on the famous out-and-back course."

As of August 2, the Willow Fire had burned 7,196 acres and was 67% contained, according to the official fire information Facebook page managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The wildfire is now being managed locally by the Lake County Office of Emergency Management.

In mid-July, organisers announced they had a 'green light' to continue with plans to hold the Leadville endurance mountain bike race for a 32nd edition. They have spent several weeks securing permits to reroute the course, and also secure official aid stations for elite riders, as well as age-group divisions, those details to be announced next week.

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