Leadville Trail 100 MTB: Kate Courtney sets new women's record in debut at high-elevation endurance race

Last year's champion Melisa Rollins (Liv Racing Collective) secured the second spot on the podium, also going sub-seven hours and posting the second-best time on record at 6:59:16.

Two-time US gravel champion Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation) had climbed away from Rollins on the inbound ascent of Powerline, but was passed in the final five miles. Stephens would cross the finish line third in her Leadville debut but was later disqualified after an official review for "taking aid outside of a designated crew location".

After the disqualification, Cecily Decker (PAS Racing) moved into third and other riders also slotted up in the final standings.

From a lead pack of seven riders which kicked up the dust through the outbound aid station at Twin Lakes, the defining gaps began to form at the base of the signature climb to Columbine Mine. Courtney used her experience from the three-day Leadville Stage Race, where she finished second to Rollins, to carve a solo path up the rocky 7-plus-mile climb and drop all challengers for the rest of the day, riding more than 55 miles alone.

"I had a long time out there with my thoughts and my aero position. A lot of it was pretty simple - focusing on staying aero, eating, managing my energy, and avoiding stopping pedaling," Courtney told organisers Life Time at the finish.

"As an XC [cross-country] racer, actually it was a huge mental thing. When we descend, when we're on slight downhills, you're always coasting, and in a race like this you always have to be pedalling."

She admitted she never thought about the women's Leadville record until she was near the finish line.

"When I got onto the pavement towards the end of the race, I looked at the moto and was like, 'what's the gap?' And they said it was seven minutes. And I thought, OK, wait, if a train is travelling at 15 miles an hour, and it's only been six and a half hours and we're at this many miles, I might be able to get the record. So then, of course, had to put a little dig in, and was honestly kind of shocked to go that fast with the wind today. So really proud."

While Courtney put in a time trial effort for the record, Rollins used a time trial effort to rejoin Stephens late in the race and make a pass with five miles to go on the pavement for second place.

"Lauren got away on Powerline [return]. I could see glimpses of her, and then I caught her jut before the bottom of Boulevard. I knew there's a steep pitch at the bottom and I just did it as hard as I could. I looked back and knew I had a little gap, stay aero as possible and it to the finish," Rollins said.

"I knew she was a little bit better on the climbs, so I just tried to stay within myself on Powerline, and I hoped I would come around. It was a race against myself. Kate was phenomenal today."

Second place for Rollins boosted her score in the Life Time Grand Prix, moving from a tie in fourth to solo third.

The biggest move among the Grand Prix field at Leadville was Cecily Decker (PAS Racing), who finished third, seven minutes ahead of fourth-placed and former Leadville winner Sofia Gomez Villafañe.

Decker now sits at the top of the elite women's leaderboard with 86 points, two points ahead of Villafañe and 14 points ahead of Rollins.

How it unfolded

The elite women's field set off on a crisp, dry morning from Leadville at 6:10 a.m. MDT, organisers releasing the elite men 10 minutes ahead of them. Starting from an elevation of 10,152 feet above sea level, the highest altitude of any incorporated city in North America, the pace was high from 6th Street for 12,480 feet of elevation gain over the 100 miles of racing.

Nine women rode together at the front of the race as they headed to Hagerman Pass in a major transition area from pavement to gravel. Courtney, Rollins and Stephens were there, along with Decker, Villafane, Ruth Winder, Alexis Skarda, Sarah Lange and Michaela Thompson. In the chase solo was Paige Onweller, with a string of riders behind her.

With 40 miles completed and passing through the aid station at Twin Lakes, Lange and Edwards had dropped from the front bunch. Soon Haley Smith and Hannah Otto gained significant time and connected with Edwards for a strong chase.

The front group of seven soon fragmented once Courtney amped up her effort for the Columbine climb, Stephens and Rollins working together in second and third positions. However, Stephens fell on a steep section of the singletrack and had to walk the bike to find a suitable place to remount, but dug deep to rejoin Rollins by the time they were on the descent. Well ahead, Courtney had crossed the summit above the tree line alone and was long gone on the descent in front of the duo.

On the return past Twin Lakes, Stephens was 3:32 adrift of Courtney but had a 27-second gap on Rollins. Behind them Decker rode 2 minutes ahead of Skarda in fourth, while Villafañe gave chase to Skarda riding 1:30 behind her.

For a time Stephens and Rollins worked together, until Stephens stole away on the Powerline climb and held a 1:37 margin crossing Carter Summit with just under 10 miles to go. Rollins then went deep to catch Stephens and make the final pass on the Boulevard to ride in second place for the final four miles.

Villafañe used a hard effort on Powerline to move ahead of Skarda, but could not close down Decker.

And well ahead, Courtney celebrated a solo victory.

Results