Adrian Macdonald wins a third Leadville 100 on a course rerouted around the Willow Fire

Adrian Macdonald of Fort Collins won the Leadville Trail 100 Run on Saturday in 15:47:23, his third win after 2021 and 2022. Matthew Zupan of Reno was second in 16:15:25 and Tim Tollefson of Mammoth Lakes third in 16:45:14.

McKendree Hickory of Steamboat Springs won the women's race in 19:39:12, tenth overall, in her first attempt at 100 miles. She had been fifth at the Leadville Trail Marathon earlier in the summer. Jacquie Mannhard, a former champion, was second in 20:28:37 and Leadville local Emma Wood third in 20:33:33.

The course was not the usual one. The Willow Fire on public land west of town forced the organisers to cut Hagerman Pass Road, Sugarloaf and Powerline. Runners went west from Harrison Avenue and around Turquoise Lake as usual, then turned back east around the lake to rejoin the route near the Outward Bound aid station. The out-and-back to Twin Lakes and the double crossing of Hope Pass stayed in, so the race still topped out around 12,600 feet; the Leadville Herald put the climbing at 13,552 feet. Macdonald took the lead near halfway and built from there.

The official results list 391 finishers from 657 starters. Eric Pence of Leadville finished for a 31st time. Pat Cade, a Lake County High School maths teacher, started two and a half hours after the field as the race's DreamChaser, passed more than 600 runners and raised over $90,000 for the Legacy Foundation.

Three wins on three different years of weather, snow and now fire. The buckle does not care which course it was.

Sources: Leadville Trail 100 Run official results (Chronotrack); Leadville Herald; Life Time press release via Finviz.