Colorado · Leadville
Qualifier status per the 2026 lists
Jim Butera designed the course to funnel tourism into Leadville after the Climax Mine closure; the first 44 runners went out in 1983. The out-and-back starts at 10,200 feet and climbs twice over Hope Pass at 12,532 feet, the crux most runners hit in both directions in darkness. Fewer than half the starters finish within the 30-hour cutoff in most years. Ken Chlouber's line, still on the official site, captures the organizing philosophy: "It's all about the buckle" — a big buckle for sub-25, a small one for sub-30.
The numbers
180 ft / mi
Draw ~Dec 1, 2025
of finishers
per year
The course
Course line from published GPX · source · approximate — always follow official markings
◈ From the runners
◈ Field notes from elsewhere
What other finishers have written and filmed. Off-site, unaffiliated.
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