Crossing the finish line within the 30-hour cutoff, 387 runners earned belt buckles at the legendary Life Time Leadville Trail 100 Run presented by La Sportiva

LEADVILLE, Colo., Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- McKendree Hickory of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, delivered a breakthrough performance in her first Life Time Leadville Trail 100 Run presented by La Sportiva, winning in 19:39:12. After placing fifth at the Leadville Marathon earlier this summer, Hickory returned to Leadville for her first attempt at the 100-mile distance, steadily working her way through the field before taking the lead late in the race. Previous Leadville Trail 100 champion Jacquie Mannhard finished second in 20:28:37, while Leadville local Emma Wood finished third in 20:33:33.

On the men's side, Adrian Macdonald returned to the top of the Leadville podium for the third time in his career (2021 and 2022), crossing the finish line in 15:47:23. After a conservative start, Macdonald moved into the lead around the halfway point and steadily built his advantage over the remainder of the race. Newcomer, Matthew Zupan finished second in 16:15:25, followed by professional runner Tim Tollefson in 16:45:14.

The legendary Life Time Leadville Trail 100 Run returned to Leadville this weekend for its 43rd running, bringing more than 650 runners from across the country and around the world to take on the iconic "Race Across the Sky." Event owner and producer, Life Time (NYSE: LTH), welcomed athletes ranging in age from 18 to 72, representing 46 states and 15 countries, including 42 Leadville locals.

The weekend once again showcased the breadth of the Leadville Trail 100, where professional ultrarunners, first-time 100-mile competitors and longtime endurance athletes share the same start line in pursuit of the legendary belt buckle. From the youngest athletes at 18 years old to runners in their 70s, the Race Across the Sky continues to challenge athletes while bringing together a global endurance community and the town that has made the event what it is today.

Highlights of the weekend include:

• A third Leadville victory for Adrian Macdonald. Macdonald added another Leadville title to his resume, becoming a three-time champion after previously winning in 2021 and 2022.
• A breakthrough debut for McKendree Hickory. After placing fifth in the Leadville Marathon earlier this year, Hickory returned to Leadville to take on the full 100 miles for the first time and emerged as the women's champion.
• DreamChaser, Pat Cade, gave back to his hometown. A six-time Leadville Trail 100 Run finisher and local Lake County High School teacher and coach, Cade started two and a half hours behind the rest of the field and spent the day chasing down runners to raise money and awareness for the Leadville Trail 100 Legacy Foundation. He passed 628 runners and raised more than $90,000.
• A new record for finishes is set. Eric Pence of Leadville, Colorado, crossed the finish line at the Leadville Trail 100 Run for the 31^st time, setting a new record for the event.
• 41 Lead Challenge champions cross the line. Following a summer of racing in Leadville, of the 130 athletes who started the Lead Challenge in June, 41 crossed the finish line to become Lead Challenge finishers.
• 387 Athletes Finish the Race Across the Sky. 119 runners earned the prestigious large belt buckle for finishing under 25 hours, while 268 runners received the small belt buckle for crossing the finish line within the 30-hour cutoff.

Full race results are available here.

"Every athlete who starts the Leadville Trail 100 Run has a different reason for being there, but they all share a willingness to take on something incredibly difficult. That's what makes this event so special — elite athletes, first-time 100-mile runners, para-athletes and everyone in between coming together to chase the same legendary finish," said Kimo Seymour, President of Events and Media at Life Time. "We're incredibly proud of the athletes who took on the challenge, and especially grateful to the Leadville community, local agencies and partners who made it possible for this race to continue this year. After a difficult summer for the region, it meant even more to welcome athletes and visitors back to Leadville and support the community that has made this event what it is for more than four decades."

The return of the race came following a summer marked by the Willow Fire, which affected public lands west of Leadville and disrupted the community during its peak summer season. As with the Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetik last weekend, Life Time worked closely with local authorities, land managers, public safety agencies and community partners to develop a modified route that allowed the race to safely continue while avoiding areas affected by the Willow Fire.

Athletes followed the traditional route west from Harrison Avenue and around Turquoise Lake before turning back east around the lake and rejoining the course near the Outward Bound aid station, bypassing the traditional Sugarloaf and Powerline sections. From there, the course retained many of Leadville's defining miles, including the out-and-back through Twin Lakes, over Hope Pass to Winfield and back.

For more than four decades, the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 Run has been woven into the fabric of the Leadville community, bringing athletes, families and visitors from around the world to Lake County. The race was first held in 1983 and has since become one of the world's most iconic ultramarathons, while continuing to deliver economic vitality to the local community.

The Life Time Leadville Trail 100 Run is one of more than 30 iconic athletic events owned and produced by Life Time, connecting athletes to a broader ecosystem that includes athletic country clubs, digital training and nutrition resources, and events spanning running, cycling and other endurance disciplines. For many athletes, the journey to Leadville begins long before race day, through training at a Life Time athletic country club, following a training plan through the Life Time app or participating in another Life Time event.

For more information about the Leadville Race Series, visit www.leadvilleraceseries.com.

About Life Time
Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its more than 195 athletic country clubs across the U.S. and Canada, the complimentary and comprehensive Life Time app featuring the L•AI•C™ AI-powered health companion, and more than 30 iconic athletic events. Serving people ages 90 days to 90+ years, the Life Time ecosystem uniquely delivers healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment experiences, a range of unique healthy way of life programs, highly trusted LTH nutritional supplements and more. Recognized as a Great Place to Work®, the company is committed to upholding an exceptional culture for its more than 50,000 team members.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mckendree-hickory-claims-womens-title-in-her-debut-at-life-time-leadville-trail-100-run-as-adrian-macdonald-wins-third-mens-victory-302858034.html

SOURCE Life Time, Inc.