Thoughts about Leadville 2013

All week I have wanted to write about Leadville. It all happened last weekend, and some thoughts have been turning over in my head since the race. Lots of interesting things happened, and I have some comments about people, attitudes, and gear.

Firstly, the people.

 My wife and I had our eyes mainly on two people for the win. I was hoping Ryan Sandes would repeat his 2011 win, and being a big Salomon guy and South African, my hopes were on him. My wife, being a Brooks wearer and American, was hoping for Scott Jurek to bag the victory. Both of us were wrong, but not at all let down by our running heros.

Following on FB, we were both sad to hear Ryan pulling out at the halfway point. I’ll admit that part of me thought ‘why doesn’t he just finish the race, even if he is nowhere near the front?’ But then I heard the logic behind it and it all made sense. In the Olympics, athletes are encouraged to give their all, and dropping out is frowned upon as being unsportsmanlike. Most of those races, however, are short and sweet, and the same logic cannot be applied to a 1500 meter race and a 100 mile race. Had Ryan run on and tried to push though, he would certainly have done lasting damage to his back and hip. The conclusion to this is that a 100 mile race is an entirely different animal, and ‘just finishing’ is not always the healthiest thing to do.

We have to respect someone who has trained so hard, had a rough year with injury, and still gives of their all, to the point that injury is inevitable. So, our respect for Ryan remains intact, and we wish him well for whatever he sets his sights on next.

And then there is Scott. We were hoping the veteran would be able to show us how it’s done. He did a great job of holding on and putting in a good race, unfortunately not managing to catch the leaders in the last half. But there is something about Scott that makes a great sports hero. In an age where so many sports have athletes guilty of doping and cheating, and where the person with the best technology and gear has an advantage, we have Scott who seems to have run most of the race just in his shorts and shoes, fueled by vegetables and burritos! Not only that, but Scott is known for staying at the finish line to welcome in the runners who finish later. Once again, despite his lack of a race win, we were not disappointed in the runner.

The Leadville race demonstrates so many things that are great about trail running: the lack of TV coverage (a good thing), the attitude of competitors, the brutality and unpredictability of it, and the gear!

What I think is so interesting about gear in trail running is that much of it is available if you want it, but it’s not essential. There are top level competitors who run a 16 hour race in a pair of shorts, a good pair of shoes, and maybe a hydration vest for a few of the legs. On the other side of the coin, if you love the gear, there is a great selection of equipment that can definitely keep you motivated during a run like Leadville.

All in all, Leadville wasn’t what we thought it would be this year, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t awesome! Once again, it inspired and made me wish I had the time and energy for 100 miles!