2011 Leadville Trail 100 Run

It's hard to imagine why someone would want to run 100 miles all at once.

Some people just love to run, I guess. They're built for it; they can do it smoothly -- for those fortunate folks, the endorphin rush is unimpeded by all the distractions suffered by those of us who were not blessed with good mechanics. Instead of saying "ow" with each footfall (as I do), they say "ahhh"...and the farther they run, the closer to Nirvana they get. These are the ultra-runners, and even among their lofty ranks, only a select few choose to tackle the "Race Across the Sky" -- the insanely challenging Leadville Trail 100.

And of those who begin the race, more than half don't finish it. My friend Katie is among those who can proudly wear the official Finisher belt buckle.

If you ever see someone with one of those buckles, you'll know that you're in the presence of a very determined athlete. Think about how many thousands of miles they each must run to prepare for the race! And it's not just 100 miles of running -- it's 100 miles of running over multiple mountains! Try to imagine doing anything throughout and entire day and night, and only sitting down twice for about 2 minutes total. It's an awesome accomplishment.

The night before the race, some of the runners drop bags full of race supplies at the starting line, to be transported to the various aid stations. Others have entire crews of support people. I hung out with Katie's crew. For details on her support team, her pacers, and her race, please visit her blog: www.runlongkatie.com.

The race starts at 4am.



And crosses some gorgeous countryside. (Yes, they do run over the top of that mountain.)


I attempted some fancy photography.


We waited around a lot. And ate.

Some of Katie's fans and supporters:

A long and sometimes lonely run...


The poles help. So do friends and family.








Congratulations, Katie! Well done!