Leadville 100 to Get Qualifying Races

A series of qualifying races will be used by the new owners of the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race in addition to the traditional race lottery.

In a partnership with AEG, owner of among other things the Amgen Tour of California, Life Time Fitness will use three qualifying races for the 2011 Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race. The unidentified events will be held in June and July in California, Colorado and the Northeast and guarantee entry into the LT 100, which sells out annually at about 1,400 participants.

Each qualifying event will offer 100 spots into the granddaddy race, held in August in Leadville, Colorado. Of the 300 qualifiers, half will be based on age-group and elite-field performance and the other half selected from the pool of finishers who beat an as-of-yet undisclosed qualifying time standard.

The three qualifying races will expand to an eight-race series by 2013 with additional races added in Texas, the Southwest, Midwest, Southeast and an additional California event.

“We’re excited to add a qualifier system to the epic Leadville Trail 100 MTB event,” Ken Cooper, vice president, Life Time Fitness Endurance, said in a release. “Many mountain bikers dream of participating in the Leadville Trail 100 MTB. For some, that dream now can begin at a Leadville Qualifier.”

One reason given for the new entry scheme is that through a straight-up lottery system about one-third of the racers who start — fit or not — don’t finish. That leaves out athletes who could finish but just weren’t lucky in the lotto. Comparatively, about 10 percent of entrants don’t finish an Ironman event.

Minnesota-based Life Time Fitness purchased the series of cycling and running events in Leadville just prior to the 2010 race (Read related story).

Leadville is located 100 miles west of Denver. Participants from 48 states and 21 countries have taken on the single- and double-track dirt roads that consist of steep climbs and descents ranging from 9,000 to 12,620 feet along the 52-mile out-and-back course. Based on past course results, approximately 65 percent of riders finish within the event’s 12-hour time limit and receive the coveted Leadville Trail 100 silver and gold belt buckle.

“We are delighted to help Life Time Fitness continue to grow the Leadville Trail 100. The Leadville Trail 100 is a legendary race and we are thrilled to be playing a role in its next phase of growth,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “Getting a Leadville belt buckle is a life-list achievement for many riders and we look forward to helping serious cyclists achieve this goal.”

Meanwhile, the lottery entry for the 2011 Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race closes on Monday, Jan. 31. The race limit in the past has been 1,400 riders, with lottery applicants paying a $15 non-refundable registration fee. If accepted, the entry fee is $275.

FILED UNDER: Leadville Trail 100 / News