Each August presents the running of famous ‘Race Across The Sky’ a 100-mile race in Leadville, USA. The race commenced back in 1983 and traverses along trails and dirt roads around Colorado and through the iconic Rocky Mountains.

The course is 50 mile (80km) out and back trail run, commencing at 10,200 feet (3,100m) with runners experiencing elevation gain and descend of 15,600 feet (4,800m) and peaking at 12,620 feet (3,850m) over Hope Pass, which they have to cross both ways during the race.

The race is particularly challenging with in most years less than half the runners finishing within the 30-hour time limit.

Leadville is one of the feature races in the famous ‘Grand Slam of Ultrarunning’. An award recognised for those runners who complete four of the oldest 100 mile trail runs in the U.S in the same year. The four races are (the Vermont 100, Western States 100, Leadville and the Wasatch Front 100, previously Old Dominion 100 as opposed to Vermont).

The Leadville 100 is well-known for the US debut of the Tarahumara runners from Mexico. The Tarahumara runners are featured in Chris McDougall’s best-selling book ‘Born to Run’. The Tarahumara runners won both the 1993 and 1994 races, with the 1994 race being legendary in the ultrarunning community when a five man Tarahumara team took on Ann Trason, Tarahumara runner Juan Herrera won in a best ever time of 17:40. This race record stood for 11 years. Ann Trason's finished 2nd overall in a unprecedented time of18:06. This still stands as the best ever time for female runners.

Another unique element to the Leadville 100 is the race has no entry lottery which is very rare amongst 100 mile races these days. Therefore the race entry is a first-come, first-served.

The 2014 edition presents a competitive line up including 2013 winner Ian Sharman, Michael Aish, Duncan Callahan and Tim Parr.

The Leadville 100 Course Records;

Matt Carpenter 15:42:00 (2005);

Ann Trason 18:06:24 (1994)

Here is a great video on Leadville 100