LEADVILLE, Colorado (August 9, 2025) – The 31st edition of the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB delivered historic performances as Kate Courtney obliterated the women’s course record in her debut while Keegan Swenson extended his dominance with a fifth consecutive victory.
Women’s Race: Record-Breaking Debut
Kate Courtney’s first-time appearance at Leadville became an instant classic as she shattered Annika Langvad’s 10-year-old course record by 10 minutes and 28 seconds, clocking 6:48:55. The performance marked only the third sub-seven-hour time by a woman in race history.
The early race saw Courtney form a breakaway with defending champion Melisa Rollins and Lauren Stephens. However, it was on the leg-sapping slopes of Columbine that Courtney made her decisive move, leaving her companions behind and continuing to extend her lead as she powered back into Leadville.
Rollins, despite being distanced by Courtney’s record pace, delivered her own stellar performance. After Courtney went clear, Rollins managed to gap Lauren Stephens on the steep pitch at the bottom of The Boulevard, hitting it hard before settling into an aerodynamic position to pace her effort to the finish. Her time of 6:59:16 made her only the third woman ever to break the seven-hour barrier.
“Once Kate had gone clear, I managed to gap Lauren on the steep pitch at the bottom of The Boulevard. I hit it as hard as I could and then tried to stay as aero as possible and pace my effort to the finish. At Leadville, you have to ride your own race,” Rollins explained.
Lauren Stephens finished the women’s race in third position, but upon an official review, she was disqualified for taking aid outside of a designated crew location. As a result, every rider who initially finished from fourth place onwards has been moved up one place in the final standings.
Cecily Decker rounded out the official podium in 7:09:48, finishing one position ahead of Sofía Gómez Villafañe (7:16:52) in the Life Time Grand Prix standings battle. Sarah Lange completed the top five in 7:17:16.
Men’s Race: Swenson’s Masterclass Continues
The men’s race unfolded as a tactical battle from the start, with Swenson breaking away early alongside John Gaston and Simon Pellaud. The trio worked together up St. Kevin’s before navigating a careful descent off Powerline, maintaining their cooperation on the approach to the iconic Columbine climb.
It was on Columbine where Swenson made his winning move, going solo on the ascent and pressing home his advantage over the remaining 50+ miles. Despite the loose terrain challenging his progress, Swenson managed to break clear and delivered everything he had to the finish.
“Simon, John and I slipped away and rode hard up St. Kevin’s and then had a careful descent off Powerline. I tried to keep everyone together and we were on a good pace on the approach to Columbine, and from there on out, everyone was doing their own thing. The terrain was super loose so I just tried to stay upright and I managed to break clear on the way home and give it everything I had,” Swenson said.
His winning time of 5:45:35 fell just short of his own 2023 course record of 5:43:29, but established the second-fastest time in race history. Gaston held on for second place in 6:00:51, while Pellaud claimed the final podium spot in 6:08:21.
The race for fourth provided additional drama as Torbjørn Andre Røed outsprinted Payson McElveen, both finishing in 6:15:03. McElveen’s result marked a stunning return to form after a serious crash at the Sea Otter Classic had forced him to miss UNBOUND Gravel.
Post-Race Reactions
Courtney reflected on her record-breaking performance: “I’ve had a really, really amazing time competing in Leadville. This race, and the stage race, were both amazing events – some of the best racing I’ve ever done in the US – so I’m really grateful and proud to be here. Melisa and I had a great battle in the stage race, and the whole time out there today I was thinking ‘she’s going to catch me’, and that kept me honest. It was only when I got on the pavement near the end of the race that I found out the distance between us was good, so then I started thinking ‘I might be able to get the record’, and I was shocked we were able to go that fast today – I’m really proud.”
Rollins graciously accepted her runner-up finish: “I wanted to win today, but until last year, I’d never thought that would be possible, so I’m just happy to have done as well as I could have. Kate was phenomenal today, so I can’t be upset with second place behind her. I love this race and I want to keep coming back here and keep getting faster.”
Swenson remained focused on his race-by-race approach: “It was great racing with John and Simon, and a proper day of bike racing. I’ll take things race-by-race and try and win every one, that’s why we’re here.”
Life Time Grand Prix Implications
Swenson’s victory extended his lead in the men’s Life Time Grand Prix series to seven points, leading Simon Pellaud 87 points. Røed moved into third place overall courtesy of his fourth-place sprint finish over McElveen.
In the women’s series, Cecily Decker opened up a two-point gap over Sofía Gómez Villafañe at the top, while Rollins moved up to third overall.
Results
Women’s Results:
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- Kate Courtney – 6:48:55
- Melisa Rollins – 6:59:16
- Cecily Decker – 7:09:48
- Sofía Gómez Villafañe – 7:16:52
- Sarah Lange – 7:17:16
Men’s Results:
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- Keegan Swenson – 5:45:35
- John Gaston – 6:00:51
- Simon Pellaud – 6:08:21
- Torbjørn Andre Røed – 6:15:03
- Payson McElveen – 6:15:03
