Leadville 100 Training Plan

By Racepace Team • Sat Nov 01 2025

The Leadville 100 is one of the hardest one-day mountain bike races in the world. High altitude, long climbs, and relentless terrain turn even small mistakes into big problems. Training for it isn’t about surviving the day. It’s about preparing your body to stay steady for hours, handle spikes in effort, and still have something left at mile 90.

Race Overview

  • Location: Leadville, Colorado
  • Elevation: 10,152 ft at the start, with extended time above 11,000 ft
  • Distance: 104 miles (no, it isn't just 100!)
  • Total climbing: ~11,000 ft
  • Surface: mostly fire roads + doubletrack with a few rougher sections
  • Timing: held every August

At this altitude, power drops for everyone (if you want to understand more, read about altitude acclimatization and calculate your adjusted power zones). The riders who perform well are those who spend most of the day in control (riding essentially zone 2 / low zone 3), stay mentally calm, and keep fueling when others forget to. If you go too hard too early you will likely blow up later. If you forget to take a few sips of carbs on the way up Columbine, it'll bite you.

What This Plan Targets

To ride well in Leadville, you need more than fitness. You need durability. A solid training plan needs to focus on:

  • Aerobic endurance: Long Zone 2 rides that raise your floor so you can stay steady for hours.
  • Threshold resilience: Sustained tempo and threshold work to handle climbs like Columbine and Powerline without blowing up.
  • High-altitude pacing skills: Controlled intensity so you avoid the “first-hour trap” where riders push sea-level power and detonate early.
  • Strength and stability: Sessions to protect your back, hips, and hands from 7+ hours of vibration and climbing.
  • Fueling practice: Real-world nutrition strategy baked into long days so race nutrition feels automatic.

The goal isn’t to hit peak numbers. It’s to build a body that can ride strong, stay consistent, and avoid late-race collapse. You can read more about an acul training plan and what was involved in this blog, "My Leadville 100 Training".

Who This Plan Is For

Racepace's Leadville Training Plans are built for riders who want a structured, realistic path into Leadville with coaching. You don’t need to be a full-time athlete. You just need steady weeks, discipline on the easy days, and the ability to hit key long rides. We're here to take that journey with you.

What You’ll Get

  • Clear weekly structure: 2-3 quality sessions, the rest easy
  • Progressive long rides that simulate the demands of Leadville
  • Race-specific prep for climbing, altitude pacing, and late-race fatigue
  • A sustainable workload you can hold for months, not just one big week

Start Training

Leadville rewards riders who show up durable, fueled, and calm. Tap into the structure, hit the rhythm, and give yourself the best chance to ride strong from the red carpet at the start to the red carpet at the finish. If you're ready to see what you're capable of, join the Racepace team today.