Through the trees, beside the river, and over the pass is where greatness is formed in a quiet fashion, one stride after the next. No crowds, no external affirmation, just a man showing up every day fighting to make his mark in history. Adrian Macdonald, Two-time champion of the Leadville Trail 100 Run has one thing in the back of his mind this year: 15:42:59. The longstanding Leadville 100 record set by Matt Carpenter in 2005.
Every mile run, calorie burned, and foot of elevation gained is measured and accounted for in preparation for one of the most physically and mentally demanding endurance races in the world. The stage is set at 10,158 ft above sea level with the crux of the race looming near the half way point, Hope Pass. Runners are faced with climbing the pass twice. Once before the 50 mile turnaround point at Winfield and again on their way back. This section of the race totals to 7k feet of vertical gain over a 25-mile span.
It’s difficult to put into words just how taxing Hope Pass is at that point in the race.
After winning the race in 2021 and 2022, one may begin to question why Adrian would return. Why would he put in so much effort into training for a race he’s already won twice? In short, there’s a course record that isn’t his and he wants it to be. Catching a glimpse of one of Adrian’s training runs on Hope Pass demonstrated everything that you’d expect to see from a competitor of his caliber. While photographing Adrian up close, it was apparent that his mind was somewhere else completely, perhaps visualizing the scene that would soon unfold on race day just a few weeks away. He mentioned that the mind begins to wander when he’s been running alone for extended periods of time. Silence ensues and the only sounds to be heard are his heavy breathing and feet pounding into the dirt underneath him. It’s easy to forget you’re running a race when none of your competitors are in sight. At this point Adrian is competing against himself.
To get the most out of oneself during an ultra endurance race, it’s important to put high priority on fueling. Like any machine, there has to be a fuel source. This race is just as much an eating competition as it is a foot race. Strategy is everything. To keep the body running optimally, it is recommended to consume 90-120 grams of carbohydrates every hour. Adrian will be consuming around one gel every 30 minutes along with a high-carb drink mix throughout his run.
The time between his current best and Matt Carpenter’s record is 22 minutes and 45 seconds, which might sound like a lot, but spread out over the course of a hundred miles, Adrian only needs to improve each mile by 13.65 seconds. Keeping the mind in check when pushing the body to it’s limits for fifteen plus hours is one of the most difficult tasks for any ultra endurance athlete. That’s where most fall apart. Adrian’s ability to remain mentally disciplined throughout the race is what will ultimately decide whether he’ll achieve what he set out for, or not. If the pressure of breaking the record isn’t enough, he’ll have a strong pack of hungry runners gnawing at the back of his ankles for a chance to finish on the podium.
Adrian’s victories carry both pro’s and con’s going into this year’s Leadville 100. On one hand, he’s won twice so he’s familiar with what it takes to get there again. On the other hand, it presents the opportunity to become mentally complacent should he have a substantial lead. It’s imperative for him to remember that he’s making a run at history. There’s no room to let up at any point. The look on Adrian’s face at the top of Hope Pass did not give off any impression of him doing so. When the rifle is fired at 4:00 am on August 17th, you can count on one thing. Adrian Macdonald will be firing along with it.
