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Author:Madeline Watts
Date:November 17, 2025

Qualifying for the Leadville 100 Run

Qualifying Process + Race Lotteries​

The Leadville 100 Run is an iconic race that covers 100 miles through the Sawatch Mountains located in Leadville, CO. Unlike any other endurance event, Leadville is uniquely challenging making it a sought after and competitive race entry.

Leadville offers a lottery system for entry as well as a qualifying system. The lottery closes in December of each year.

Qualifying Races with distances, locations, dates, other important info​

Leadville Trail Marathon​

  • Distance: 26.4 miles
  • Elevation Gain: 6,167 ft
  • Starting Elevation: 10,100 ft
  • Dates: June 27, 2026
  • Location: Leadville, CO

Silver Rush 50 Run​

  • Distance: 48.4 miles
  • Elevation Gain: 7,503 ft
  • Starting Elevation: ~10,000 ft
  • Dates: July 11, 2026
  • Location: Leadville, CO
  • Additional Information: There is an additional coin given to the first female and male athletes to make it up the first hill. People often use this race as a tune up for Leadville.

Tahoe Trail Run​

  • Distance: 50k (31 miles)
  • Elevation Gain: ~4,700 ft
  • Starting Elevation: 6,300
  • Dates: July 19th, 2026
  • Location: Truckee, CA

Coldwater Trail Run​

  • Distance: 50k (31 miles)
  • Elevation Gain: 3,488 ft
  • Starting Elevation: 702 ft
  • Dates: October 30, 2026
  • Location: Anniston, AL
  • Additional Information: This race is a new qualifier as of 2025. It also seems to be the least competitive based on this past year's finish times.

Austin Rattler Run​

  • Distance: 50k (31 miles)
  • Elevation Gain: 2757 ft
  • Starting Elevation: 1,110 ft
  • Dates: November 14, 2026
  • Location: Burnet County, Texas
  • Additional Information: This course consists of 3 10-mile loops with an aid station at the start/finish line (every ten miles). This is also the only race on this list I've done.

Using Stack to Qualify​

I qualified for Leadville by placing second overall in the Austin Rattler 50k. Training for a 100-miler, or even just a qualifier, demands a level of self-awareness that most training apps don't support. Getting to the start line healthy requires managing fatigue carefully over months of high-volume training, and knowing when to push and when to back off is just as important as the training itself.

Stack is a fatigue tracking app designed to help you optimize your training based on how your body actually responds to impulse. Balancing fatigue and performance is delicate and highly individual. Stack helps you monitor load, manage recovery, and reduce the risk of overtraining or undertraining so you can toe the start line in Leadville ready to go.

Give Stack a try today!

Download on the App Store