Leadville, CO · June
Leadville Trail Marathon Training Plan
A free marathon plan for the Leadville Trail Marathon, built around the course and your current fitness. Answer four questions and you will see every week of it. No account, no email, no card.
- Distances
- Marathon
- Course
- Hilly
- Usually held
- Each June
The Leadville Trail Marathon course
The summer opener of the Leadville series and a far more accessible way into racing at altitude than the 100. Roughly 26.4 miles of out-and-back dirt road and singletrack through the old mining district, climbing to Mosquito Pass at 13,185 feet, the highest continuous pass in the country, from a town that already sits above 10,000 feet. Finishing times bear no relationship to road marathon times.
Weather on race day
Mid-June at 10,000 feet is its own climate: a cold start, intense sun on the exposed climb, and the real possibility of snow, hail, or wind on the pass. Conditions at the top and at the start line are frequently unrelated.
What to train for
Vertical and hiking efficiency, with altitude as the constraint that makes both harder. Treat the goal as time on feet with sustained climbing, not marathon pace work. If you cannot train high, get long climbs in anyway and arrive early enough to acclimate.
Registration and official details: Leadville Trail Marathon official site
Leadville Trail Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Leadville Trail Marathon?
Most runners give a marathon sixteen to twenty weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the Leadville Trail Marathon course hilly?
Hilly. The summer opener of the Leadville series and a far more accessible way into racing at altitude than the 100. Roughly 26.4 miles of out-and-back dirt road and singletrack through the old mining district, climbing to Mosquito Pass at 13,185 feet, the highest continuous pass in the country, from a town that already sits above 10,000 feet. Finishing times bear no relationship to road marathon times.
What is the weather usually like at the Leadville Trail Marathon?
Mid-June at 10,000 feet is its own climate: a cold start, intense sun on the exposed climb, and the real possibility of snow, hail, or wind on the pass. Conditions at the top and at the start line are frequently unrelated.
Do I need an account to get a Leadville Trail Marathon training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.
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