Grotts and Connors win 2017 Leadville 100
The top three men.
Nearly 1,500 riders from all 50 states and 35 countries participated in the 24th Annual Blueprint for Athletes Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race this past weekend. In the iconic event, participants rode more than 100 miles of challenging Colorado Rockies terrain at elevations ranging from 10,152 to 12,424 feet. For complete results head to www.athlinks.com.
Following the 6:30 a.m. MST start, Howard Grotts and Larissa Connors emerged as the 2017 champions. In the male division, Grotts crossed the finish line in 6:14:54, followed in second place by three-time champion Todd Wells who finished in 6:18:24. Payson McElveen rounded out the top three in 6:36:08. All top three male finishers hail from Durango, Colorado.
The top three women.
In the female division, Connors finished in 7:31:51 followed by Andrea Dvorak in second place in 7:58:18 and Anne Perry in 8:18:53. Another notable participant, Sugarland guitarist Thad Beaty, kicked off the race by playing the National Anthem, finishing in 11:49:21.
“This was first time doing the Leadville Trail 100 so I really wanted to take it conservatively. I knew I couldn’t dig too deep but at the same time I knew I had to go as fast as I could,” said Grotts. “I ended up winning by four minutes at the end but until that point, I had no idea if it was four minutes or one minute. I’m sure I’ll be back. The fans, the crew, the racers, the scenery, it’s all pretty special here.”
“There were a lot of strong women out there and I was terrified the whole time, so once I was in the lead I just panicked for the last seven hours of the ride,” said Connors. “I just rode panicked thinking how strong they were.”
Top 10 Men
- 1. Howard Grotts, M, 24Bib 14, Durango, CO, 06:14:54
- 2. Todd Wells, M, 41Bib 1, Durango, CO, 06:18:24
- 3. Payson McElveen, M, 24Bib 9, Durango, CO, 06:36:08
- 4. Christopher Jones, M, 38Bib 5, Bend, OR, 06:55:16
- 5. Jamey Yanik, M, 40Bib 64, Boise, ID, 06:56:13
- 6. Scott Tietzel, M, 33Bib 40, Boulder, CO, 06:57:46
- 7. Timothy Beardall, M, 31Bib 11, Melbourne, Virgin Islands, U.S., 07:04:04
- 8. Andrew Dorais, M, 40Bib 46, Salt Lake City, UT, 07:07:07
- 9. Nate Whitman, M, 41Bib 7, Evergreen, CO, 07:08:36
- 10. Christopher Jensen, M, 35Bib 1416, Mason City, IA, 07:08:39
Top 10 Momen
- 1. Larissa Connors, F, 31Bib 289, Silverado, CA, 07:31:51
- 2. Andrea Dvorak, F, 36Bib 2047, Charlottesville, VA, 07:58:18
- 3. Anne Perry, F, 43Bib 57, Draper, UT, 08:18:53
- 4. Jennifer Smith, F, 44Bib 2, Gunnison, CO, 08:24:35
- 5. Tara Kelly, F, 36Bib 485, Houston, TX, 08:25:10
- 6. Chase Edwards, F, 36Bib 232, Flagstaff, AZ, 08:29:52
- 7. Katrina Engelsted, F, 29Bib 463, Boulder, CO, 08:42:38
- 8. Renee Lockey, F, 50Bib 755, Colorado Springs, CO, 08:46:28
- 9. Lisa Nelson, F, 49Bib 915, Alpine, UT, 08:48:23
- 10. Caitlin Bernstein, F, 28Bib 310, Oakland, CA, 08:58:41
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