100 miles through sky and agony
A first-time participant beat 155 other runners in this race across the sky last Saturday, and his mountain biking counterpart set a new course record in the bike race August 17. Read the reports from both events, and check out the final results.

Footrace
First-time racer wins Leadville Trail 100
In the early hours of August 24, several hundred hardcore runners gathered in the dark for the start of this high-elevation century. Some fresh faces won the ribbons this year.
Live coverage (Aug. 24)
Official results

Footrace preview
Pounding the trail
Runners are psyching themselves up for this Saturday's 100 miles of torture, during which they will run, walk, and stumble through extremes of weather and altitude.

Mountain bike race
New course mark in Leadville 100 bike race
After nearly seven-and-one-half hours of torturous trail riding, Telluride's Mike Volk crossed the Harrison Avenue finish line first--nearly six minutes faster than 1995 winner Russell Worley, who finished 18th. From the chilly start to the warm late-afternoon finish, Volk and 401 others made the trek up to Columbine Mine (12,600 feet) and back, trying to make the 12-hour cutoff.
Trailside coverage (Aug. 17)
Official results

Q&A with an obsessive man
Readers query the centurion
Joe Schlereth, one of the most experienced ultramarathoners out there, answers your questions on diet, training, and the misery of de feet.

Profile
Running man
Forty-six-year-old Joe Schlereth has completed a whopping 29 100-mile races, finishing in the top 10 in all but four. Yet he's claimed victory only once. Will this year's Leadville--his seventh--be the clincher?

Profile
13th time the charm for Myers?
Runner Laurel Myers, 41, has raced in the Leadville 100 12 times without finishing. Now, with the help of 10-time finisher and trainer Ed Williams, she's poised to finally complete one of the most grueling 100-milers around.

Profile
Tapping the will to win
Kirk Apt, a 33-year-old massage therapist, seeks to repeat his Leadville win of last year--and to complete his 11th ultra run in a decade. He credits his success to a calm mind, fortitude, friends, and an appreciation for the natural beauty of the course.

Feature
Getting high with llamas at 12,600 feet
Thirty llamas, each carrying 150 pounds of supplies, join volunteers at the Hope Pass aid station, perched at nearly 13,000 feet. The highest point of the race offers runners soup, shelter, and support as they reach the 44-mile mark.

Profile
Going the distance
Russell Worley blew away the mountain bike course record last year and is gearing up for another win. So what does he do for fun?

August 15: Mountain bike preview
Hammerfest on high
Die-hard cyclists from around the world will tackle the Leadville course this weekend, climbing 10,600 vertical feet over 100 rough miles. More than 400 mountain bikers will take to the trails at dawn in this sister to the ultradistance running classic.

Looking back
Outside Online's 1995 coverage
Last year's bike race participants were high and dry while the runners suffered from muddy roads and rough rivers--courtesy of heavy rains that washed away solid footing.