The Course / Stages
A candidate week
The stages
Seven candidate stages out of Leadville, Buena Vista and Twin Lakes. The number of stages in the first edition is still open, and any of these could change.
Indicative candidate route, not a final course. Lines follow real public roads, but the final course depends on land-manager permits, the safety plan and the landowner. Distances and climbing are approximate.
| Stage | Distance | Climbing | High point | Crew access | Start transfer | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Prologue | ≈ 22 mi | ≈ 1,700 ft | North shore of Turquoise Lake | 2 of 2 candidate aid points | None: starts in Leadville | Short interval-start opener around Turquoise Lake; seeds the GC |
| 2. Queen stage · Mosquito | ≈ 35 mi | ≈ 5,800 ft | Mosquito Pass, 13,185 ft | 1 of 4 candidate aid points (none above treeline) | None: starts in Leadville | Two crossings of North America's highest through-road; where the overall is decided |
| 3. Divide day · Cottonwood | ≈ 75 mi | ≈ 7,300 ft | Cottonwood Pass, 12,126 ft | 4 of 4 candidate aid points | Buena Vista: about 34 road miles, about 45 min | The longest day: two crossings of the Continental Divide via Taylor Park and Tincup |
| 4. Rail-grade day · Hagerman | ≈ 38 mi | ≈ 3,500 ft | Hagerman Pass, 11,925 ft | 2 of 4 candidate aid points (none above treeline) | None: starts in Leadville | Steady climbing near the old Colorado Midland grade to the Divide; a rhythm stage |
| 5. Weston Pass | ≈ 56 mi | ≈ 5,500 ft | Weston Pass, 11,921 ft | 3 of 5 candidate aid points (none above treeline) | None: starts in Leadville | A long gravel grinder over the old Leadville–Fairplay wagon road |
| 6. Ranch day | TBD | TBD | Ranch | At the lodge, subject to the landowner | None: neutral roll-out from Leadville to the ranch | Hill climbs, meadows and singletrack on private ranch land no other event can use |
| 7. Finish · Leadville | ≈ 22 mi | ≈ 1,700 ft | Leadville finish, about 10,150 ft | 2 of 2 candidate aid points | Twin Lakes: about 22 road miles, about 30 min | A short final stage on valley gravel back into the highest city in North America |
Distances are measured along the candidate line. Climbing is the sum of elevation gains from USGS elevations sampled every 300 m. The six mapped stages total about 248 miles and 26,000 feet of climbing before the ranch day.
Crew access counts the candidate aid points a crew could reach by ordinary vehicle; all are Proposed and subject to permits and road access. See crew and support.
PendingWildfire and closures
The 2026 Willow Fire burned about 7,200 acres west of Leadville and forced the 2026 Leadville Trail 100 MTB off Hagerman Pass Road, Sugarloaf Mountain and Powerline. Stage 4 (Hagerman) and Stage 6 (the ranch) sit in or next to that area, and the prologue and final stage touch roads that were closed during the fire. Closures and burn-area conditions for 2027 are unknown, so every stage has a candidate alternate on its page, and the plan for smoke, closures and shortened stages is on the course page.
Prologue: Turquoise Lake
Leadville loop. Short interval-start opener around Turquoise Lake; seeds the GC.
Stage 2Queen stage: Mosquito Pass
Leadville to Alma and back. Two crossings of North America's highest through-road; where the overall is decided.
Stage 3Divide day: Cottonwood Pass
Buena Vista to Tincup and back. The longest day: two crossings of the Continental Divide via Taylor Park and Tincup.
Stage 4Rail-grade day: Hagerman Pass
Leadville loop over Turquoise Lake. Steady climbing near the old Colorado Midland grade to the Divide; a rhythm stage.
Stage 5Weston Pass
Leadville to the Park County side and back. A long gravel grinder over the old Leadville–Fairplay wagon road.
Stage 6Ranch day: Sugarloaf
Private ranch above Turquoise Lake. Hill climbs, meadows and singletrack on private ranch land no other event can use.
Stage 7Finish: Twin Lakes to Leadville
Twin Lakes to Leadville. A short final stage on valley gravel back into the highest city in North America.