Renowned Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB Produced by Life Time Returns in 2021 With Stacked Field of Riders

August 15, 2021

Rose Grant defends first place title for the women; Keegan Swenson finishes first for the men’s division

Leadville, Colo., (Saturday, August 14, 2021) – The 2021 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB race, owned and produced by Life Time, today welcomed a field of more than 1,500 riders ranging in age from 18 to 74 years old, representing 49 states and 12 countries. Cyclists tackled the famed 100-mile ‘Race Across the Sky’ through the Colorado Rockies as the course brought them through 13,000 feet of net elevation gain, topping out at 12,424 feet. Notably, 43 Leadville citizens proudly represented their hometown, for which the race series is well known and beloved, in the participant field.

In the women’s division, Rose Grant, 39, of Columbia Falls, Mont. placed first with a finish time of 7:23:57, defending her title as reigning first-place female from 2019. Moriah Wilson, 25, of Mill Valley, Calif. secured second place with a finish time of 7:27:32. Sarah Sturm, 32, of Durango, Colo. placed third in the division with a completion time of 7:30:56.

After commenting that she worried she had gone out too hard at the beginning of the event when approaching the infamous Columbine climb, Grant said, “My favorite part of the day, in a love-hate type of way, was the depth of field this year. The racing was completely different than two years ago; the women were mixing it up the entire time and kept the pressure on. It was super suspenseful as to who was going to be the strongest.”

For the men, Keegan Swenson, 27, of Heber City, Utah placed first with a finish time of 6:11:26. Lachlan Morton, 29, of Boulder, Colo. secured second place with a finish time of 6:19:22 while 2019’s first place male champion Howard Grotts, 28, of Missoula, Mont. placed third in the division with a completion time of 6:21:47.

When asked about his day on-course, Swenson noted, “I just tried to ride smooth, Lachlan is a heck of a rider and so is Howard. Columbine was my favorite part of the course – I loved the views and seeing everyone climbing up as I was descending because everyone was cheering for each other. I’m definitely coming back next year.”

Nearly 100 riders from today’s event will quickly depart Leadville for Steamboat Springs to complete the second half of the LeadBoat Challenge, which is comprised of the Leadville Trail 100 MTB followed by the SBT GRVL Black event, making for a grand total of 250 miles of riding in two days.

The awards ceremony will take place tomorrow, Sunday, August 15 at the Lake County High School football field at 7:30 a.m. which will include top finishers, 1,000-mile and 2,000-mile buckle recognition and 11-year jacket recipients.

The legendary Leadville Trail 100 Run presented by La Sportiva will take place next weekend, Aug. 21-22, which is where it all started back in 1983. This year, 66 athletes across the 100 MTB (Aug. 14) and 100 Run (Aug. 21) are on track to reach their goal of collectively raising $150,000 for the Life Time Foundation, which will support Lake County Public Schools. The money raised will be allocated to Colorado schools to keep highly-processed food out of meals, while increasing the amount of fresh and simply prepared foods for Colorado students.

To view all of the Life Time athletic events after August, please visit: https://my.lifetime.life/athletic-events.html

The Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB is owned and produced by Life Time, the premier healthy lifestyle brand. It is among more than 30 premier athletic events owned by the company, including Garmin UNBOUND Gravel, Verizon New York City Triathlon, Life Time Chicago Triathlon, and Life Time Miami Marathon.

About the Leadville Race Series

Started with only 45 runners as the Leadville Trail 100 Run in 1983, the Leadville Race Series now consists of seven running events and four mountain biking events, plus six events in the Leadville Qualifying Series. The Race Series stretches across three months, and hosts thousands of racers on foot and on mountain bike in some of the world’s most iconic events. Endurance athletes worldwide now make the pilgrimage to Leadville, Colo., with the single goal of competing in “The Race Across the Sky.” Visit www.leadvilleraceseries.com for more information.

About Life Time^®, Inc.

Now nearing its 30^th anniversary, Life Time is a wellness pioneer reshaping the way consumers approach their health by integrating where we move, work, live and play – digitally and physically – all with the primary objective of delivering the best experiences and programs in the best places by the best people and performers—inspiring healthier, happier lives. With more than 150 destinations in 41 major markets across the U.S. and Canada, Life Time operates luxury athletic resorts, owns and produces iconic athletic events and is expanding its brand though Life Time Work premium coworking spaces and Life Time Living high-end leased residences. For more information visit lifetime.life.

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