Over 1,200 Endurance Athletes Descend on Leadville for Silver Rush 50 Weekend

July 12, 2021

On Sunday, Leadville welcomed over 530 riders to take on up to 50-miles of technical terrain, set to the backdrop of the stunning Colorado Rockies; Kate McLaughlin of Golden took first place in the 50-mile ride for the women and Jimmy Smith of Boulder finished first for the men’s division

Leadville, Colo, July 12 – The sold-out Stages Cycling Silver Rush 50 MTB, owned and produced by Life Time, welcomed a field of over 530 riders representing 47 states and 5 countries to Leadville for a technical out-and-back course complete with glorious mountain views through a historic mining district. Riders ranging from age 15 to 67 years old took on various event challenges, pedaling approximately 8,000 feet of elevation gain this past weekend in the 50-mile race. The endurance weekend also included a Silver Rush 15-mile MTB ride and a 50-mile ride relay option, in which two participants tackle the 50-mile course through an exchange at the Stumptown Aid Station.

Endurance enthusiasts up for an even bigger challenge were invited to sign up for the Silver Queen and Silver King, first completing the Silver Rush 50 Run on Saturday and then the Stages Cycling Silver Rush 50 MTB on Sunday. This past weekend, approximately 50 athletes finished both events within the allotted time and walked away with the Silver King / Silver Queen title.

In the women’s 50-mile MTB division, Kate McLaughlin, 33, of Golden, Colo. placed first with a finish time of 4:41:25. Tracy Paradise, 47, of Victoria, Minn. secured second place with a finish time of 5:03:32 and Nicole Martin, 33, of Vail, Colo. placed third in the division with a completion time of 5:08:13.

For the men’s 50-mile MTB division, Jimmy Smith, 27, of Boulder, Colo. placed first with a finish time of 3:46:45. Brian Elander, 20, of Evergreen, Colo. secured second place with a finish time of 3:51:24 and Ryan Petry, 30, of Boulder, Colo. placed third in the division with a completion time of 3:53:41.

In the women’s 15-mile MTB division, Amelia Shea, 31, of Denver, Colo. placed first with a finish time of 1:13:01. Christina Briseno, 51 of Leadville, Colo. secured second place with a finish time of 1:23:45 and Hillary Schmidt, 30, of Frisco, Colo. placed third in the division with a completion time of 1:32:54.

In the men’s 15-mile MTB division, Sean Herring, 31, of Denver, Colo. placed first with a finish time of 1:04:58. Matt Cairns, 16, of Leadville, Colo. secured second place with a finish time of 1:07:30 and Peter Monko, 41, of Chicago, IL placed third in the division with a completion time of 1:10:00.

The next cycling event on the Leadville Race Series calendar is the Tahoe Trail MTB on July 17, followed by the Stages Cycling Leadville Stage Race, July 30 – Aug. 1, which will take athletes a total of 100 miles over the course of three days. In August, the Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB on Aug.14 is a true test of endurance and grit, as athletes will traverse 100 miles across the high-altitude and extreme terrain of the Colorado Rockies. For those who dare to try it, the LeadBoat Challenge offers Leadville Trail 100 MTB racers to also compete in the 144 mile SBT GRVL Black course the very next day for the ultimate test of endurance and athleticism. The final two cycling events in the Leadville Race Series are Barn Burner in Flagstaff, Ariz., Sept. 18 and Austin Rattler MTB, Nov. 6.

Athletes who have successfully completed the Leadville Trail Marathon, Silver Rush 50 MTB or Run, Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB, Leadville Trail 10K Run and Leadville Trail 100 Run within the allotted cut-off times, for a total of 282.4 miles, will earn the coveted title of “Leadman” and “Leadwoman”.

Other cycling events on the Life Time off-road events calendar include Chequamegon MTB Festival in northwest Wisc., Sept. 18, ‘Rad Dirt Fest in Trinidad, Colo., Oct. 2-3 and Big Sugar NWA Gravel in Bentonville, Ark., Oct 23.

To view all of the Life Time athletic events, including their off-road run events, please visit: https://my.lifetime.life/athletic-events.html

The Silver Rush 50 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, Chicago Triathlon, and 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.

As a wellness pioneer, Life Time is 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 helping people lead healthy, happy 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.

# # #