As a result of even-keeled efforts start to finish, Liza Howard (interview) and Ian Sharman (interview) each walked away with their second win of the 2015 Leadville 100. With Liza’s win, she marked her fourth Leadville finish and she also met her sub-20-hour goal by almost a half hour, and Ian finished in a time remarkably similar to his previous years, further demonstrating his 100-mile racing proficiency.
As usual, we’ll be updating this article with additional results as well as links to Leadville-related articles, photo galleries, and race reports. Be sure to check back!
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2015 Leadville 100 Men’s Race
Though Argentina’s Gustavo Reyes shook off pre-race teasing about taking the race out hard as he has in previous competitions, saying he was going to run having fun and by feel, he shot off like a rocket from the start. He arrived at the May Queen aid station at mile 13.5 in 1:36, which is exceedingly fast. There, he held a six-minute lead over the rest of the field. When the rest of the field turned up, it was the usual suspects of Mike Aish and Ian Sharman, as well as a couple other runners. From there, Gustavo extended his lead to 11 minutes at the mile 24.5 before starting to give some of it back.
By Twin Lakes at mile 39.5, he remained in the lead but by less than two minutes, and Mike Aish was breathing down his neck. At the Hope Pass aid station, mile 44.5, Mike had passed Gustavo and assumed the lead by a full seven minutes. Meanwhile, at Twin Lakes, Ian Sharman sat 14 minutes behind Gustavo, and at Hope Pass, he was 12 minutes off leader Mike. At Winfield, the midway mark Sharman was 8 minutes out of the lead. The plot set-up for the second half of the men’s race was about as good as it gets in 100-mile racing.
Ian didn’t waste any time regaining his lost time and by mile 55 he and Mike were racing together. Then, Ian broke things open, arriving to Twin Lakes inbound, mile 60.5, 6 minutes ahead of Mike. After that, Ian’s lead only grew by leaps and bounds all the way to the finish.
Mike, on the other hand, crashed and burned. He said at mile 75.5 that he hadn’t been able to eat anything in hours, and that he had been throwing up. He later dropped.
Ian Sharman, 2015 Leadville 100 Mile champion. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Kyle Pietari, who ran in the back half of the men’s top 10 early in the race, moved up inside the top five by the race’s second half. At mile 75.5, he was just a couple minutes behind Aish in third, and, at mile 86.5, he had moved up to second. His second-place finish represents one of the race’s best strategy executions.
Kyle Pietari on his way to second place. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Guatemala’s Juan Carlos Sagatsume was what you could probably call a quiet force all day. He was always right there, right in the men’s top five, quietly moving along and schooling much of the field on what calm, cool, and collected looks and feels like.
Juan Carlos Sagatsume runs toward third place. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Chuck Radford and Michael Hewitt rounded out the men’s top five, both of them running conservative early to move up later in the race.
2015 Leadville 100 Men’s Results
- Ian Sharman (Altra) — 16:33:54 (interview)
- Kyle Pietari (Altra) –18:16:04
- Juan Carlos Sagatsume –18:29:27
- Chuck Radford –18:43:18
- Michael Hewitt — 19:28:32
- Daniel Verdi — 19:36:09
- Marvin Sandoval — 19:44:58
- Joel Anderson — 20:09:33
- David Teirney — 20:23:43
- Brian Rusiecki (Patagonia) — 20:31:19
2015 Leadville 100 Women’s Race
In the women’s race, Liza Howard and Kara Henry came through the mile 13.5 checkpoint essentially together, with Liza leading in, and Kara leading out of aid. They ticked off 1:46 for first half marathon and change, quick given that the men’s chase pack ran a 1:42 split. By the mile 24.5 aid station at Outward Bound, Kara extended her lead on Liza to 3.5 minutes. Between there and mile 39.5 at Twin Lakes, Kara hammered, getting there a full 9 minutes up on Liza. Kara grew her lead to about 12 minutes by the climb over Hope Pass, but after that Liza began to gain back lost time.
Liza Howard, 2015 Leadville 100 Mile champion. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
By the time the pair arrived back to Twin Lakes at mile 60.5, Liza had built a 7-minute lead on Kara. However, Kara wasn’t about to let things go. Kara gobbled back up some of her lost time such that, at mile 75.5, Liza only led by 2 minutes. It was any-woman’s game in the race’s fourth quarter! From there out, however, Liza built a bigger lead such that Kara was exactly 20 minutes behind at the finish line.
Kara Henry is focused on second place at mile 75. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Sabina Parigian came in at 23:15 to take fourth, while Danielle Hilson worked her way up later in the race to finish in fourth.
Danielle Hilson at mile 60. Photo: iRunFar/Kristin Zosel
Two other women broke the 24-hour mark, Katrin Silva in 23:49 and Becki Lynn Lassley in 23:56, to take fifth and sixth, respectively.
2015 Leadville Trail Women’s Results
- Liza Howard (New Balance) — 19:34:09 (interview)
- Kara Henry (Newton) –19:54:08
- Danielle Hilson — 22:28:00
- Sabina Parigian — 23:15:44
- Katrin Silva — 23:34:39
- Becki Lynn Lassley — 23:56:35
- Mildred Haans — 24:11:46
- Rachel Ragona — 24:40:06
- Anabel Pearson — 24:41:55
- Jean Beaumont — 24:57:15
2015 Leadville 100 Articles, Race Reports, and More
Articles and Photo Galleries
Coming soon
Race Reports
- Ian Sharman, men’s champion
Thank You
Thank you to our field-coverage helpers Kristin Zosel, Aisha and Steven Weinhold, and Mauri Pagliacci!
