Some of our favorite activities in the High Country are relaxing and good for recharging our spirits.  Others push our bodies and spirits to the max.  Last weekend the Leadville 100 Trail run pushed 505 runners to their limits.  This race is a grueling 100 mile trail race over 2 mountain passes with a total elevation change of about 14,000 feet.  The race begins in downtown Leadville and circles Turquoise Lake before heading south to Twin Lakes, and cruising over Hope Pass (elevation 12,600 feet).  Runners turn around at the ghost town of Winfield (mile 50) before heading back over Hope Pass and returning to Leadville.  This year 505 runners started the race and 273 finished.  The winner of the race for the men was Timmy Parr of Gunnison with a time of 17 hours and 27 minutes.  Check out this interview with winner Timmy Parr from the Denver Post .  The first female runner to cross the finish line was Lynette Clemons of Leadville with a time of 20 hours and 58 minutes.  Other top finishers are as follows:

Men
1. Timmy Parr, 27, Gunnison, CO, 17:27:23
2. Nick Lewis, 23, Memphis, TN, 17:44:26
3. Duncan Callahan, 26, Gunnison, CO, 18:26:40
4. Andrew Henshaw, 23, West Point, NY, 18:56:41
5. Jeff Beuche, 34, Boulder, CO, 18:58:40

Women
1. Lynette Clemons, 35, Leadville, CO, 20:58:01
2. Jamie Donaldson, 34, Littleton, CO, 21:53:37
3. Darcy Africa, 34, Boulder, CO, 21:55:22
4. Rebecca Wheeler, 24, Casper, WY. 23:58:24
5. Kelly Cronin, 32, Yosemite, CA, 24:14:22

To read more about this grueling mountain race, please visit the official Leadville 100 website.