Above: When she’s not out on a trail running Lutsen’s Ailee Larson is out on a trail mountain biking. A record breaking collegiate runner, Larson is also a very good mountain bike racer. She finished the very difficult 104-mile Leadville, Colorado “Race Across the Sky” mountain bike race in 10:57.51. Left: Two happy finishers, Jim Joynes and Shanie Hahn both had great races at Leadville. Joynes finished in 9:43:37 and Hahn crossed the line in 10:42:50.
Jim Joynes competed in his second Leadville 100 Mountain bike race in Leadville, Colorado on August 9 finishing with a time of 9:43:37.
The Grand Marais native who now lives in Duluth didn’t equal his 2013 time, but that was mainly due to mechanical difficulties with his bike.
The first Cook County finisher across the line was Lutsen’s Mark Barrett in 9:02.57. Mark also splits his time living in Minneapolis. Peter Seng of Lutsen and Minneapolis finished in 10:22.
Two women with ties to the area, Shanie Hahn (10:42:50) and Ailee Larson, (10:57.51) both had great finishes in the grueling off-road race.
Known as the “Race Across the Sky” the 104- mile race covers three mountain passes with a total elevation gain of nearly 12,000 feet while climbing to the top of Columbine Mountain at 13,200 feet.
The rugged course largely follows off-road old mining roads, logging roads, two track trails and areas not accessible by any other type of vehicle.
All told 1,300 riders from all 50 states and 32 countries participated in the event. Racers are picked by a lottery system but to gain entrance into the lottery riders must have participated and completed other long, difficult mountain bike races.
Larson, a noted long distance runner, competed with a group of elite athletes and was only one of two racers who were 21 in a field of racers that averaged mid to late 30s.
For Barrett this was his ninth Leadville 100. Barrett was instrumental in developing the Lutsen 99er race that is growing larger and more popular each year.
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