This post includes the podcast we recorded as well as Molly’s written race report below.
The Leadville 100 Run Episodes and Adventure were presented by Payable! Use this Add-on to collect Payments in Your Google Forms! Check out Payable Apps in the Google Workspace
Podcast – Show Notes & Links
- Race Report from Canadian Running mentionoing Molly
- Race report RUN247 including molly Hurford
- Molly’s Packable Jacket – Velocio Ultra Light (on sale now!)
- Molly’s 1,5L Hydration Pack is Osprey (we also use Nathan packs)
- Consummate Athlete Post on Sleeping in an Alitude Tent for Leadville
- Consummate Athlete Event and Goal Based Training Plans, available in the Training Peaks Store. Use Code ‘CAPOD’ to get 25% of any of the plans . bit.ly/PGPLANS
Molly’s 2024 Leadville Race Report
It feels really strange to be writing this race report, but in the last two days, it’s become so apparent how many of you have been following along on the Leadville journey with me, and it’s honestly blown me away. We’ve talked so much about the race prep and the leadup on the blog and podcast for so long that it almost feels unreal to be talking about the race now that it’s over. And it really, really sucks to be talking about it as someone who didn’t get to cross the finish line, and is instead walking around with a boot on her ankle!
So, that’s my Leadville summed up. Of course, there’s a lot more to say! The race week was about as ideal as a taper week can get, and I even slept the night before the race (a minor miracle for me!). The start was also about as good as it could get—smooth, and so strangely perfectly on pace without checking my watch. (Leadville has pacing charts, so I was working towards a 21-22 hr race goal, both of which have similar times to the first three aid stations, and I was right on the dot.)
I was sitting in third/fourth in the women’s field, training places with another woman as we rolled up and over the Powerline climb and descent and the climb and descent into Twin Lakes. And that’s where it went sideways. In the few meters of loose dirt descent into Twin Lakes at mile 38, literally in full view of the aid station, I caught a loose rock and crashed. Hard. I heard a pop and felt the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my ankle (and the rest of my body took a few hits too!). I got up, limped my way to Peter, and tried to shake it off. We decided I’d keep moving, and head towards Hope Pass. We knew it wasn’t a great situation, but we hoped it was just a bad ankle roll that would work out if I walked it off. (It’s happened before.)
Twin Lakes to Winfield Over Hope Pass
I’ll dissect this a lot more in coming articles/episodes, I’m sure, but I spent the 12-mile climb and descent from Twin Lakes to Winfield, the aid station that’s up and over Hope Pass, struggling to walk—and zero chance of running, anytime I tried to do a step, my ankle felt like it was on fire. By the time I got into Winfield, it was extremely clear that it was more than an ankle roll, and the medical people confirmed it. They thought it was broken, or at least, really badly sprained, from the bruising and swelling. (Hurfords have really high pain thresholds, and they were stymied how I was walking on it at all.)
So my race ended at mile 50. It sucks. But it’s racing.
I did get to the ER, and luckily, no broken bones. It’s a bad enough sprain that they booted me and gave me crutches, and there’s worry about a torn ligament, but it’ll be a wait-and-see thing with that. For now, I’m trying to just let it rest as much as possible, and we’ll see where we’re at in a few days.
While I’m sure I’ll have another dozen practical and esoteric articles that come out of this experience, I do want to end just with an extremely heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who’s been following along on the journey to this race, who’s reached out and sent messages. I can’t tell you how much it means to me, and how touched I am about how many of you shared your own injury and race stories. No, my day didn’t go as planned, obviously, but as I’ll say over and over, that’s racing. If every race was a win, we wouldn’t do it.
