Duncan Callahan crushes field in Leadville 100

Takes second title in four years

Gunnison resident and local Nordic ski coach Duncan Callahan crushed the field last weekend to win the Leadville 100 “Race Across the Sky” trail run in a personal record time of 17 hours, 43 minutes and 24 seconds.
Three other Gunnison Valley residents ran the Leadville race as well. Jay Hunt finished in 23 hours, 38 minutes and 39 seconds. Pat O’Neill and Mary Mahoney jumped into the fray of the 100-miler for the first time, with O’Neill beating the 24 hour mark and Mahoney crossing in a time of 27 hours, 51 minutes and 20 seconds, 17th among all women.
It was Callahan’s fourth time at the Leadville 100 and his second win.
Following a training regimen Callahan described as “a little more systematic,” he felt fresh as the Leadville 100 approached.
“My legs were up for it and I came into the race more rested,” says Callahan.
Still, he knew there wasn’t much he could do about winning, with Leadville 100 perennial all-star Tony Krupicka lining up for this year’s race.
“If he’s on, he’s unbeatable,” says Callahan.
Despite his preparedness, Callahan found himself struggling early in the race as he bounced around between fifth and 10th place.
“I wasn’t feeling good—my legs were heavy and I had a bad stomach,” explains Callahan. “The first 40 miles I was talking to myself to keep going.”
Things then turned around. Callahan found his rhythm and started picking people off, pulling into second place by the second trip over Hope Pass.
“I had some good energy going,” says Callahan. “But I had no idea the win was on the horizon.”
By mile 70, Callahan had one more test to push through.
“At mile 70 I was nauseated but once I dealt with that I was good to go,” says Callahan.
At mile 76, he found out he was over an hour behind Krupicka but still hitting his splits, so he kept on charging. Then, Callahan came across an unlikely sight at the top of the Powerline climb at mile 81.
“He [Krupicka] was lying on the ground completely unresponsive,” says Callahan. “I was totally shocked to see him.”
Callahan and his pacer checked in with Krupicka’s pacer to see if he needed any help, but help was already on the way, so they returned to the race.
“From there I knew I had a 15-minute lead and I just kept rolling from there and feeling strong,” says Callahan.
Callahan hit his pre-race time goal, which ultimately led to his winning the race.
“The time I ran was the time I wanted,” says Callahan. “I was hoping to run a steady race and be there if [Tony] had a problem, and he did.”
Mahoney signed up for the race on July 3 and commenced her physical—and more important, mental—training then.
“I knew this race was going to be a mental endeavor,” says Mahoney.
She put in her final race pace effort three weeks prior to the Leadville 100 race, winning a 60-kilometer race on the Grand Mesa.
“It got me fired up for the Leadville 100 but it made me question how in the world I was going to run 100 miles,” says Mahoney.
She remained undeterred, though and was confident she would seal the deal no matter what.
“For me, being my first 100, my number one goal was to finish,” says Mahoney. “It was just a matter of going out, putting in the miles and getting it done.”
Mahoney admits her crew was prepared for “a lot of moodiness” out of her in the race, but she kept it together and kept plugging away.
“I was more trained mentally than I was physically,” says Mahoney. “It actually went really good for me.”
Her low point came early in the morning of day two, 76 miles into the race.
“I was at the Fish Hatchery at 1 a.m. and I had 23 miles to go,” explains Mahoney. “I looked at Ashleigh Cahir and I said, ‘I’m getting tired and I have almost another marathon to go.’ But I wasn’t going to quit. There was no way.”
She hit euphoria twice during the race.
“Climbing up Hope Pass both times,” says Mahoney. “I love climbs—climbs are my strong point.”
Mahoney crossed the finish line in 27 hours, 51 minutes and 20 seconds and is determined to return for next year’s race.
“Now that I’ve seen the course and know what to expect, I’m ready to go back and run harder—I love it,” says Mahoney. “I’m definitely not someone who does it for the physical fitness. I do it for the experience of putting myself through adversity. I’m so fortunate to be able to move through the mountains.”
O’Neill was dealing with adversity before the race even started, as a summer of trail running had taken its toll.
“I had some shin issues,” says O’Neill. “I was feeling the pain 1,000 steps into the race.”
Nevertheless, with the help of pacers Jake Jones and Allen Hadley, O’Neill carried himself through the first day and into the night.
“Jake and Allen were unbelievable as crew and pacers,” says O’Neill. “They were huge. Allen had me do a sprint the last three miles to get in under 24 hours. It was some sort of Philly—Rocky Balboa kind of deal. The only thing missing was the gray sweat suit.”
Hadley’s plan worked as O’Neill finished in 23 hours, 54 minutes and 28 seconds.
“I’ve always said the Grand Traverse is tougher than a two-dollar steak. This is tougher than a 25-cent steak,” adds O’Neill. “It was amazing. I didn’t get lapped by the sun.”
In addition to the hardware handed to the finishers, O’Neill had a piece of bodily memorabilia to carry home with him.
“By the end of the race, my left foot and ankle looked like a boiled ham,” adds O’Neill.