David Roche Breaks 19-Yr-Outdated Leadville 100 Mile Course File Held By Matt Carpenter – iRunFar

On Saturday, August 17, 2024, historical past was made on the Leadville 100 Mile. Path runner and coach David Roche broke one of many sport’s historic course data by ending in 15:26:34, resetting the file by greater than 16 minutes.

The prior file was set in 2005 by mountain working legend Matt Carpenter at 15:42:59. Carpenter’s was an effort that would finest be known as calculated, honed from a number of years of racing Leadville and tons of of hours of coaching on the course. Carpenter extremely particulars his 2005 effort on his web site. Carpenter’s was a file that many runners aspired to, however none may beat — till David Roche ran the 2024 version.

David Roche profitable the 2024 Leadville 100 Mile and setting a brand new course file. Picture: Life Time

The course has modified a small quantity in a number of spots within the interim 19 years since Carpenter set his file. Nevertheless, most Leadville consultants would name the present course a bit of longer and tougher than in 2005. Usually talking, the Leadville 100 Mile course runs on an out-and-back route described as largely runnable, with a few large climbs, together with the double crossing of the excessive level at Hope Cross, and a number of other different punchy climbs. All this takes place at excessive altitude, with the beginning and end in downtown Leadville, Colorado, at over 10,000 ft.

Roche, with greater than a decade of success in shorter-distance path racing expertise, began the 2024 race as a 100-mile rookie. Like most years at Leadville, the lead males, together with Roche, ran at or below course file tempo from the beginning. In most years, contenders have slowed in comparison with file tempo, beginning across the 50-mile level, or in some thrilling years, after round 60 miles in. However not Roche, who categorically caught the touchdown on this race, sustaining pad heading in the right direction file tempo till he ran throughout the purple carpet of the Leadville 100 Mile end line.

Right here, we evaluate Roche’s versus Carpenter’s splits:

• At Might Queen 1 (mile 12.6), Roche got here by means of in 1:31:34, whereas Carpenter cut up this part in 1:41.
• At Outward Certain 1 (mile 23.5), Roche was by means of in 2:59:11, whereas Carpenter cut up 3:07 on the previous Fish Hatchery 1 assist station, situated a few mile earlier than what’s now Outward Certain 1.
• At Twin Lakes 1 (mile 37.9), Roche cut up 4:51:20, whereas Carpenter handed in 5:21.
• At Winfield (mile 50), Roche ran by means of at 7:09:08, whereas Carpenter’s cut up was 7:35.
• At Twin Lakes 2 (mile 62.5), Roche was by means of at 9:27:00 and Carpenter at 9:39.
• At Outward Certain 2 (mile 76.2), Roche cut up 11:35:30. Carpenter’s cut up on the previous Fish Hatchery 2 assist station, situated a mile in a while the course, was 12:00.
• At Might Queen 2 (mile 87.4), Roche handed at 13:29:03, and Carpenter’s cut up right here was 13:45.

This might solely be the sweetest of victories for Roche, who suffered vital accidents in a motorcycle crash in April of this yr however was in a position to recuperate and put together for this race.