What you’ll learn
_______________________________
The Leadville Trail 100 MTB is one of the most recognizable endurance mountain bike races in the world.
Starting above 10,000 feet and climbing toward the summit of Columbine Mine, the high-altitude course demands far more than fitness. Riders must manage effort, technical terrain, nutrition, changing conditions and the accumulating effects of thin air for roughly 100 miles.
For Pactimo athlete Haley Dumke of Mountain Pedaler–Dusty Boot p/b Vail Health, this year’s race presented another challenge: deciding how far she could safely push a lingering hip injury.
The result was a DNF—but not a failure.
Instead, the day became an unexpected reminder of how much she still loves racing.
The race opened with two large crashes.
Haley positioned herself well enough to avoid the first, escaping with what she described as “a little bit of a bush to the face.” She saw the second crash developing in time to slow down and ride safely around it.
Once the field settled, she felt strong on the St. Kevin’s climb and reached the pavement with a group of four women. They worked together on the road and through Pipeline, averaging nearly 18 mph—a pace that felt more like road racing than a day on mountain bikes.
The early speed brought back the familiar rhythm of competition.
Then, on one of the final climbs before the singletrack, Haley dropped a bottle. She stopped to retrieve it and lost contact with the group.
From there, she rode alone toward Columbine.
Without the energy of the group—and with the opening-race adrenaline beginning to fade—the miles started registering more clearly in her injured hip and hamstring.
Sam Brown was waiting with a feed before the Columbine climb.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to do it,” Haley told him.
Sam offered a simple suggestion: try. If the injury became too much, she could always turn around and ride back down. That was enough.
Columbine is the defining climb of the Leadville 100. It begins quickly before becoming progressively steeper, rougher and more exposed. Near the top, riders confront the Goat Trail as the race reaches its highest elevations.
It is also one of the most memorable places to be during the event. Because the course is out-and-back, riders climbing Columbine see the leaders descending toward them—offering a live view of the race while everyone negotiates the same narrow mountain track.
Haley began bargaining with herself as she climbed. If she could reach the turn with the big truck, she would continue. If she caught another rider, she would continue. If she made it to the Goat Trail, she could walk if necessary.
She reached the truck. She caught another woman. Then she rode the entire Goat Trail.
“It was great, and also very painful,” she said.
At the summit, Haley turned around and immediately recognized that the situation had changed.
The pain was no longer limited to climbing. She could not stand solidly over the bike to descend with her usual control.
She rode conservatively, encouraging friends who were still making their way up Columbine, and returned to Sam at the bottom.
Continuing would mean approximately 40 more miles—much of it alone—while struggling to support herself properly on the bike. At that point, finishing was no longer simply a question of tolerating discomfort. Continuing could cause more damage and prolong an already difficult injury.
Haley stopped.
It was not an easy decision.
“When I saw Haley after coming down from Columbine, I could tell that she wanted to keep going,” Sam said. “The hardest thing in racing, especially when dealing with injury, can be knowing when to call it.”
Rather than tell her what to do, Sam and Jace Stout helped Haley consider the options and made sure she would have support whether she continued or ended her race.
Together, they arrived at the decision none of them wanted—but all believed was right.
Results tell only one part of a race.
Haley did not reach the Leadville finish line, but she rediscovered something that had been missing throughout her injury: the desire to compete.
“I felt a strong return to my mental drive of racing and enjoyment that has eluded me throughout injury,” she said. “I didn’t want to let that go.”
That feeling changed the meaning of the day.
She had raced confidently through a chaotic start. She had climbed well. She had worked effectively in a fast group. She had ridden the Goat Trail despite the pain. Most importantly, she had felt engaged in the race rather than simply testing an injured body.
Stopping did not erase any of that.
The experience became evidence that the competitive drive was still there, waiting for her body to catch up.
Athletes often treat starting as an unconditional commitment. Injury changes that calculation. A race entered in good faith can still require a different decision once symptoms worsen.
Haley reached the top of Columbine by focusing on one landmark at a time. The truck. The next rider. The beginning of the Goat Trail. Small, immediate goals can make an overwhelming effort manageable.
Once Haley could no longer stand securely over the bike, the problem affected more than performance. It compromised her ability to descend normally and changed what continuing would require.
At the bottom of Columbine, Sam and Jace did not pressure Haley toward a particular outcome. They helped her evaluate the situation and made it clear she would be supported either way.
A DNF can contain real progress. For Haley, Leadville restored the joy, focus and competitive drive that injury had pushed into the background.
Endurance racing celebrates perseverance for good reason. Reaching the finish after hours of discomfort, uncertainty and fatigue can be deeply meaningful.
But perseverance is not the same as ignoring every warning.
Sometimes strength means continuing toward the next landmark. Sometimes it means accepting that the long-term goal matters more than the result available today.
Haley’s Leadville ended at the bottom of Columbine, but the race gave her something she did not expect: a positive experience and renewed excitement about competing.
The next step is seeking additional medical guidance and continuing the work of resolving the injury. After that, Haley and Sam are looking toward Park City Point 2 Point.
The desire to race is back.
Now the priority is giving the body the time and care it needs to follow.
________________________
Race Snapshot
Follow Haley and Sam at @itshaleydumke and @sambrown.748
Photos by @jacestout
Haley entered the race while managing an ongoing hip injury. After reaching the top of Columbine, the pain had progressed to the point that she could no longer stand securely over the bike. She decided that riding approximately 40 additional miles could cause further damage.
Yes. Haley completed the Columbine climb and rode the entire Goat Trail before turning around at the top. She then descended conservatively and ended her race after returning to her support crew.
he race combines approximately 100 miles of riding, roughly 12,000 feet of climbing and sustained elevations above 10,000 feet. The altitude, long climbs, fast roads, rough doubletrack and high-alpine terrain require endurance, technical ability and careful race management.
Yes. Although Haley did not finish, the race restored a sense of competitive drive and enjoyment that had been difficult to find during her injury. It also confirmed that stopping was the responsible decision once the injury began affecting her ability to control the bike.
