Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Rusch cracks own record at Leadville 100

Winner a fourth time

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Ketchum's Rebecca Rusch made it four straight victories in the Leadville Trail 100-mile mountain bike race Saturday in Colorado and broke her own women's course record.

Rusch, 43, clocked a winning time of 7.28:06 and broke the course record she set last year, by over three minutes. She is the only woman to win the Leadville 100 four times.

Called "Race Across the Sky," and known as the most prestigious ultra-distance race in the U.S., the 19th annual Leadville Trail 100 was once again a Rusch showcase. She placed 32nd overall of 1,481 finishers and led all 147 women.

Her final time on the 103-mile course was over six minutes ahead of second-place Sally Bigham, 34, of Dorset, Dover, Great Britain (7.34:33). Leadville veteran Rusch stayed on course while Bigham went off-course in the wrong direction for several miles.

Third-place woman was Pua Mata of Yucaipa, Ca. (7.38:03).

"I'm moved to tears at having such a good day out there," said an emotional Rusch at the finish line. "I have so much respect for all my competitors and hearing my name out there... It makes me cry!"

Rusch raced her Specialized Fate 29er hardtail to victory. It had a Rock Shox Sid 29er with Brain handling the front suspension and Specialized Fast Trak LK tires. SRAM handled the shifting with an XO triple front and an XX 10 speed derailleur in the rear. "The bike did it again. The Fate is a perfect bike for for a race like the Leadville 100," Rusch said. Last year, Rusch's final time was 7.31:46. Rusch won the Leadville 100 race in 2010 with a 7.47:35 time and in 2009 at 8.14:53. One of the world's most punishing races with steep climbs and descents, the Leadville 100 begins at 10,152-foot elevation and reaches 12,550 feet at Columbine Mountain.

Men's winner was Alban Lakata, 35, of Lienz, Austria in 6.32:24 over Swiss racer Christoph Sauser (6.34:51).

Roger Mankus finishes again

Ketchum's Roger Mankus, 55, finished Saturday's Leadville 100 in 11.26:14, good for 158th in the Men's 50-59 age class and 1,121st overall.

Mankus is a Hall of Famer on the Leadville Trail 100 honor roll. Mankus has 11 or more finishes under 12 hours. And he's among the all-time leaders with 17 Leadville 100 finishes since the event started in 1994 in Colorado. Mankus was 37 when he finished his first Leadville Trail 100 in 1994 with a time of 11.29:33, for 86th.

His recent Leadville times have been remarkably consistent—10.50:08 in 2011, 10.44:56 in 2010 and 10.43:22 three years ago in Colorado.

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