Climate change on athletes’ minds at Leadville

Payson McElveen and Sarah Sturm speak on Protect our Winters panel

Leadville, Colorado — Riders and their support crews mill about Twin Lakes Dam the day before the Leadville 100, scoping out the scene and planning bottle handoffs at one of the race’s key feed zones. It’s cloudy and damp today, but Twin Lakes and the surrounding region of the Colorado mountains were bone dry earlier this summer. 

A wildfire broke out here on June 11 caused by a smoldering campfire. Now fully extinguished, the fire left a burn scar across a hillside not far from the Leadville course. The fire could have easily impacted more of the landscape and nearby buildings, or continued to burn until race day.  A near miss, the fire highlights how climate change-fueled disasters can impact off-road cycling events. 

As this reality starts to set in, athletes, organizations, and race promoters are beginning to take note. Pro racers Payson McElveen and Sarah Sturm have begun working with Protect Our Winters (POW), an environmental advocacy group originally focused on winter recreation that has now broadened its scope to work in the cycling space, among other recreational sports. They spoke on a POW panel the day before Leadville. 

Sarah Sturm races at the 2024 Leadville Trail 100