The original version of this story was published on iRunFar.
On Saturday, August 16, Anne Flower and David Roche both ran spectacular races at the 2025 Leadville 100 Mile to set new course records, with times of 17:58:19 and 15:12:30, respectively.
Flower broke Ann Trason’s 31-year-old record of 18:06:24 by just over 8 minutes, finishing second overall in the race. It’s worth noting that when Trason set her record in 1994, she also placed second overall in the race.
Meanwhile, Roche repeated his victory from last year and lowered his own course record by just over 14 minutes. Last year, Roche broke Matt Carpenter’s 2005 course record by 16 minutes.
Both previous record times stood for long enough that they seemed unattainable, even though many elites had tried. While the course that Carpenter and Trason ran was a little bit shorter, and by some accounts a little bit easier, the longevity of their records was a testament to their incredible runs at the time. Roche’s run last year showed that any record, regardless of how old, can be broken. Flower only reiterated the point this year.
The Leadville 100: Background
The Leadville 100 Mile out-and-back course is known for its high elevation, reasonably runnable trails, and the double traverse of Hope Pass, one on each side of the halfway point. There are several punchy climbs sprinkled throughout the course, and historically, many falter in the back half of the event as the miles, altitude, and fatigue build up.
The event starts and ends in the town of Leadville, which is the highest incorporated city in the country, sitting at 10,154 feet. The race course tops out at Hope Pass at an elevation of 12,600, and the route takes in about 14,400 feet of climbing.
A Breakout Performance
This can only be considered a breakout performance by 35-year-old Flower. While she won the Silver Rush 50 Mile earlier this year and the Javelina 100K last fall, it appears that this was her first attempt at the 100-mile distance. She’s mostly competed in smaller races in the 50K to 50-mile range, where she’s consistently been at the front of the field. It also appears she has a robust history in road marathoning.
Flower took the race out quickly, running as the second-place woman and just outside of the top 10 overall until the Outward Bound aid station: 23.5 miles in. From there, she took the lead in the women’s race and steadily moved up in the field overall, finding herself in third on the first traverse of Hope Pass.
She was consistent in the second half, where many people struggle, and finished strong to overtake all but the winning man in the final miles. This allowed her to take the women’s win, finish second overall, and set the women’s course record.
Roche ran at the front of the race from the start and was a minute ahead of his previous record pace 90 minutes into the event. He was only 3 minutes up on his old record 50 miles in at the turnaround at Winfield. But he closed much faster this year, making up 11 minutes on his splits from 2024 in the second half of the race.
This must have felt like a bit of redemption for Roche, who dropped out of the 2025 Western States 100 earlier this year with stomach issues just past the halfway point.
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