All Races
MTB
Leadville Trail 100
15 August 2026Colorado, USA
Distance
160km
Elevation
4000m
The Leadville Trail 100 is one of MTB's greatest challenges: over 160 km at altitude with climbing that demands both endurance and mental strength. Preparation requires a solid endurance base, the ability to sustain long hours on the bike and specific strength to conquer endless ascents at high altitude.
Official siteHow NUA prepares you for Leadville Trail 100
Builds your aerobic base
Trains race-specific efforts
Manages load & recovery
Fine-tunes the final weeks
Frequently asked questions about training for Leadville Trail 100
How long do I need to prepare for Leadville Trail 100?+
NUA builds your plan backwards from race day. For most gran fondos and similar distances, 12-16 weeks is the sweet spot — enough to build aerobic base, then sharpen race-specific efforts. With less than 8 weeks, NUA adapts the plan to focus on finishing strong rather than chasing peak performance.
What does NUA's training plan for Leadville Trail 100 look like?+
A weekly mix of Z2 endurance, race-specific intervals (climbs, sustained efforts, attacks), and structured recovery. Each week adapts based on your readiness, completed sessions, and how the previous week went. The closer to race day, the more specific the work — tapering kicks in automatically in the final two weeks.
Can NUA help if it's my first time at this distance?+
Yes. During onboarding NUA asks about your weekly volume, experience, and goal (finish, finish strong, target time). First-timers get a base-building approach focused on completing the distance comfortably. Experienced riders get more aggressive interval work and race-day pacing strategy.
Does NUA's plan for Leadville Trail 100 include indoor training?+
Yes. NUA prescribes both outdoor and indoor sessions based on your availability and weather. Indoor workouts export as ZWO files compatible with Zwift, Rouvy, TrainerRoad, and intervals.icu, and the full plan syncs to Garmin and Wahoo head units.