Keegan Swenson wins a thrilling Leadville in a sprint, and Melisa Rollins comes back to victory

The Leadville Trail 100 MTB 2026 already has its winners. Keegan Swenson has once again triumphed in one of the most prestigious long-distance MTB races in the world, and he did it by sprinting for victory against Matthew Wilson after more than five hours on the bike. In the women's category, Melisa Rollins staged a spectacular comeback after being involved in a crash during the first few kilometers.

The 2026 edition was also held on a modified course due to local wildfires. The organization had to eliminate traditional sections like Powerline, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Hagerman Pass Road, although it kept the climb to Columbine, one of the iconic and decisive points of Leadville. The resulting course reached approximately 102 miles, about 164 kilometers, and accumulated around 3,016 meters of total ascent.

Keegan Swenson wins his sixth Leadville Trail 100 MTB in a sprint

All eyes were on Keegan Swenson. The American arrived as the reigning Leadville champion, world champion of XCM, and was also making his debut in the race with Specialized after his team change for 2026.

Swenson competed on an S-Works Epic 9 with a special decoration in the rainbow colors of world champion. But while in other occasions Swenson had managed to establish clear differences, his sixth victory in Leadville was open practically until the finish line.

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The final part of the race left four riders fighting for victory: Swenson, Matthew Wilson, Bradyn Lange, and John Gaston. The equality remained until Wilson launched an attack with just a few miles to go.

Swenson was able to respond, and both managed to open a small gap over Lange and Gaston. The difference was not enough to prevent the victory from being decided in a head-to-head.

After 5 hours and 20 minutes of racing, Swenson and Wilson arrived together at the final stretch, and the world champion of XCM finished by imposing his speed to cross the finish line first. The two appeared with the same official time, 5:20:26.

Behind them, Bradyn Lange arrived just 24 seconds later, and John Gaston followed at 25 seconds. The German Andreas Seewald, world champion of XCM in 2021, completed the Top 5 at 1:19.

The victory also has an important historical component. With this result, Swenson reaches six consecutive wins in the Leadville Trail 100 MTB, tying the record of David Wiens, who won six editions in a row from 2003 to 2008.

The American has won all editions held since his first victory in 2021, and his dominance now extends over six years, although probably none of those victories required such a close finish as that of 2026.

Top 5 men of the Leadville Trail 100 MTB 2026

1. Keegan Swenson — 5:20:26
2. Matthew Wilson — 5:20:26
3. Bradyn Lange — 5:20:50 (+0:24)
4. John Gaston — 5:20:51 (+0:25)
5. Andreas Seewald — 5:21:45 (+1:19)

Quinn Simmons finishes ninth in his return to Leadville

Another big name in this edition was Quinn Simmons. The American returned to Leadville after finishing second in 2018 at just 17 years old and faced the race just a few weeks after finishing the Tour de France.

Simmons managed to stay close to the front fight for much of the race and passed through Columbine as part of the chase, but ended up losing contact with the men who were fighting for victory. Finally, he crossed the finish line in ninth place, 8:50 behind Swenson.

Melisa Rollins comes back from the back of the race to win

If the men's victory was decided in the final meters, the women's race had a completely different development and was marked from the start by the comeback of Melisa Rollins.

The American, winner of Leadville in 2024, was involved in a collective crash just six miles into the race, about ten kilometers. The incident relegated her to the back of the women's race and forced her to start a long comeback.

Rollins was regaining positions until she re-entered the fight for victory during the second half of the race.

Meanwhile, Cecily Decker had taken the initiative and managed to build a significant lead. Rollins continued to cut the gap until she reached her when there were still about 37.5 miles to go.

From that moment on, both were at the front of the race, and everything pointed to a direct fight for victory, but a mechanical problem ended up affecting the outcome.

Decker suffered issues with her rear wheel that forced her to stop, allowing Rollins to move ahead solo. The tire problems caused Decker to have to stop again and ultimately ended her chances of contesting the win.

Rollins took advantage of the situation to consolidate her lead and crossed the finish line in 5:58:43, achieving her second victory in the Leadville Trail 100 MTB.

Decker managed to maintain second place despite her problems and finished 4:47 behind the winner. Lauren Stephens completed the podium at 11:31, while Sarah Lange and Hayley Preen rounded out the top five.

Top 5 women of the Leadville Trail 100 MTB 2026

1. Melisa Rollins — 5:58:43
2. Cecily Decker — 6:03:30 (+4:47)
3. Lauren Stephens — 6:10:14 (+11:31)
4. Sarah Lange — 6:10:41 (+11:58)
5. Hayley Preen — 6:21:51 (+23:08)