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At maiden Leadville 100 mountain bike race, Breck’s O’Keefe takes 24th overall

A long mountain biker traverses the high-elevation trail during Saturday's Leadville 100 mountain bike race.
Courtesy Glen Delman Photography

Leadville 100 mountain bike race

Local finishers

Overall Place Divisional Place Name Age Town Time

24 15 Sam O’Keefe 24 Breckenridge 7:22:53

383 66 Scott Carew 55 Breckenridge 9:38:28

480 17 Michael O’Brien 34 Breckenridge 9:58:11

591 13 Lee Hewitt 38 Dillon 10:24:26

785 2 Dennis Kaiser 71 Dillon 11:01:13

820 323 Mike Leighton 31 Breckenridge 11:09:00

953 192 Eddie Rose 32 Silverthorne 11:30:08

994 15 Sue Stokes 56 Breckenridge 11:36:54

1008 7 Tracy O’Brien 31 Breckenridge 11:38:51

1080 18 Boyd Frick 49 Silverthorne 11:51:32

1192 274 Sean VonFeldt 51 Silverthorne 12:33:32

Of the 11 Summit County locals who completed the Leadville 100 mountain bike course this past weekend, one who never previously practiced on the course earned the top time.

Breckenridge local Sam O’Keefe rode to a time of seven hours, 22 minutes and 53 seconds on Saturday at the famed 103.3-mile out-and-back race, capping a strong summer of showings in mountain bike and trail run races.

The time was good enough for 24th place overall for O’Keefe. The showing was also good enough for O’Keefe to be happy with his effort, just like every other race he enters, O’Keefe’s goal was simple.



“My goal is always to beat my bib number,” said O’Keefe, who entered the day wearing bib No. 25.

O’Keefe qualified for the Leadville 100 after finishing in second place at last month’s Silver Rush 50 mountain bike race. Even though he had earned the qualification to the hotly-sought-after race, O’Keefe wasn’t sure until a week before the race that he’d actually compete. But with a financial grant from Velocio apparel and the knowledge that his college riding buddy and fellow 24-year-old Jules Goguley would be riding too, O’Keefe opted in.



“We ended up riding for much of the race together, which was definitely as hard or harder than anticipated,” O’Keefe said.

O’Keefe added that the course — which involves 12,612 of elevation gain — surprised him with its unrelentingly sharp, steep little climbs later in the race, beyond where he thought they’d be. Looking ahead to next year, he is confident his fueling during the race can improve, as he missed one of the feed zones mid-race due to a logistical mishap.

“And I’d start training more specifically a little farther out as well,” O’Keefe said. “Now that I have the understanding of what I’m getting myself into.”

Other Summit County standouts at the annual major mountain biking race included 71-year-old Dennis Kaiser of Dillon (11:01:13) and 31-year-old Tracy O’Brien of Breckenridge (11:38:51), who finished in second and seventh places in their respective divisions.


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