Last weekend, at the 2025 Leadville 100 Mile, 35-year-old Coloradan Anne Flower, in her debut 100 miler, won in a time of 17 hours and 58 minutes to set a new women’s course record. That time bested ultrarunning icon Ann Trason‘s 31-year-old course record of 18:06, by about eight minutes.
Over the intervening years since Trason’s performance, many women have tried but failed to reach her nearly untouchable record, with the race’s high altitude, persistent runability, daytime heat, and occasionally awful thunderstorms battering them back. It was, then, Flower who finally, successfully chased Trason’s splits all the way across the finish line.
Anne Flower on her way to a new women’s course record at the 2025 Leadville 100 Mile. Photo: Life Time
Ann Trason at the 1994 Leadville 100 Mile
Back in August of 1994, when Trason set the prior course record, she was having the running year of her life. In May, she won the Silver State 50 Mile outright in a time of 7:29, which is still the women’s course record. And a month later, she won her sixth consecutive Western States 100 with a then course-record time, finishing second overall.
While Trason is perhaps best known for her exploits at Western States, prior to 1994, she had run Leadville twice, in 1988 and 1990, winning the women’s race both times. But the year 1994 was different. She was at the very top of her game and at the top of her sport.
Ann Trason at the 1994 Western States 100. Photo: Western States 100
Alongside Trason that chilly morning in Leadville were seven Tarahumara from the Copper Canyons of Mexico, a group known for being skilled long-distance runners. The race had a significant media presence, with a large film crew working on a feature-length documentary about the Tarahumara and Trason.
Leadville local Johnny Sandoval went to the lead early and built a half-hour gap on a chase group of five Tarahumara and Trason by around mile 30. The chase pack, which had splintered into groups, caught Sandoval at the base of Hope Pass. Leading after that were two Tarahumara runners, Juan Herrera and Martimano Cervantez, and Trason.
By the top of Hope Pass, Trason had opened a gap and descended to Winfield in the lead. She reached that Winfield 50-mile turnaround in under nine hours, faster than any woman before.
Though Herrera would end up passing Trason with only 13 miles left to run to win the men’s race, when Trason crossed the finish line, it was with a new women’s course record of 18:06. You can read more about that history-making day in our Unforgettable Moments of Ultrarunning article.
Hope Pass, at the very left of the photo, marks the high point of the Leadville 100 Mile course. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Anne Flower at the 2025 Leadville 100 Mile
Flower, an emergency room doctor from Colorado Springs, came into Leadville with 2024 wins at the Arches 50k, Behind the Rocks 50k, and the Javelina 100k. She tuned up for Leadville in 2025 — and acclimated to racing at its altitude — with summer wins at both the Leadville Trail Marathon and the Silver Rush 50 Mile. Based on those results, Flower looked primed for a promising 100-mile debut.
As has become the case in recent years, the 2025 race edition started fast. Katie Asmuth arrived at May Queen at mile 13 as the lead woman and two minutes ahead of course record pace. Flower was a few minutes behind her and was followed by Imogen Ainsworth in third place.
By the time Flower reached the Outward Bound Aid Station at mile 23.5, she had assumed the lead, which she would never relinquish. By the time I saw her about halfway up the Hope Pass climb on her way to Winfield, she was ahead of course record pace. When she reached the 50-mile mark at Winfield, she was 10 minutes ahead of Trason’s legendary record split. Over the race’s second half, where many people have struggled over the years, Flower only gave away two minutes to Trason’s splits to finish eight minutes faster than the old record. In doing so, she became the first woman to run under 18 hours.
Up until Flower, only Clare Gallagher, in 2016, had finished within an hour of Trason’s iconic record.
Anne Flower breaks Ann Trason’s 31-year-old course record at the 2025 Leadville 100 Mile. Photo: Life Time
It was, indeed, one for the record books!
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Two Mile Brewing Company in Leadville, Colorado. Dubbed “America’s Highest Brewery,” Two Mile Brewing is home to the Poverty Flats Porter, an old-school style porter that is rich in chocolate, nuttiness, and molasses. A true breakfast porter, Poverty Flats is a great choice on a chilly evening in Leadville.
Call for Comments
- Were you in Leadville this past weekend to watch this Anne Flower’s historic run?
- Did you think Ann Trason’s record would ever be broken?
