Brian Reynolds Becomes First Double Amputee to Finish the Leadville 100 Mile

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Brian Reynolds doesn’t know how to quit. “Once I start something, I keep trying to break down that wall until I succeed,” he says.

On August 22, in his fourth attempt of the race, Reynolds finally crossed the finish line of the 2026 Leadville 100 Mile. He’s the first double amputee to complete the course.

Reynolds first experienced the Leadville 100 Mile in 2021, when he worked at the event with one of its sponsors. “I instantly fell in love with the town [of Leadville], the people, and the event,” he says. “I knew from the moment I arrived that I would have to run the race. Admittedly, I didn’t think it would turn into a four-year journey to the finish line.”

The Leadville 100 Mile is famous for its high altitude and tough climbs. The race starts in Leadville at an elevation of 10,200 feet and climbs as high as 12,600 feet over Hope Pass, which runners cross twice on the out-and-back course. Due to the impacts of the Willow Fire, this year’s race was held on a modified 99.7-mile course with changes concentrated at the beginning and end. The new route was just 1.3 miles shorter than the traditional one, with a similar elevation gain of 13,552 feet. The section through Twin Lakes and over Hope Pass and back again remained unchanged.

This year’s race was won by Adrian Macdonald and McKendree Hickory.

Learning the Leadville 100 Mile

Reynolds, who lost both of his legs below the knee at the age of four after contracting meningococcemia, started running about 12 years ago. He never expected it to become more than a weekend hobby. “After I received my first pair of running legs and took those first steps, I felt free for the first time in my life.” He went on to set multiple world records in road running, from the 5k to the marathon. When asked what made him want to try trail running, Reynolds says, “As a double amputee, roads are certainly where I’m most comfortable because of the terrain, but my heart has always been in the woods and mountains.”

Reynolds’ first attempt at the Leadville 100 Mile in 2023 was a brutal introduction to trail ultrarunning. He says he fell dozens of times, at times losing his prosthetic legs down the trail, and eventually made it 50 miles before dropping out. “I was battered beyond belief,” he says. “But instead of leaving thinking I couldn’t do it, I left more determined than ever to come back and finish this race.”

He returned each of the next three years, gradually learning the course, adapting his training, and refining his prosthetic setup. “After three attempts, I had a much better understanding of where the course was going to break me down and what I needed to change,” he says.

Fourth Time’s the Charm

For his fourth attempt, Reynolds arrived prepared for the specific challenges Leadville had thrown at him. He brought several sets of running prostheses and, crucially, removable treads that could be quickly replaced as they broke down. He also started his Leadville-specific training block in January, completing eight months of high-volume training that relied heavily on cross training to build endurance while managing the physical demands of running on prosthetic legs.

The challenges of running on prostheses are compounded by the steep, uneven terrain of the Leadville 100 Mile course. “Balance is precarious. You are essentially landing on an inch or two of tread, and running blades don’t have heels,” Reynolds says. “That makes going downhill incredibly difficult and, at times, dangerous.” His skin can also break down quickly inside the prosthetic socket due to friction.

On race day, Reynolds deliberately went out fast, taking advantage of the flatter terrain early in the course. He was at the front of the para-athlete field for about the first third of the race, and he says he handled the early pace well, staying on top of his nutrition and hydration. While he spent the middle third of the race in second, the final third proved to be difficult. Around mile 70, his calves began cramping badly, eventually forcing him to walk almost all of the final 30 miles. “It wasn’t exactly the finish I had envisioned, but at that point the goal was very simple: Keep moving forward,” he says. Reynolds crossed the finish line in 28:55:43, more than an hour inside the race’s 30-hour cutoff. He was third in the para-athlete category.

Leadville Community

Despite his determination to finish what he started, Reynolds says the real reason he kept returning to Leadville was the community he found there. During his first attempt, every time he fell, someone was there to help him back up, sometimes at the expense of missing their own aid station cutoff. Of that first race, he says, “From a running standpoint, it was beyond miserable. From a human standpoint, though, I couldn’t have asked for more.”

That community ultimately became part of Reynolds’ own team. Nearly all of his crew and pacers for this year’s race were people he had met through Leadville over the previous three years who returned to help him reach the finish line.

His family had also lived through the Leadville journey alongside him, through the training, injuries, frustration, and time away from home. Reynolds says he particularly hopes his children took something from watching him pursue the goal. “This wasn’t just about running 100 miles. It was about showing them what it looks like to keep going when something is really, really hard.”

After four years focused on earning his Leadville 100 Mile belt buckle, Reynolds says crossing the finish line changed his perspective on the journey. “I finally got that buckle, but I think I’ve realized that the buckle was never really the most important part. The people were.”

His time with Leadville isn’t over, either. After years of others helping him reach the finish line, Reynolds plans to return to crew, pace, volunteer, and simply help others complete the course.

Call for Comments

• Have you met Brian Reynolds at Leadville over the years?
• Did you see him racing this year?
• Do you have a story to share about him?

Brian Reynolds Becomes First Double Amputee to Finish the Leadville 100 Mile by Clare Gunton.