Blair’s math teacher and head varsity baseball coach Will Murray placed fifth in the Leadville Trail 100 Run this past weekend, with a final time of 17 hours, 29 minutes and seven seconds. The Leadville 100 is a 100-mile ultramarathon on rugged trails in Colorado. It’s known as the “Race Across the Sky”—first held in 1983—and has gone on to become one of the most well-known races of its kind in the world.
Coach Murray completed his first ultramarathon last summer and has now done five, with two wins, a second place, an eighth place and now a fifth place.
“The Leadville 100 is such an iconic race,” said Will. “It inspired and motivated me for a full year, so to actually experience it was a dream come true. The support that I felt from family, friends, other runners, crews and spectators during the event was special. The two moments that stand out were going through the Twin Lakes aid station at mile 62 in third place, where the crowds were amazing, and then digging deeper than I ever have mentally and physically to finish strong on the final climb into Leadville with my friend and pacer, Payson.”
Leadville’s course includes steep climbs of powerline, high-altitude passes like Sugarloaf and technical terrain on the Colorado Trail, all amounting to more than 18,000 feet of elevation gain. Will’s competitive fire and always wanting a challenge is what draws him to a race like this.
“Running 100 miles is a beautiful challenge, and I’m already dreaming of the next one. Just being outside in beautiful places, pushing myself, and experiencing it with like-minded people is a big part of my physical and mental health.”
Along with Will comes a few Blair alums who have completed the race before. Jessie Wilburn ’04 finished the Leadville Trail 100 back in 2013. Following her was Teddy Richardson ’12 who finished the race in 2023.