The Top 5 Elements that set the Mountain Man Invitational Apart as; The World’s Toughest Triathlon.

What’s the breaking point? This question reigns a priority for most endurance athletes attempting to find out just how far it is they can push themselves. Sam Piccolotti’s remarkable feat in August 2020 reached the absolute limits of human endurance. Taking on the challenge of an Iron-distance triathlon, Piccolotti looked beyond a conventional road race. Rather, venturing to new territory, tackling the course entirely off-road at an astounding elevation of over 10,000 feet.

As the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, races and events were canceled leaving many athletes absent of any real motivation to train or compete. Piccolotti saw it as the perfect opportunity to do something no one has before. Planning, organizing, and finishing what currently is known as the Mountain Man Invitational, a 140-mile backcountry event. Consisting of a grueling 2.4-mile swim, a 100-mile mountain bike, all leading up to a 26.2-mile trail marathon. The course resides in none other than Colorado’s Highest City

In a realm as impressive as endurance racing, a “world’s toughest” title isn’t claimed lightheartedly; here are the top 5 reasons why it may be in contention for just that.

Elevation; A Lung Busting 10,000 feet Above Sea Level

Colorado residents are no stranger to the dangers of altitude sickness, untrained and more highly susceptible individuals may be at risk of acute mountain sickness as low as 6,500 feet above sea level.  Newcomers to elevation can be subject to a 15% increase in likelihood to experience altitude sickness when increasing in elevation from 8,000 feet to 11,500 feet. At and above 10,000 feet of elevation, top athletes’ performance can be expected to significantly decrease.

The Mountain Man Invitational has a starting altitude of 10,000 feet, reaching a high of just under 12,000 feet with a near total of 15,000 feet of elevation gain and loss over the course of the 100-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run portions of the event. Athletes looking to succeed will require proper training at similar elevation in addition to adequate time spent acclimating prior to attempting such an endeavor.

Water Temperature

One hour and fifteen minutes after beginning the 2020 debut event, Piccolotti exited the water confused and severely uncoordinated, feeling first-hand the effects of stage two otherwise known moderate hypothermia. It would be thirty minutes until he regained his ability to effectively communicate, and nearly two hours before recovering enough to set out on the 100-mile bike.

The swim leg takes place in Twin Lakes Reservoir, just south of Leadville Colorado. Primarily filled with snow melt from surrounding peaks, Twin Lakes rarely tops 55-degrees Fahrenheit during summer months. Majority of athletes can hope to complete the 2.4-mile swim in one hour and fifteen minutes, this amount of prolonged exposure creates a great risk of hypothermia.

Proper gear and equipment become instrumental in completing the swim leg. Beginning at 8 A.M. in the morning, there is no guarantee of air temperature topping 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Neoprene boots, gloves, and head coverings in addition to full body wetsuits were responsible for keeping 2023 race contestants: Zoe Nance and Kathy Duryea, free of any serious hypothermic threats.

Remoteness; Leadville’s Surrounding Wilderness

Leadville’s high elevation and mountain scenery are among the reasons why it has become unanimously associated with the world of endurance racing. When race founder Sam Piccolotti set out to create this event, it was his full intention that the entirety of the course would be off-road, utilizing trails and 4×4 roads for both bike and the run, Leadville was the obvious choice.

In 2020, when Piccolotti first set out to complete the challenge, by design there was not a lot of planning involved. The course was penciled in, and a two-man crew followed in a chase vehicle for any section that was drivable. It was truly a bare bones attempt at seeing just what he could be capable of completing on a weekend trip to the mountains.

Two years later, when the decision was made to invite other athletes to attempt the MMI it became obvious that one of the biggest challenges was going to be finding ways to provide access to aid during the event. Aiming to keep majority of the course off-road, some of the single-track sections of trail were substituted with 4×4 roads, where intersection points allow the athletes access to crew and any needed aid.

Over the 100-mile bike course there is seven official aid stations, fully accessible by vehicles where athletes can be provided with hydration and nutrition, and often, some much needed words of morale from the crew. The first seven miles of the run course on the south side of Twin Lakes is only accessible by foot meaning support is very limited. Athletes complete this section after nightfall, and are required to have pacers with them as this is typically when the compounded exhaustion from the day begins to set in.

Support crews and pacers are available for most of the race, but undoubtedly athletes are responsible for getting themselves from point to point. Crew and athletes need to be prepared for bad weather, and even ready to spend the night on the trail especially during the run as immediate support is not guaranteed.

A long effort

The MMI is not a one day event, most trained athletes are expected to finish under thirty hours though there is no official cut-off time. Piccolotti clocked in at twenty nine hours in 2020, after making the decision to rest while waiting for his pacer to arrive before setting off on the overnight run. Kathy Duryea set the time to beat in 2023, at twenty-seven hours. Duryea’s time was also extended after succumbing to the compounded effects of depletion and exhaustion six miles into the run, leaving her unable to move for nearly three hours in the runs most remote section.

In order to complete a multi day endurance event, athletes must prioritize nutrition and hydration by consuming enough calories on a regular basis to sustain a high level of exertion for more than 24-hours. As much time and effort put into training for the event becomes irrelevant if not matched with a nutrition plan that is tailored to the needs of each athlete.

Beyond the physical, perhaps the biggest challenge is finding the motivation to continue the effort long after fatigue and exhaustion has overtaken. The why. For Piccolotti, the why was in the process, the idea for this race represented a life long quest for self challenge accompanied by the high alpine landscape of Colorado, the place he had dreamed of calling home from a young age. Whatever the why might be, Piccolotti credits his finish with never loosing sight of it, a constant reminder of what setting out to complete these audacious challenges means to him.

Supported, but Solo

In 2020, when Sam Piccolotti first attempted the event he aimed to do it with as little support as possible in the true “Mountain Man” fashion he was responsible for himself equipped with the gear and motivation to continue on through whatever conditions or challenges presented themselves.

While there is assigned aid stations along the course and locations that crew can provide support, majority of the effort will be done alone. Racers are responsible for being equipped with their own provisions whether it be clothing for bad weather, or food and water.

Being alone presents a number of physical challenges but more than anything it is a test of grit, challengers must be able to keep high morale with the absence of external motivation. Finding the motivation to continue through fatigue and exhaustion is what sets those who complete the Mountain Man Invitational among the toughest of endurance athletes.

While competitors may be alone for large portions of the race, they are not alone in their efforts to finish. The team of volunteers that allowed Duryea to be successful in 2023, were bonded by their immense efforts in planning, organizing, and providing support day and night for the athletes participating. A group of strangers that were introduced just hours before the event would kick off, left with an appreciation and gratitude for all those involved in the Mountain Man Invitational. An experience unlike any other, and truly unique to this event.