

July 9, 2023
Put your grit, guts and determination to the test with a 50-mile course that packs more punch (per mile) than even the mighty Race Across the Sky. From technical climbs to high-speed descents, the Silver Rush 50 MTB takes riders across Leadville’s breathtaking panoramas and under the shadow of 14,000-foot Rocky Mountain peaks. With 8,000 feet of elevation gain over 50 miles, Silver Rush offers the perfect trial run — and qualifying event — for the LT100 MTB.
EVENT SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2023
- 3:00pm – 8:00pm Packet Pickup
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill – US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr.
- No onsite registration.
- ID is required.
- Packets must be picked up in person – they will not be mailed or given to others.
SATURDAY, JULY 8, 2023
- 5:00am – 5:45am – Packet Pickup – 50 RUN ONLY
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill – US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr.
- No onsite registration.
- Photo ID required.
- 5:00am – 5:45am – Drop Bag Drop Off (50 Run only)
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill in Leadville Truck
- 6:00am SILVER RUSH 50 RUN START
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill – US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr.
- 9:00am SILVER RUSH 15 RUN START
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill – US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr.
- 10:00am – 3:00pm – MTB (50 and 15) Packet Pick Up
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill – US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr.
- No onsite registration
- Photo ID required
- 1:00pm – MTB Shakeout Group Ride hosted by Stages Cycling from Packet Pickup
- 12:00pm – 8:00pm Finish Festival
- 4:00pm – 50 Run – Drop bags will be returned to start/finish (base of Dutch Henri hill)
- 8:00pm – 50 Run – Drop bags – all drop bags must be picked up!
- 8:00pm – LT100 Run Lottery Coin Drawing
- 50 mile runners only
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill – US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr.
SUNDAY, JULY 9, 2023
- 6:30am – 7:45am – Silver Rush MTB Packet Pickup
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill – US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr.
- No onsite registration.
- 8:00am – SILVER RUSH 50 MTB START
- 8:00am – Wave 1 – self seeded
- 8:05am – Wave 2 – self seeded
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill – US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr.
- Note:
- Top of the hill – Qualifier coin will ONLY be at the top of the hill for wave 1 – first male and first female only
- There are no drop bags allowed for the Silver Rush 50 MTB
- 8:15am – 8:30am – Packet Pickup – SR 15 MTB ONLY
- 9:00am SILVER RUSH 15 MTB START
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill – US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr.
- 12:00pm – 5:00pm Finish Festival
- Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill – US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr.
- 4:30pm – Awards Ceremony and LT100 MTB Qualifier Selection
- LT100 MTB Qualifying Spots will be awarded
- Must be present to claim your LT100 MTB Qualifier Spot
REGISTRATION & PRICING
2023 Stages Cycling Silver Rush 50 MTB Pricing:
- Silver Rush 50 MTB Registration Fee: $135
- Tandem Registration Fee: $200
- Silver Rush 15-Miler: $50
- Silver Rush 15-Milers JUNIORS: $25
- Silver King & Silver Queen: $270
General registration will open on January 10, 2023 at 10:00 AM MT.
- First come-first served until the event is sold out
Early access registration for Life Time members opens on January 3, 2023 at 10:00 AM MT
- In order to be eligible, members must have had digital or in-club memberships for at least 6 months prior to registration.
- Membership number and date of membership will be verified during registration.
- Limited availability, first come first served.
Minimum Ages:
- Silver Rush 50 MTB: 16+ on race day
- Silver Rush 15 Juniors MTB: 12-18 on race day
- Silver King & Silver Queen: 16+ on race day
COURSE INFO
The 50-mile out-and-back course takes racers through the historic mining district on the east side of Leadville. Primarily on dirt roads, first set by miners and their burros, it will begin at the Cloud City Ski Hut (located just below Colorado Mountain College on Hwy 24 on the South end of Leadville). None of the roads used will be closed to vehicle traffic, so please use caution. The route will take runners by and between many grand and historic gold and silver mines.
- 47.3 miles
- 7,677′ Elevation Gain
- 12,040′ Highest point
- Interactive Map / GPX File
AID STATIONS & COURSE CUTOFFS
AID STATIONS
- There will be five well-supplied aid stations along course!
- Mile 7.6 – Black Cloud Outbound
- Mile 14.2 – Printer Boy Outbound
- Mile 23.5 – Stumptown Outbound (12:50pm cutoff)
- Mile 32.6 – Printer Boy Inbound (2:20pm cutoff)
- Mile 39.2 Black Cloud Inbound
- Aid stations will offer: Water GU Roctane, GU gels Assorted foods including bananas, figs, pretzels, chips, etc.
COURSE CUTOFFS
- Racers that do not make the cut off at the aid stations will NOT be able to continue the race
- Cutoffs at aid stations are based on gun time – and have factored in various start times
- Cutoffs at finish are based on chip time
- 12:50pm – Mile 23.5 – Stumptown
- 2:20 pm – Mile 32.6 – Printer Boy Inbound
- 4:20 pm – Mile 47.4 – Finish Line – Total Course Cutoff (8hrs and 15 minutes)
CREW & SPECTATOR INFORMATION
We recognize crews as a critical component to all of our events. Our courses cover open roads and trails and careful consideration must go into how and where crews and spectators can access their athletes. A conscious plan around this is a foundation of our partnership with the community, USFS, BLM, City of Leadville and Lake County officials to ensure we are providing a safe event experience to everyone involved.
To support local community impacts and maintain safety on public roads, the only areas where crew and and spectators are allowed on course are:
- Start/Finish Area
- Printer Boy Aid Station (mile 14.2 outbound, mile 32.6 inbound)
- Stumptown Aid Station (half way point, turnaround)
Printer Boy Aid Station and Stumptown Aid Station can be accessed using public roads, please follow the spectator map below for driving directions.
PARKING & SHUTTLES
Parking and overall congestion in Leadville will be a crucial topic for everyone this season and for our presence in Leadville moving forward. We have a new parking plan in place for 2022 and we know that with your help we can be great stewards of this community.
All athletes and spectators will be required to park at the Community Fields and High School Parking lot and take a shuttle (or run, walk, bike) to the start line. The map below outlines parking locations and shuttle pickup spots. The shuttle locations are under 1 mile from the race start and will run efficiently and quickly to get you to where you need to be!
RESULTS & PHOTOS
Live results will be available on race day from Athlinks. LIVE RESULTS.
Visit the link below to view results from past editions of the Silver Rush 50 MTB:
ATHLETE GUIDE
The 2023 Athlete Guide will be available one month prior to the event.
The 2022 Silver Rush Athlete Guide can be viewed here.
Note: Information in the Athlete Guide is always subject to change, please monitor our website in the weeks leading up to the event.
AWARDS
Location: Base of Dutch Henri Hill- US Highway 24 and McWethy Dr
Awards/age group qualifier coins will be distributed as athletes finish the race. All finishers will receive a medal and a pair of socks. Results will be posted online concluding the event. All finishers receive a medal and Silver Rush 50 MTB stainless steel pint glass.
Silver King & Silver Queen awards will be awarded to athletes that conquered BOTH the Silver Rush 50 Run and Silver Rush 50 MTB as they cross the finish line!
Award Categories
Silver Rush 15-Mile MTB participant awards will be in the following category:
- Top 3 Men
- Top 3 Momen
- Top 3 Non-Binary
- Top 3 Para Male
- Top 3 Para Female
- Top 3 Juniors Male
- Top 3 Juniors Female
Silver Rush 50-Mile MTB awards will be in the following category:
- Top 3 Overall Male
- Top 3 Overall Female
- Top 3 Para Male
- Top 3 Para Female
- Top 3 Non-Binary
- Top 3 singlespeed
- Top 3 tandem (teams)
- Top 3 age group
- 19-under
- 20-29
- 30-39
- 40-49
- 50-59
- 60-69
- 70+
Age group awards will be based on the age an athlete will be on RACE DAY.
LT100 MTB QUALIFICATION SYSTEM
The Leadville Silver Rush 50 is a qualifier for the Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB. There are a total of 50 LT100 qualifier coins up for grabs at this year’s race. Half of the total LT100 coins will be distributed based on performance and half of the coins will be given away in the Event Lottery at the conclusion of the awards ceremony. Only the 50-mile distance serves as a qualifier for the LT100 MTB.
25 slots will be distributed based on performance:
- Slots will be distributed to each gender and age group (20-29, 30-39, etc.) based on the percentage of total athletes in those age groups, with a minimum of one slot for every age group.
- The top athletes in each age group will receive the allocated slots.
- In the event a top athlete elects not to accept a slot, the slot will roll down to the next athlete in the results within the age group.
- In the event slots are not claimed after the roll down in each age group, those slots will be allocated to the Event Lottery, as described below.
25 slots will be distributed through the Event Lottery:
- Finishers of the SR50 distance will be eligible to win an LT100 MTB coin in the Event Lottery.
- All finishers under the predetermined maximum finish time who have indicated their desire to participate in the lottery will be entered in the lottery.
- Names will be drawn from the eligible lottery athletes and slots will be given out.
- In the event an athlete opts not to accept a slot, the slots will roll down to the next athlete that is drawn until ALL slots have been distributed.
- Qualification slots must be claimed in person immediately.
- Registration for the Leadville Trail 100 MTB must be completed and paid for during the designated time offered.
- Only solo riders/runners competing the required distance under the allotted cutoff time will be considered as potential qualifiers.
- All registration fees for the LT100 Run are nontransferable and non-refundable
Visit our LT100 MTB Qualification System page for more information
LT100 MTB CORRAL INFO
Your time at the 2023 Leadville Silver Rush 50 MTB can be used to enhance your corral position at the LT100 MTB. Please consult the chart below for corresponding times and corral info.
UPDATE: Due to slight changes in the 2022 Silver Rush 50 MTB courses, the corral placement times will be adjusted. Corral placements based on Silver Rush 50 MTB times will be updated within one week following the event.
ZERO WASTE & LEAVE NO TRACE
Our races are Zero Waste events. Look for recycle and compost bins at every aid station and start/finish. Please discard any trash in an appropriate container. Intentional littering on the course will be grounds for disqualification. The course—on trails both public and private—travels past many historic sites and through areas of exceptional beauty. Help us keep them pristine.
We will be recycling all plastic, aluminum and cardboard during these races, and all our events. We’ll take care of this at the aid stations. At the start/finish, please ensure you place trash or recyclable materials in the appropriate containers, which will be well marked.
VOLUNTEERS
From the very beginning, volunteers have made the Silver Rush 50 MTB possible. We truly appreciate all that our great volunteers do to make our races run smoothly and to make the racers’ experience unforgettable. If you are going to be in town for the Silver Rush 50 MTB, we would love for you to join the family and pitch in. Thanks in advance for your help — we couldn’t do it without you!
You can find more information here.
CAMPING
Camping registration is now open! Click here for more info.
DEFERRALS
NEW! We have updated our deferral policies for the 2023 Silver Rush MTB.
90 + Day Out From Event:
- Option 1: Receive a 60% refund on the entry fee.
- Option 2: Defer into the following year, pay a deferral fee of 40% of the entry fee.
- 50-mile MTB Option 1: Receive a $81 refund.
- 50-mile MTB Option 2: Defer into the following year, pay a deferral fee of $54.
- 50-mile Tandem Option 1: Receive a $120 refund.
- 50-mile Tandem Option 2: Defer into the following year, pay a deferral fee of $80.
- Sliver King & Silver Queen Option 1: Receive a $162 refund
- Silver King & Silver Queen Option 2: Defer into the following year, pay a deferral fee of $108.
- 15-mile MTB Option 1: $20
- 15-mile MTB Junior Option 2: $10
89 Days or Less From Event:
- Defer into the following year, and pay a deferral fee of 40% of the entry fee.
No transfers.
BIKE SHIPPING
Bike Flights
If you will be handling your own bike assembly and packing and box or case storage, ship your bike with our official bike shipping partner, Bike Flights.
Click here for more information.
Cycles of Life
Cycles of Life is a full service bike shop right in the town of Leadville, providing shipping services, all types of minor and major repair, tune-ups, custom wheel building, suspension and fork overhauls, bike fitting and more. To make things easy for you, have your bike shipped directly to the shop where Cycles of Life will unpack, assemble, inspect, fully tune and prepare your bike for race day. Post-race, simply drop off your ride and Cycles of Life will repack and ship to your destination.
Click here for Cycles of Life shipping package options and details.
SILVER RUSH 15-MILE MTB
Silver Rush 50 weekend will have a 15.5-mile MTB race on the Sunday 9:00 a.m! This race will start and finish on the same course as the Silver Rush 50 MTB. This race provides an excellent entry option into mountain bike racing and will, of course, be accompanied by the tremendous Leadville views along the way.
- 15.6 miles
- 1676’ Elevation Gain
- 10,900’ Highest Point
SILVER KING & SILVER QUEEN
One race not enough for you? Try two days of exhilarating challenges. First, spend Saturday running the Silver Rush 50 Run, and follow it up on Sunday with the Stages Cycling Silver Rush 50 MTB. Finish both and you’ll earn respect from everyone. Finish both events within the allotted time and you’ll forever be known as a Silver King or Silver Queen.
The 2023 Silver King & Silver Queen epic challenge will take place beginning with the Silver Rush 50 Run on July 9 and ending with the Stages Cycling Silver Rush 50 MTB on July 10.
Racers that finish within the time limits of both of these races will receive a Silver King or Silver Queen award. The male and female with the overall fastest combined times will be crowned the Overall Silver King and Overall Silver Queen.