Why We Run: Warriors’ Ascents’ Team Leadville Continues to Serve

Why We Run:  Team Leadville Continues to Serve

Why do members of Team Leadville run for Warriors’ Ascent?  Why do we run at Leadville, with a starting elevation of 10,152 feet?

There are over 1100 marathons to choose from in the United States.  Over dinner in October 2014, a small group decided that Leadville was the right venue because of its gritty history as well as its historical linkage to high-altitude training for the US Army.  It’s a tough environment for a variety of reasons, making the Leadville Trail Marathon an appropriate race for our cause: to raise awareness of the Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) epidemic impacting our nation’s veterans (and first responders) with an overarching goal to stop veteran suicide.

Team Leadville is unique for many reasons.  First, our Team starts and finishes the entire marathon together.  The same key principles necessary to finish 26.2 miles as a team in Leadville also apply to overcoming PTS: Endurance and Teamwork.  These principles serve as the pillars for us.  Likewise, since most of our runners are veterans, joining our Team provides camaraderie and purpose—things often lacking outside the military–with a direct tie to serving veterans suffering from PTS.  This is a big reason many of our runners return year after year. The cause is meaningful to us and provides an opportunity to continue to serve and make a positive difference for our brothers and sisters suffering from the ravages of PTS.  Lastly, we see a direct result in saving lives through the funds we raise.  All funds go directly to the program (the Warriors’ Ascent Academy of Healing), not to indiscriminate sources often seen with other fund raising efforts.

In short:  Team Leadville Continues to Serve by putting our bodies on the line at the Leadville Trail Marathon for a bigger cause:  to Save Veteran Lives.

For the month of June, the Leadville Race Series is happy to donate 10% of all purchases over $40 to Warriors’ Ascent. Or you can make a donation of your choice during your online purchase. www.leadvilleraceseriesstore.com

Lear more and donate today: https://www.warriorsascent.org/