Hayley Preen

MELISA ROLLINS AND KEEGAN SWENSON TAKE THE WIN AT THE LIFE TIME LEADVILLE TRAIL 100 MTB PRESENTED BY KENETIK

ByMtbApp

Highlights:

  • Thrilling two-up sprint with Matthew Wilson sees Keegan Swenson ride to his sixth straight win at the Race Across the Sky
  • Melisa Rollins bounces back from injury at the start of the season to take first place in the women’s race 
  • Swenson extends his Life Time Grand Prix Series overall lead by 19 points. 
  • Sofía Gómez Villafañe retains her Series lead, just three points ahead of Cecily Decker

Keegan Swenson and Melisa Rollins triumph in the 2026 edition of the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetik. Swenson storms to sixth-straight win while Rollins is crowned Queen of Leadville for the second time in her career.   

Keegan Swenson beat Matthew Wilson to the line in a close two-up sprint after a tactical masterclass. Though Swenson held the lead at mile 42 approaching the Columbine climb, Wilson stayed close with the chase and caught him. Following the descent, a seven-rider lead group formed that included John Gaston (who is not part of the Life Time Grand Prix Series), Bradyn Lange, Cole Paton, Simon Pellaud, Andreas Seewald, Swenson, and Wilson.

Gaston and Swenson went clear of the group at mile 86, establishing a one-minute, 48-second gap, but were ultimately brought back by Lange and Wilson, who joined the now-leading group of four riders. 

Wilson put in the final attack of the day, taking Swenson clear of the group and going to the line with the six-time champion. Behind them, Lange edged Gaston to the line for third and fourth, respectively, with Andreas Seewald crossing the line shortly after to take fifth place. 

In the women’s race, Cecily Decker showcased her strength early on, taking the lead alongside Sarah Lange over Carter Summit. Behind her, a chasing group featuring Hayley Preen, Lauren Stephens, and Alexis Skarda chased a one-minute gap. Melisa Rollins led the chase after fighting back from a crash in the opening miles.

At the prestigious 2026 Leadville Trail 100 MTB, South Africa’s Hayley Preen delivered a spectacular performance, overcoming thin air and grueling terrain to claim a hard-fought fifth-place finish. Wearing her national jersey with pride at the cold, high-altitude start, Preen lined up alongside some of the world’s elite off-road racers to tackle the challenging course at over 10,000 feet.

Quietly believing she could break into the top five, Preen executed a brilliant racing strategy. She rode in close contention early on, sharing nearly half of the race with eventual champion Melissa Rollins. Although Rollins eventually made her decisive move to the front, Preen held her pace, adapting key tactics from the previous year to manage the taxing demands of racing above 3,000 meters. Her resilience culminated in a thrilling final sprint, where she won a tight dash over Alexis Skarda to secure fifth place with a final time of 6:21:51.

Rollins dug deep, eventually closing the distance and catching Decker after the Columbine descent to set up a head-to-head battle for the lead. However, just as the battle for the lead intensified, Decker suffered a heartbreaking puncture, which allowed Rollins to solo to her second Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB success. Lauren Stephens secured third place, followed by Sarah Lange in fourth, with Hayley Preen rounding out the top five.

Women’s results:
1 – Melisa Rollins (5hr 58min 43sec)
2 – Cecily Decker (6hr 3min 30sec)
3 – Lauren Stephens (6hr 10min 14sec)
4 – Sarah Lange (6hr 10min 41sec)
5 – Hayley Preen (6hr 21min 51sec)



Men’s results:
1 – Keegan Swenson (5hr 20min 26sec)
2 – Matthew Wilson (5hr 20min 26sec)
3 – Bradyn Lange (5hr 20min 50sec)
4 – John Gaston (5hr 20min 51sec) (not part of the LTGP) 
5 – Andreas Seewald (5hr 21min 45sec)

Click HERE for the full race results.