Iowan runs 100 miles in 25 hours... Twice

Learning about how people accomplish things that seem impossible fascinates Matt Scotton. This likely explains why he loves being a physical therapist and athletic trainer for Kinetic Edge, but it also begins to explain his decision to run 100 miles… twice.

Matt Leadman 2 Matt Leadman 4

This 100 mile run is part of something called the Leadville Race Series. If you visit their website, you’ll be greeted by a quote from Founder Ken Chlouber, “Dig deep into that inexhaustible well of grit, guts, and determination.” If that doesn’t scare you away, you’ll go on to discover a series of six endurance races on foot and mountain bike above 10,000 feet altitude in Leadville, Colorado.

To become a “Leadman,” five races have to be completed in the short summer race season. The races include a marathon, 50 mile mountain bike race or 50 mile run, 100 mile mountain bike race, a 10K, and finally, the 100 mile run through the Colorado Rockies from elevations of 9,200 to 12,600 feet. Crazy, right?

Scotton has done this twice.Matt Leadman 3

“What makes this all especially difficult is that the race routes are all crazy steep and the races all take place within a two-month period of time, and there is a designated cut off time that you have to complete each event within,” shared Scotton. “There are several sections that you can’t ride a bike or run through, so you have to push your bike at about one mile per hour.”

Scotton was the second Iowan to become a Leadman; two more Iowans have accomplished this feat since. However, he’s the only Iowan to date to accomplish it twice.

“I receive a lot of odd looks from people when they find out what I have done,” commented Scotton.

But for Scotton, being active makes him feel great physically and mentally. Additionally, his background as a physical therapist has helped him understand how the human body can adapt to training and prescriptive exercise.

Matt Leadman 1“I have been witness to many amazing accomplishments by my clients in the past 22 years as a physical therapist,” said Scotton. “These people and experiences have inspired me to see what I can accomplish through these races and events.”

Training for this race series consists of Scotton running 20-40 miles per week, along with biking for 8-15 hours and 2-4 strength and conditioning sessions. Scotton hasn’t always been at this level of competition though; in fact, it wasn’t until a friend invited him to do a triathlon at age 34 that he got in to competitive races.

For those interested in starting competitive racing, Scotton shared this piece of advice: “Start with short manageable races and build your mileage up gradually, otherwise it is a recipe for overuse injuries.”

Scotton is currently training for the Rival Game Relay on September 9 with four friends.  He’s also looking forward to the Buffalo 105, a 105 mile gravel road bike race in Jasper County, as well as the Prairie 101, a gravel road bike race that starts near Perry, Iowa.

If you’re a runner or an aspiring runner, Kinetic Edge’s Runner’s Edge Assessment proactively prepares you to avoid injury and maximize your running potential. Call 866-588-0230 or email us for more information.