Some finish lines mean more than others.
On August 22, Brian Reynolds crossed one of the most grueling finish lines in endurance sports — the Leadville 100 Mile — becoming the first double amputee in history to complete the course.
It took him four attempts, eight months of dedicated training, and more than 28 hours of racing through high-altitude mountain terrain on prosthetic legs to get there.
But the story of how he got there is even more extraordinary than the achievement itself.
Jump to:
A Race That Refused to Let Him Go
Reynolds first encountered the Leadville 100 Mile in 2021, not as a competitor, but as someone working with one of the race’s sponsors.
The experience left a permanent mark.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
I instantly fell in love with the town of Leadville, the people, and the event. I knew from the moment I arrived that I would have to run the race. Admittedly, I didn’t think it would turn into a four-year journey to the finish line.
The Leadville 100 Mile is legendary for punishing even the most elite runners. Starting at 10,200 feet above sea level and climbing to 12,600 feet over Hope Pass — which competitors cross twice — the course is relentless.
This year’s edition covered a modified 99.7-mile route due to the impact of the Willow Fire, with 13,552 feet of elevation gain still intact. The brutal Hope Pass section remained completely unchanged.
Losing His Legs — Then Finding His Freedom
Reynolds lost both legs below the knee at just four years old after contracting meningococcemia, a severe bacterial infection.
Running came later, roughly 12 years ago, and it changed everything.
After I received my first pair of running legs and took those first steps, I felt free for the first time in my life.
That freedom carried him far. Reynolds went on to set multiple world records in road running, spanning distances from the 5K all the way to the marathon.
Still, the mountains kept calling. “As a double amputee, roads are certainly where I’m most comfortable because of the terrain,” he explained, “but my heart has always been in the woods and mountains.”
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Three Failures. Zero Regrets.
His first crack at Leadville in 2023 was, by his own description, savage.
Reynolds fell dozens of times on the uneven trail terrain — sometimes losing his prosthetic legs down the hillside — before dropping out at the 50-mile mark.
I was battered beyond belief. But instead of leaving thinking I couldn’t do it, I left more determined than ever to come back and finish this race.
He returned the following two years, each time learning more about the course, refining his prosthetic setup, and adjusting his training approach. Every failure became a lesson.
“After three attempts, I had a much better understanding of where the course was going to break me down and what I needed to change,” he said.
The Fourth Attempt: Built Different
Reynolds arrived at the 2026 start line as a different athlete entirely.
His preparation began in January — a full eight-month training block built around high-volume cross training designed to maximize endurance while protecting his body from the unique demands of running on prosthetic legs.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
He brought multiple sets of running prostheses to the race, along with a key innovation: removable treads that could be swapped out quickly as they wore down on the rugged trail surface.
The technical challenges of racing on prostheses at altitude are difficult to overstate.
Balance is precarious. You are essentially landing on an inch or two of tread, and running blades don’t have heels. That makes going downhill incredibly difficult and, at times, dangerous.
Skin breakdown inside the prosthetic socket due to friction added another layer of physical punishment to an already merciless course.
Racing Smart, Then Surviving
Reynolds went out fast on race day, capitalizing on the flatter early miles and leading the para-athlete field for roughly the first third of the race.
Then came mile 70.
Severe calf cramping forced him to walk nearly the entire final 30 miles. The finish he had pictured looked nothing like what was unfolding — but Reynolds refused to let that matter.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
It wasn’t exactly the finish I had envisioned, but at that point the goal was very simple: Keep moving forward.
He crossed the finish line in 28 hours, 55 minutes, and 43 seconds — more than an hour inside the 30-hour cutoff — placing third in the para-athlete category.
The People Who Carried Him There
Reynolds is quick to point out that this victory was never his alone.
During his very first attempt, strangers on the course helped him up every time he fell — sometimes sacrificing their own race cutoffs to do it. That generosity never left him.
From a running standpoint, it was beyond miserable. From a human standpoint, though, I couldn’t have asked for more.
By 2026, nearly his entire crew and pacing team were people he had met through Leadville over the previous three years — returning specifically to help him reach the finish line.
His family had weathered the journey alongside him through training blocks, injuries, and years of time away from home. Reynolds says he hopes his children took something deeper away from watching it all unfold.
This wasn’t just about running 100 miles. It was about showing them what it looks like to keep going when something is really, really hard.
The Buckle Was Never Really the Point
Crossing that finish line shifted something inside Reynolds — a realization that four years of chasing a goal had given him far more than the goal itself.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
I finally got that buckle, but I think I’ve realized that the buckle was never really the most important part. The people were.
And he isn’t walking away from Leadville now that his mission is complete. Reynolds plans to return as crew, pacer, and volunteer — giving back to the community that helped carry him across the finish line for four consecutive years.
Once he starts something, after all, he doesn’t quit.
