From Running Burnout to Winning the Leadville 100

Burnout and injuries pushed her away from running. Years later, Jacquie Mannhard became the women’s Leadville 100 champion. This is an honest conversation about rebuilding a relationship with running—and discovering that your best performances might still be ahead. We explore the pressure of collegiate running, underfueling, returning to competition after children, and the confidence it takes to line up against elite ultrarunners. Hear how changes to fueling, cross-training, and mindset shaped her comeback and helped her win Leadville in 2023.  Then follow her return in 2026, when a battle through mile 95 produced a second-place finish she treasures even more than her victory. Whether you’re recovering from a setback, considering your first ultramarathon, or trying to find joy in training again, this story will give you plenty to think about. CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet a Leadville 100 champion 12:06 Collegiate running, underfueling, and burnout 19:53 Stepping away and rebuilding 31:52 Returning to running after children 41:47 Coaching and learning to believe 49:18 Injury recovery and rethinking fueling 55:23 Winning the Leadville 100 1:03:19 Masters running and the fight for second place Follow DFW Running Talk on Spotify so you never miss an episode. Enjoyed the conversation? Leave a rating and tell us: What helped you find your way back to running? Get the Monday DFW Running Email: https://dfwrunningtalk.substack.com/ Explore training plans, races, running clubs, and coaches: https://www.dfwrunningtalk.com/