Leadville Race Series Teams Up with C4 to Reduce Race Waste
Original Article Published in 3rd Edition of “The Trail Times,” a publication of Neversecond and the Leadville Race Series in collaboration with Athletic Affair
Leadville, CO –August 2025
As athletes push their limits and prove their grit on Leadville’s legendary trails, another dedicated team is grinding away behind the scenes to protect the places that make these races possible. For the past 13 years, the Leadville Race Series (LRS) has partnered with local nonprofit Cloud City Conservation Center (C4) to reduce race waste and support sustainable practices through a comprehensive Zero Waste initiative.
Leadville is a small rural town with big waste management challenges: there’s no single-stream recycling, no commercial composting, and the local landfill is quickly nearing capacity. During race season, tens of thousands of visitors bring energy, enthusiasm, and, inevitably, more trash. Without the right systems in place, that additional waste can overwhelm local infrastructure and end up on the trails or in the already-strained local landfill.
That’s where C4 comes in. Their team sets up Zero Waste stations at every aid station and event site, guiding racers and spectators to sort waste correctly into bins for Compost, Recycling, Trash, and TerraCycle for nutrition wrappers. This hands-on approach keeps contamination low and ensures more waste is actually diverted.
Waste reduction starts before the starting gun: aid station snacks are served in bulk, water is refilled from large jugs, and all vendors are required to use compostable packaging. It’s a system-wide effort designed to prevent waste in the first place, not just clean up afterward.
After racers have earned their buckles and headed home, C4’s work continues. Compost is transported to a regional facility in Salida - and eventually returns to Leadville as soil for C4’s Cloud City Farm! Recyclables are sorted and processed at Apex Solutions’ certified facility in Parker, CO. Nutrition wrappers are sent to New Jersey, where Terracycle transforms them into raw materials. And trash? Only what can’t be diverted ends up in the Lake County landfill.
Last year alone, these efforts kept over 11,000 pounds of composting and recycling out of the landfill, as more than 75% of race-day waste was diverted from the landfill. This isn’t just about reducing trash though; it’s about partnership, participation, and showing what’s possible when a community commits to doing things differently.
C4 and LRS are proud to continue this work and are pushing for even higher diversion rates in the seasons ahead— including a goal of diverting 85% of this summer’s race waste!
Here’s how you can help: Look for the Zero Waste Stations throughout race areas. Not sure where something goes? Just ask. Taking a few extra seconds to sort correctly helps reduce contamination, protect the places we love, and support a more resilient future.
When you visit and race responsibly, you're contributing to more than a successful finish - you’re helping protect the landscapes, spirit, and community that make Leadville so special.
To learn more or get involved, visit www.c4leadville.org.
For more information, please contact: Isabel Lisle, Sustainability Manager, Cloud City Conservation Center, Isabel@c4leadville.org.