Tune in here to this episode of Grits, Guts, and Determination, The Leadville Race Series Podcast, a leading authority for all things Leadville! Host Cole Chlouber, son of race founder Ken Chlouber, takes us on a story-telling journey of the 38-year rich history of this race. We learn all the tips, tricks, and stories from the Leadville community members! Joining us today is Jason Romero, the legally blind Leadville participant who also ran across the country.

To kick off the conversation, Cole asks Jason to share how Leadville found him. In 2010, Jason found himself at a crossroads in life, including moving back to Colorado after 6 years and going through a traumatic divorce. He needed something to challenge him, and found Leadville. Jason suffers from tunnel vision, a degenerative disease of the retina which causes him to lose eyesight. He was diagnosed at age 14, and at 52 years old now, is still able to see colors, shapes and movements. Though he had always been athletic, Jason’s interest in running began when he saw his Uncle Ted running an indoor 6 day race.

Jason’s very first marathon was the first Denver International Marathon during his time in college. As of now, he has been at Leadville’s start line 6 times and the finish line 5 times. In 2016, Jason took on the transcontinental Run Across America, and finished as the sixth fastest time. This particular race began while Jason was in a deep depression and saw it as a calling. When he returned home, organizations began inviting him to speak about his inspiring life and run. Now, Jason is a keynote speaker and author of Running Into the Darkness, a book detailing his experience.

Jason set his personal record at Leadville with a time of 26:02 in 2019. At the age of 49 and with more physical challenges than ever, he shares all about making it in record time on that day. Leadville, Jason believes, has overly prepared him for how to run with a visual disability. In 2019, he released another book, The Success Cycle. It reveals Jason’s number one secret to accomplishing all of the things he has: just don’t quit. He believes that success is not linear, and failure is an inevitable part of succeeding. Another big lesson Leadville has taught Jason is that if we are not helping others, we are not running our best race. Kids today are more isolated than ever before and need to hear these inspiring stories of struggle and triumph. Finally, Jason shares what word first comes to mind when he hears the word Leadville.

Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe, and we hope to see you on the line in August!