Truett Hanes AKA ‘Jeans Guy’ Is Running Leadville… In Jeans (Of Course)

The Leadville Trail 100 is notorious for chewing up even the most seasoned ultrarunners: 100 miles at high altitude, two climbs over 12,600 feet at Hope Pass, and a finish rate that rarely cracks 50 percent.

On Saturday, the race served up another layer of intrigue when spectators spotted 21-year-old Oregon runner Truett Hanes tackling the course in blue jeans.

The sight was captured and shared by Jonathan Levitt, a well-known commentator in the endurance community, who posted a photo of Hanes alongside other runners on the dirt roads outside Leadville. “Truett Hanes is in fact running Leadville in jeans,” Levitt wrote. “I hope they’re good jeans.”

For Hanes, the outfit is no accident.

Over the past year, he has become something of a denim cult figure in the running world, logging serious marathon times while wearing heavy cotton where others choose carbon-plated shoes and ultralight fabrics.

In February, he ran the Austin Marathon in 2:42:45 wearing jeans, a result that first drew national attention.

Since then, he has gone even faster, clocking 2:38:29 in Boston and 2:34:45 in Eugene, all while sticking to denim. He has even finished a 50K ultra in jeans in under five hours, proving the look is not just a stunt but a sustained campaign across multiple events.

Hanes has shrugged off questions about chafing or discomfort, saying that with some preparation it is not much of an issue.

He has also made it clear there is more to this than novelty.

Earlier this year he set a Guinness World Record by completing 10,001 pull-ups in 22 hours, training with more than 130,000 pull-ups over six months. Through a partnership with apparel company The Perfect Jean NYC, he has helped raise more than 15,000 dollars for multiple sclerosis research and the Miracle Foundation, a nonprofit supporting orphans in India and the United States.

His background in endurance sports runs deep. Hanes is the son of ultrarunner and bowhunter Cameron Hanes and grew up racing from a young age.

He reportedly ran his first half marathon at age eight and completed a full marathon at 13. That upbringing has translated into a season packed with ambitious goals. Alongside his denim marathons, he has lined up at multiple major races, and Leadville marks his most audacious attempt yet.

Running a road marathon in jeans is one thing, but taking on Leadville’s 100 miles of rugged trail, thin air, and unpredictable weather in denim is another.

At the time of writing, official results had not yet confirmed whether Hanes finished, but his appearance on the course was enough to ignite conversation.

For a sport that often obsesses over cutting-edge footwear and featherweight gear, Hanes is proving that sometimes grit, spectacle, and a pair of jeans are enough to steal the spotlight.