SRC Retreat | Empower & Elevate:
Find Your Stride, On & Off the TrailsJune 12th-15th, 2025 (3 nights) | Leadville & Twin Lakes, CO
All-Inclusive (Meals & Accommodations) | All Abilities & Backgrounds Welcome
After a long-awaited return, the SRC Retreat is back in Colorado!
Join us Thursday, June 12th to Sunday, June 15th, 2025, in beautiful Leadville, CO for an unforgettable weekend designed to empower, educate, and connect with fellow female runners.
What to Expect:
- Scenic Trail Adventures: Explore the breathtaking mountain trails of Leadville with guided runs tailored for all paces and experience levels.
- Workshops & Expert Panels: Dive into hands-on sessions covering mindset, fueling for endurance, training for the trails, and balancing life with your running goals. Learn from experienced coaches and community leaders.
- Community & Connection: Build lasting friendships through group activities, fireside chats, and open discussions on finding and channeling your identity — on and off the trails.
Our 2025 Theme: “Finding Your Stride: On and Off the Trails”
This retreat is about more than just running. Together, we’ll explore how to cultivate confidence on the trails while navigating life beyond them. Whether you’re training for your first trail race or looking to deepen your sense of purpose, you’ll leave feeling refreshed and inspired.
Secure Your Spot: Spaces are limited! Reserve your place today and be part of this transformative weekend.
What to Expect
Where we’re running
We’ll be running the trails of Leadville and Twin Lakes, Colorado. Have you heard that this is one of the highest altitude spots in the U.S.? Have no fear! We’ll accommodate all levels and paces and encourage plenty of hiking and walking, along our guided group runs with various pace groups.
Join us for some breathtaking runs, including trails such as Mayflower Gulch (pictured below), the famous Leadville Fish Hatchery (part of the Leadville 100 course), and the picturesque Turquoise Lake with views of 14ers nearby, including Mount Massive and Mount Elbert.
Where we’re staying
We’ll be staying at SageStone Adventure Lodge in Twin Lakes, CO (just outside of Leadville), co-owned by Addie Bracy, an ultra runner and coach embedded in the Colorado community. This is a beautiful getaway spot where unforgettable experiences are crafted in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. Whether you’re seeking some training runs and hikes in the mountains or the camaraderie of a shared adventure, this lodge is your gateway to connection — with self, with nature, and with others.
Each room includes two queen beds and a luxury bathroom. You can enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine on the private patio or balcony adjoined to the room. If you have a roommate preference, please specify this in your signup form.
Space is limited to 16-18 attendees to ensure a close-knit experience.
We strive to make this experience accessible and affordable, at less than half the cost of most 3-night women’s running retreats out there. 20% of proceeds will be donated to support the creation of a Strong Runner Chicks scholarship fund to support high school and collegiate runners.
Please note: Although promoted as a “Strong Runner Chicks” running retreat, this is a safe space for queer, trans, and nonbinary athletes — all are welcome. This includes all ability levels and ages 18+, primarily 20’s-40’s and beyond. While we do recommend that you’re able to run 3-5 miles or hike for 1-2 hours without injury, we’re happy to accommodate your needs during the retreat.
Meet Your Hosts & Speakers
Megan Flanagan, CPT
Strong Runner Chicks Founder
Running, Strength, & Purpose Coach
Megan is a 3X 100-mile finisher and a Strength & Running Coach with Mountain Endurance Team. She started Strong Runner Chicks during her time in college as a D1 athlete, witnessing the challenges that she and her teammates faced. After college, she began trail and ultra running, which led her to Colorado in 2021. Megan is currently a Business Development & Partnerships Director for a SOL Mental Health based in Colorado and continues to coach and mentor athletes, including coaching at a local high school. With a background in public health and psychology, she is passionate about helping athletes find their identities, on and off the trails and building a strong sense of community and inclusivity in our sport.
Alyssa Leib, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian
Owner, Peak to Peak Nutrition
Alyssa works with runners and mountain athletes of all levels to help them dial in their nutrition to perform and feel their best to reduce risk of injury and meet performance goals. She believes that mental health is just as important as physical health and supports every athlete she works with in building and nurturing a positive relationship with food and with their bodies.
Kristina Chang
Winner, Kodiak 100-miler, 2024
PhD Startup Scientist
Eight years ago, she never imagined she’d be a runner. As a 23-year-old PhD student at Berkeley who would refer to herself as “flagrantly unathletic,” she turned to the outdoors as a mental health escape from her basement lab. What started as hiking the trails behind her research dungeon slowly turned into jogging. Over time, running became more than just an outlet—it became a space to feel empowered, to evolve, and to build both physical strength and mental fortitude. Outside of running, she cares deeply about connecting with backcountry landscapes through climbing and skiing, fostering community, and about her work as a scientist. Currently, she works as a senior engineer at a startup company called Octave Photonics – designing and building lasers. Ask her how she got that job. It does in fact involve running. 😉
Elena Lancioni
SRC Retreat Co-Host; Health Coach & Self-Care Advocate
Elena Lancioni, SRC contributor, is a distance-runner, public health professional, creative thinker, and advocate for feeling good in your body. She has her MPH specializing in physical activity and behavioral social community health. Elena works at Colorado State University as a Clinical Research Study Coordinator focusing on exercise oncology and is a middle school cross country and track coach. Running has had a consistent presence in her life for over 20 years through middle school and competing collegiately. She appreciates the ever evolving way that the running community shows up in her life.
Elena believes in creating spaces where we all can thrive by having the ability to access necessary health and wellness resources. She enjoys connecting with people and learns so much from those with different perspectives and experiences. She also enjoys practicing yoga, being creative in her spare time, and hiking any new trail she can find.
Mary Denholm
Winner of Leadville 100, 2024; Professional Runner; Coach
Mary Denholm is a professional ultra runner for CRAFT and The Feed High Performance Team and run coach for Lift Run Perform. She ran cross country in high school and D2 in college, but growing up her real passion was alpine ski racing. Mary went to a ski academy in high school and raced D1 at St. Michael’s College in Vermont.
After college, Mary took a 6 year break from running as she went to law school and her first few years as a trial attorney. Starting back in 2015 with a road marathon, she focused almost primarily on road races through 2024 taking her first road marathon time of 3:39 (2006 in college) chipping down her PRs to 2:36 in 2023, qualifying for the 2020 and 2024 US Olympic Trials Marathons. Since 2020 she had been mountain running with friends and crewing/pacing their ultras, but 2024 marked her turn to full training and racing ultra marathons.
In 2024, Mary won the Leadville Marathon followed by the Silver Rush 50 (setting a new course record) the following weekend, the Leadville 100 and placed second at JFK 50 Mile (under the prior course record/second fastest women’s time). At 37, Mary signed her first professional running contracts and is pursuing big goals primarily on the trails, but also knows her best road days are still not behind her.
Addie Bracy, CMPC
Professional Runner; Mental Performance & Running Coach
Addie started running when I was 11-years-old and have been immersed in the sport ever since. She had the normal trajectory of middle school and high school cross country and track. And, went on to run and serve as team captain on the cross country and track and field teams at the University of North Carolina. After graduating, she continued competing on the track and on the roads, eventually discovering the trails in 2016. It didn’t take long to become intrigued by the ultra distances and to run my first 100 miler in Leadville in 2018.
Addie has 15 years of coaching experience and has coached everyone from first time runners and ultra runners to Olympic Trials marathon qualifiers and Leadville 100 podium finishers. In recent years, she has focused primarily on working with trail and ultra runners. She really enjoys helping others find a way to successfully fit training into their lives and find the best approach to reach their running goals.
Anna Mae Flynn
Running Coach and Founder of Mountain Endurance Team
Anna Mae has a passion for teaching, and supporting people to become their “best self”. That is her life motto and reflects in her day to day lifestyle. She ran more competitively for a junior olympics team called Striders when she was an adolescent, and then joined the cross country and track team at Watauga High School. Her senior year, she placed 2nd in the 2 mile, division 4A in the State of NC. She had the BEST High School Coach, Leigh Wallace, who taught her how to believe in myself and learn to trust the process in order to be her best self. In college, Anna Mae found success early (MVP FR/SO year in Cross Country), but like many college athletes she was burned out and unmotivated to compete after a couple years.
In 2015, she jumped into her first trail ultra, Way Too Cool 50k, and found herself grounded by the trail running community. She had thought this race would be a bucket list check off, but she is here now in 2020 and has traveled the world as a competitive elite trail runner, and has met the kindest “tribe” of humans who share in the same passion.
Dr. Kelsey Kuehn, PT, DPT, CSCS
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Owner of Empower Physiotherapy & Training
Dr. Kelsey Kuehn is a doctor of physical therapy and a strength and conditioning specialist. With a diverse clinical skill set ranging from TMJ to foot and ankle, Dr. Kelsey is proficient at guiding patients of all types through the rehabilitation process. She specializes in pelvic health with an emphasis on exercise and resistance training throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Living and working in the Arkansas Valley since 2017, she has expanded her clinical education to include treatment of endurance athletes including trail running and mountain biking.
Dr. Kelsey uses a performance-focused approach in the treatment of athletes and the pelvic floor and her clinical sweet spot lies at the crossroads of barbell sports and pelvic health. She is competitive in powerlifting and also has years of experience coaching CrossFit. She also travels as the team physio for Guam Women’s National Soccer, recently aiding the team during the WAFF 2024 Championship in Saudi Arabia.
Additional Speaker: Dr. Katie Carbiener, DPT, Owner of Carbs Performance
Katie’s love for fitness began during her freshman year of high school when she decided to run cross country. She was always small for her age and had to work very hard to compete with others. Running was the first time something felt “natural” for her. She enjoyed learning about her body and how hard she could push herself to reach her goals. Katie played Division I Lacrosse at Longwood University while pursuing her degree in Exercise Science and Biology. She had to Red-shirt junior year due to injury. This experience taught her there was so much more to her college experience than sports. She started to discover the outdoors and mountains were where she felt most at home.
After graduation Katie moved to Colorado to get her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado-Denver. She continued to pursue her competitive athletic endeavors and focused on triathlons. She made it to the USA Age Group Championships and even qualified for Worlds until injury struck again. This was a tough time in her life where she had to redefine what competitive sports meant to her. The mountains were calling and it was her time to do things for fun! The ability to move and enjoy the outdoors became her priority.
When you meet Katie, you will feel her passion for what she does immediately! She has an ability to adapt treatments and sessions on the spot and has an expert eye for movement. She decided to start Carbs Performance and Wellness because she wants to be able to offer all of her talents and skills. Scripts, insurance approvals, and standard back-to-back appointments were limiting her ability to give her patient’s her all. Now she can provide the care she believes everyone deserves!
Tentative Itinerary
The Rundown of Weekend Events
Day 1 (Thursday)
Day 2 (Friday)
10am – Post-run break; snacks/breakfast part two
11am-12pm- PT Session and Workshop with Dr. Kelsey Kuehn
12-1pm – Lunch
1-2pm – Nutrition & Fueling Session with Alyssa Leib, RD
2-5pm – Possible group scavenger hunt in town, followed by activity of choice: yoga, read, run, or activity by the lake/reservoir
5:30/6pm – Dinner and Keynote with Mary Denholm On Finding Your Stride & Running Breakthroughs
7pm – Panel Discussion and/or Talk with Anna Mae Flynn on Heart Rate Training & Effort-Based Training
8pm – Campfire chat time
Day 3 (Saturday)
10am – Post-run snacks/breakfast part two; showers
12-1pm – Regroup for lunch
1-2pm – Self-Compassion Through Running Session with Elena Lancioni
2-5pm – Afternoon activity and free time (including paddle boarding, biking, running, hiking, or reading by Turquoise Lake) or optional run
5:30/6pm – Dinner
6:30/7pm – Life & Running Intersection on Finding Your Stride with Kristina Chang and Megan Flanagan; Possible Panel
8pm – Campfire chat time
Day 4 (Sunday)
10am – Reflection workshop / closing session, led by Megan
A glimpse at a past SRC Retreat:
Words from Past SRC Retreat Attendees:
“I genuinely had a great time at the retreat. It was everything I could have asked for and more. I knew it would be at a time that I really needed this connection with other runners and to navigate life. I feel empowered to write my own story and to empower other women whom are new to this sport or younger. I feel like this is my purpose in life and it has given meaning to something I love.”
“It was wonderful connecting with like minded women and learning from each other’s experiences. I also feel genuinely empowered and ready to be a part of the change in our female running community.”
“I learned how many likeminded women there are who have struggled with the body image aspects of the sport. Before the retreat, I felt pretty alone — like I was the only person who felt too “big” to be a successful runner, and isn’t naturally stick thin. This retreat has led me to want to create change in the sport: no woman should feel like their body size makes them any less of an athlete, and coaches need to get on board!!“
“I just loved getting to know everyone and I really felt this sense of COMMUNITY and empowerment!”
Reserve Your Spot
Full Weekend Experience
Join us for the full weekend, including all accommodations, meals, transportation during the retreat, and swag bags.
You’ll have your own bed in a shared room with one other attendee and an attached bathroom.
Two-Day Pass
(Designed for Locals)
Join us for Friday-Saturday activities, lunches, and daytime sessions between ~8am-4pm. This does NOT include lodging, accommodations, or additional meals.
Limited passes to ensure a close-knit experience.
Supporters & Partners
Wild Strides Paper Co., founded and run by women, is on a mission to create unique and inspiring stationery and paper products to help runners celebrate every stride and stay motivated as they chase their wildest dreams.
The 2025 Training Log + Planner was designed by runners for runners and has exactly what you need to stay organized in life and training. It’s got everything from race planning and goal setting to mileage tracking and mental health journal prompts, plus so much more! And right now it’s 25% OFF!
Visit wildstridespaper.com, grab a planner (or some stickers or celebratory cards!), and start chasing your wildest dreams…one stride at a time.
Middle State Coffee (Roasted in Denver, CO)
“Sharing great coffee is our favorite thing to do, and we’ve gotten pretty good at finding great coffee. Our method is simple: Taste a ton of coffee. Pick our favorite ones. High five the growers and producers because their efforts are shining through every cup, and their hard work is incredible. Do our best to preserve the taste (and the feeling) that we got from that first taste, and share it with you. Oh and then high five you because you’re awesome for trusting us to bring it to you with all of the flavor, integrity, and the intent that it began with.
We value people. We believe that all humans, and their awesome eccentricities are the reason things like specialty coffee exist in the first place. Without any of the awesome people in this crazy world of coffee, it just simply would not be as fun and as exciting as it is. So we applaud all of you for being who you are, and doing what you do.
This, is our method. Have fun, Brew Coffee.”
Would you like to support or partner with us? Reach out and let’s discuss!
FAQ:
1. When and where is the retreat?
📍 Location: Leadville, Colorado
📅 Dates: Thursday, June 12 – Sunday, June 15, 2025
2. Who is this retreat for?
This retreat is open to women, nonbinary, and queer athletes of all ability levels, ages 18+. Most attendees range from their 20s-40s, but all are welcome!
3. Do I need to be an experienced trail runner to attend?
Nope! While we recommend that attendees feel comfortable running 3-5 miles or hiking 1-2 hours, all paces and experience levels are welcome. We’ll accommodate different abilities and encourage a non-competitive, supportive environment.
4. What’s included in the retreat?
✔️ Lodging in a scenic mountain cabin
✔️ Daily trail runs & hikes tailored to different experience levels
✔️ Expert-led workshops on mindset, training, nutrition, and more
✔️ Strength & mobility sessions designed for runners
✔️ Delicious, nourishing meals throughout the weekend
✔️ A welcoming, close-knit community of like-minded runners
5. Who are the speakers and coaches?
We’re bringing together an incredible lineup of experts, including:
🏅 Elite & Professional Athletes from diverse running backgrounds
💪 Experienced Coaches offering training insights
🦵 A Physical Therapist to discuss injury prevention & recovery
🥑 A Registered Dietitian covering fueling strategies
🌟 More guest speakers to be announced!
6. What will the accommodations be like?
We’ll be staying in a cozy mountain retreat with shared accommodations, SageStone Adventure Lodge. Expect a comfortable, welcoming space where you can relax, recharge, and connect with fellow attendees.
7. What should I bring?
A detailed packing list will be provided closer to the retreat, but key items include:
👟 Trail running and/or road running shoes (trail-specific shoes are great, but not necessary)
🎒 Hydration pack and water bottles
🧥 Layers for changing mountain weather
📓 Journal for reflection sessions
8. How do I sign up?
Spots are limited (16-18) to ensure a close-knit experience. Secure your spot before we fill them!
9. What if I have dietary restrictions?
No problem! We’ll provide nourishing meals and can accommodate most dietary preferences (vegan, gluten-free, etc.). Please indicate any dietary needs on your registration form.
10. Can I come alone?
Absolutely! Many attendees come solo, and we intentionally create a welcoming, inclusive environment to help you feel at home. If you do have a shared room request with a friend, please let us know so we can match you.
11. What is the refund/cancellation policy?
Due to the limited nature of this retreat, refunds will be subject to our cancellation policy outlined at registration. If you’re unable to attend, we’ll do our best to fill your spot.
12. Do you offer scholarships?
While we’ve worked to ensure this retreat is affordable compared to many out there (alongside being able to cover our costs), we are happy to discuss a scholarship or payment plan with you, depending on your needs and financial situation. Email us about your situation and we can discuss this together.
Questions? Ideas? We’re all ears and happy to answer!
Email Megan at meginspire@gmail.com with any direct inquiries or include them on your registration form, and we’ll be in touch.
Strong Runner Chicks 