Veteran mountain biker Scott Ellis of Johnstown, Colorado died of an apparent heart attack while taking part in the Leadville Trail 100 on Saturday, according to a release by Ellis’ Peloton-Specialized team.

According to the Associated Press, this was the first death in the 32-year history of this high-altitude mountain bike event, known as “The Race Against the Sky”.

Ellis, 55, was ascending the race’s Power Line climb near mile 82 when he collapsed, Velo News reported. Fellow competitors performed chest compressions until help came, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful and he died before an ambulance arrived.

The Coloradan reported that Ellis was taking part in the Leadville Trail 100 for the 19th time, and his death hit the other competitors and race organizers very hard. The Leadville Race Series website posted this message today: “The entire Leadville family is saddened by the loss of dedicated and cherished mountain bike racer Scott Ellis. As a 19-time participant, he embodied the spirit of Leadville and truly will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Scott’s family and all others who had the privilege to know him.”

Ellis, who worked as an engineer for the Colorado Department of Transportation, had a role in rebuilding a key road damaged in Colorado’s September 2013 floods, U.S. Highway 34 through Big Thompson Canyon. The Department of Transportation issued a statement praising Ellis: “His dedication, passion, and caring grace for the people of Colorado will be profoundly missed.”

Ellis’s death came two weeks after Will Olson died after crashing at the Mount Crested Butte mountain bike race, part of the Enduro World Series.