(Photo courtesy of Cody Bare - www.codybear.com)
If you’ve been in the ultrarunning world for a little while, there is a good chance that you’ve already heard of the Hardrock 100. It is, after all, considered by many to be one of the most sought-after race entries in the sport, rivaling other well-known races such as the Western States 100 and Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB) in the European Alps.
There are a few things that set Hardrock apart from other races, so let’s take a look at what makes it so special before we dive into how this year’s Hardrock 100 went on July 12 and 13, 2024.
Hardrock History and the Course
Officially called the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run, the scenery is as beautiful as the trail is challenging. Taking place in the Sau Juan Mountains in Colorado, the first race was held in 1992 as a way to promote the mining history of the area. As such, most of the course occurs on old mining trails and even goes through some old mining ghost towns.
It is a looped course that takes runners through Silverton, Telluride, and Ouray. The original plan called for the race to rotate the host city year to year, but it was decided that instead, it would continue to start in Silverton every year.
The course features some extremely rugged terrain, including steep scree climbs and descents, large boulder fields, as well as snow packs and river crossings, both of which can be vastly different from year to year.
The official loop is 100.5 miles long and has a vertical climb of 33,197 feet, for a total elevation change of 66,394’.
As it takes place high in the San Juan Mountains, altitude is also a huge factor. The elevation ranges from around 7,700’ up to 14,048’ at Handies Peak. There are 13 spots on the course where runners are over 12,000’, and the average elevation of the entire loop is approximately 11,000’.
Runners who are not prepared for the constant changes in elevation can experience a wide range of symptoms, none of which will make running 100 miles any easier.
Hardrock is Different
Many of the things that Hardrock does differently are what make it such a popular race worldwide.
The first example is the direction of the loop. Each year, the race is run in the reverse direction of the previous year (2024 was clockwise, so 2025 will be counter-clockwise). This means even if you run it in back-to-back years, it will be a very different event than the previous year
Another of the quirks that make Hardrock so different from other races is the finish line. Unlike other races, with a finish line that you cross over to complete your race, runners at Hardrock have to kiss a large rock with the race logo on it, and your finish isn’t official until you do so.
This makes for some absolutely epic finishing photos as the emotions all come out as runners finally kiss the rock they’ve worked so hard to reach.
Hardrock also has a rather forgiving cutoff time of 48 hours. Since so much of the course is at elevation and the weather can be extreme, race organizers want as many runners as possible to finish. Even if they have to stop and wait for some lightning or other extreme weather to pass for a few hours, they should still have time to finish.
This does mean being out there for two full nights if you are a back-of-the-packer, which isn’t very common in 100-mile races.
Exclusivity and the Lottery
Since Hardrock has always considered itself a “Post Graduate” run, the entry was limited right from the start. To enter, runners must have completed other certified 100-mile races, or by proving to race management that they would be capable of finishing the race.
There are only about 140 race bibs available each year, so eventually, introducing a lottery to secure one of the coveted spots on the starting line in Silverton was necessary.
The main way to get tickets for the lottery is to run a race (or races) that are Hardrock 100 qualifiers. Don’t expect to find any easy races on that list, as they are carefully selected to make sure that only runners capable of handling Hardrock earn a chance to get into the lottery.
The lottery process was revamped in 2022 and now features a more even split between runners who race finished in previous years and runners who have never had a chance to take on the brutal course.
It is also weighted to ensure that more women have a chance to get selected each year, as women have historically been underrepresented at Hardrock.
2024 Race Weekend
For the second year in a row, the 2024 edition of the Hardrock 100 was live-streamed on YouTube, allowing viewers around the world to experience the beautiful and extreme terrain that runners faced. This coverage allowed anyone watching to experience the breathtaking scenery, the course conditions, and the aid station strategies of runners as they made their way around the loop.
Always popular American runner Courtney Dauwalter was a favorite on the women’s side, while the men’s side was without most of the athletes that have dominated the trails in recent years, allowing for some relatively unknown runners to shine.
The men’s race was won by 48-year-old Frenchman Ludovic Pommeret. Not only did he lead the race almost from start to finish, but he also beat Kilian Jornet’s previous course by just over 3 minutes, finishing in 21:33:06.
The top 3 were rounded out by Diego Pazos in 24:39:36, and Jason Schlarb in 24:48:18. One of the pre-race favorites, Francois D’Haene, had to drop at the Animas Forks aid station after being sick heading into the race.
2-time defending woman’s champion Courtney Dauwalter was the heavy favorite on the women’s side. What can I say about Courtney that hasn’t already been said? She is completely dominating trail running right now, not only winning basically every event she enters but sometimes even winning them outright and beating all the men, too.
It should come as no surprise that she finished in 26:11:49, winning and setting a new course record for the 3rd year straight. She now has the 3 fastest times ever run by a woman on the Hardrock course.
Camille Bruyas came in second a few hours later at 29:28:11, but she had to deal with strong pushes from behind throughout the race. Third-place finisher Katharina Hartmuth, who finished in 30:29:12, was never far behind Camille until she started to deal with some vision issues about ¾ of the way through the event.
Golden Hour
One of the highlights of trail events is Golden Hour, the last hour that the finish line is open before cut-off. Due to Hardrock's sheer difficulty, those last-hour finishers are some of the most emotional scenes in the whole event.
The final two runners to come into the finisher’s chute and get their chance to kiss the rock were Jackie Fritsch (47:54:00) and Costa Alimonos (47:57:42). Winning an event is obviously the best-case scenario, but getting to finish with less than 10 minutes before cut-off is truly a remarkable feeling.
The ultra-running community is amazing, and they usually cheer as loud for the last runner as they do the first.
If you are a trail runner already, chances are that at some point, you’ve dreamed of kissing that rock yourself. If you haven’t, watch a few minutes (or hours) of the live stream next year and then try not to get the itch to get out in the San Juan Mountains and complete the course.
It can take years and years to get selected in the lottery, so the more tickets you can get, and the sooner you get them, the better chance you have of getting on the starting line in Silverton, Colorado, for one of the biggest events of the ultra-running calendar.
If you are one of the lucky ones, take as many photos and mental memories as you can because, for many runners, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
