It was the exploits of Killian Jornet that first brought the existence of the Hard Rock 100 to my awareness. Jornet has been known to dismiss other famous 100-mile races as too flat to warrant a return visit. If the Hard Rock was tough enough for him to come back year after year then it must be an exceptional challenge.
The Hard Rock 100 is a 100-mile ultramarathon held in the San Juan Mountain Range each July since 1992 and has a 48-hour time limit. The route is circular and alternates direction each year. Runners complete the race by kissing the painted Hard Rock at the finish line.
Let’s take a closer look at what makes the Hard Rock 100 such a special trail ultramarathon.
What Is The Hard Rock 100?
The Hard Rock 100 is formally known as the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run. The very first Hard Rock 100 ultra trail marathon race happened in July of 1992 and since then it has always been held that same month of every year.
This famous endurance run covers a distance of 100.5 miles or 161.7 kilometers in the San Juan Range found in Southern Colorado, USA. There are 10,000 meters or 30,000 feet of climbing with an average elevation of 3,400 meters or 11,000 feet. Directed by Dale Garland, the Hard Rock 100 requires runners to traverse a loop course on dirt trails, four-wheel drive roads, cross country, and mining trails.
The Course Of The Hard Rock 100
The Hard Rock 100 is in memory of the miners who have settled on the mining trails where the race is being held each year. Runners will begin at Silverton, Colorado, and travel through Telluride, Ouray, Sherman, the thirteen passes, the highest point Handies Peak, and end at Silverton again.
If the race this year is done clockwise, it will be counter-clockwise the next year. At the finish line, runners will have to kiss the Hardrock, a picture of a ram’s head which is painted on a huge stone block from the mines.
Marathoners will have to complete the 100-mile race within the 48-hour limit. They will encounter rugged terrain, snowpacks, steep ascents and descents, boulder fields, and river crossings and they will endure varying climate zones as well.
The Rocky Mountain Slam
The Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run is among the four races of the so-called Rocky Mountain Slam. Aside from the Hard Rock 100, it includes the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run, the Bear 100 Mile Endurance Run, and the Leadville Trail 100.
All these race events will test the endurance, strength, and mentality of runners from all over the world who join these runs. Not only do these show how powerful man can be but these also show how miners who built and established the area are being celebrated each year.
Yearly Entrants
Every December, the Hard Rock 100 Committee will choose to accept 140 candidates through a weighted lottery. The previous winners will not be included in this lottery system.
Among the requirements for entrants are sufficient mountaineering experience, past competition in races, or running in one of the following 100-miler ultra trail marathons: Eagle, Wasatch, Angeles Crest, The Bear, Plain 100, Cascade Crest 100, HURT, Bighorn, or Mogollon Monster 100.
Recent Winners
In 2020, the Hard Rock 100 was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019, it was also canceled due to bad weather.
Here are the past male / female winners of the ultramarathon from 2014 to 2018:
- 2014 – Kilian Jornet from Spain / Darcy Piceu Africa from the USA
- 2015 – Kilian Jornet from Spain (second win) / Anna Frost from New Zealand
- 2016 – Kilian Jornet from Spain (third win) and Jason Schlarb from the USA / Anna Frost from New Zealand (second win)
- 2017 – Kilian Jornet from Spain (fourth win) / Caroline Chaverot from France
- 2018 – Jeff Browning from the USA / Sabrina Stanley from the USA