The 2024 Hardrock 100 kicks off on Friday, July 12, with the 146 fortunate runners having 48 hours to finish the mountainous loop via Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.
Beginning within the tiny village of Silverton, the route alternates course yearly and, this 12 months, is headed clockwise towards Telluride, onward to Ouray, and towards Lake Metropolis, earlier than returning to Silverton. Alongside the way in which, the runners will climb greater than 33,000 ft (10,000 meters) at a mean elevation of roughly 11,000 ft (3,350 meters) and a excessive level of 14,058 ft (4,284 meters). The course at the moment traverses 102.5 miles.
With the attainable exception of small sections, the course needs to be comparatively snow-free on race day. An around-average snowpack over the winter and a moist begin to the summer time ought to imply loads of water shall be discovered alongside the course.
Courtney Dauwalter climbs amongst the Hardrock 100 wildflowers. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
This 12 months’s ladies’s subject shall be headlined by Courtney Dauwalter, who owns the ladies’s course document in each of the course’s instructions. Her greatest competitors for the win will come from Europe within the type of Germany’s Katharina Hartmuth and France’s Camille Bruyas, each of whom have completed second behind Dauwalter at UTMB throughout the previous three years.
As with the ladies, there’s a favourite on the lads’s aspect in François D’Haene, because the Frenchman has run two of the three quickest instances in Hardrock historical past in his two runnings of the race. Nonetheless, you possibly can by no means rely out Zach Miller, particularly as final 12 months, when he positioned second at UTMB, he ran it quicker than D’Haene ever has. Then there’s Ludovic Pommeret of France, who shocked so many along with his win at UTMB in 2016 however now would shock nobody with yet one more high end.
Each clockwise course information have been set in 2022, the final time the race was run on this 12 months’s course, when Dauwalter ran 26:44:36 and Kilian Jornet ran 21:36:24. Jornet’s time stays the lads’s total race document whereas Dauwalter bettered her total ladies’s mark in working 26:14:12 final 12 months within the counterclockwise course.
Forward of the race, we’ll publish interviews with a number of the race favorites and, after all, we’ll be protecting the race dwell beginning at 6 a.m. U.S. MDT on Friday, July 12. Take pleasure in!
Thanks a lot to Tailwind for sponsoring iRunFar’s protection of the 2024 Hardrock 100!
Thanks additionally to Fractel for sponsoring our race protection.
Nightfall on the climb up Engineer Move throughout the 2023 Hardrock 100. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2024 Hardrock 100 Ladies’s Preview
Courtney Dauwalter
With Courtney Dauwalter again within the race, it appears hers to lose. It’s robust to condense her lengthy record of laurels and laudits, however right here goes. Right here at Hardrock, Dauwalter set the clockwise course document two years in the past by working 26:44 and, then, set the counterclockwise course document of 26:14 final 12 months. Or, taking a look at final 12 months one other means, she set course information on the Western States 100 and Hardrock 100, and received UTMB, all within the span of two months. That’s obtained to be in consideration for the most effective ladies’s path ultrarunning season ever. This 12 months, Dauwalter’s already received Transgrancanaria and the Mt. Fuji 100 Mile. However, as at all times, there’s a motive they run the race!
Katharina Hartmuth
Germany’s Katharina Hartmuth is excessive on the brief record of girls on this planet who can run near Dauwalter at such occasions. Final 12 months, she was second to Dauwalter by 40 minutes at UTMB. That was a part of Hartmuth’s stellar 2023 marketing campaign through which she additionally took fourth at Transgrancanaria, positioned second on the Path Working World Championships – Lengthy Path in Austria, and received the Eiger Extremely-Path 100k. A 12 months earlier, the German additionally received the Eiger Extremely-Path 100k and took third at TDS. Thus far this 12 months, Hartmuth was seventh at Transvulcania and not too long ago received the Path 100 Andorra by a big margin. Hartmuth arrived to Silverton with about three weeks to acclimate to the excessive altitude, however has mentioned on social media that she’s fastidiously nursing an harm in the meanwhile.
Camille Bruyas
Like Hartmuth, France’s Camille Bruyas has taken second behind Dauwalter at UTMB, having accomplished so again in 2021. Prior to now couple years, she’s taken tenth on the 2022 Western States 100, received the 2022 Les Templiers and 2022 Extremely-Path Cape City 100k, and been second on the 2023 Diagonale des Fous. Thus far this 12 months, Bruyas has received the Penyagolosa CSP 106k and the Volvic Volcanic Expertise 110k relay. Like Hartmuth, Bruyas would profit vastly from a couple of weeks of acclimation forward of Hardrock, the place Dauwalter has the benefit of dwelling at 10,200 ft (over 3,000 meters). Certainly, Bruyas may have spent three weeks within the U.S. earlier than race day.
Claire Bannwarth
Having taken fifth at the least 12 months’s Hardrock, France’s Claire Bannwarth is the second-highest lady’s finisher coming back from final 12 months’s subject after Dauwalter. Bannwarth is a racing fiend, pinning on a quantity at seemingly as many and as lengthy of races as she will be able to discover. Taking a look at solely her 11 outcomes listed on UTMB.World from 2023, she raced 1,612 miles. Amongst these finishes have been a win on the Winter Backbone Race, a seventh at Transgrancanaria, and total win on the Tahoe 200 Mile, and a sixteenth at UTMB. As of mid-June 2024, she’s already raced at the least 1,017 miles this 12 months, once more successful the Winter Backbone Race, taking third on the Istria 100 Mile, putting fourth on the Madeira Island Extremely-Path, and taking second on the Tahoe 200 Mile.
It seems that coastal Virginia’s Tara Dower is toeing the road at Hardrock barely three years into her ultrarunning journey, however don’t let that brief extremely profession idiot you. Dower has completed at the least eight 100-mile races in that point, together with taking second on the Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile in 2022 earlier than successful in 2023. Already this 12 months, she’s been seventh on the Black Canyon 100k and received the Umstead 100 Mile outright in 14:58. She completed final 12 months with a fourth-place, 6:51 run on the JFK 50 Mile. Final 12 months, Dower additionally set a then ladies’s supported FKT on the Colorado Path, so she’s accustomed to the excessive alpine terrain of the San Juan Mountains.
Canada’s Claire Heslop should use ultrarunning as a motive to journey the world, as her outcomes web page seemingly has extra flags than the United Nations. One spot she does hold returning to is UTMB, the place she’s completed 18th, nineteenth, and, then, eleventh over the previous three years, enhancing her instances from 32:12 to 30:38 to twenty-eight:05 alongside the way in which. Heslop was third at Penyagolosa CSP 106k in 2022 and 14th at Transgrancanaria final 12 months. Earlier this 12 months, she was third on the Tenerife Bluetrail 110k.
Once I consider Yitka Winn, I first consider her stint as an affiliate editor at “Path Runner Journal” —and writing a bit for iRunFar — a decade in the past. Nonetheless, she’s change into fairly the runner, successful the Cascade Crest 100 Mile in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023. Final 12 months, she additionally took tenth on the Gorge Waterfalls 100k and third on the Orcas Island 50k. Whereas she’s not run a big-mountain 100 miler shortly, she has expertise in them, in addition to in racing within the San Juan Mountains.
From simply down the hill in Durango, Maggie Guterl is again on this 12 months’s Hardrock, having taken eleventh in 2022. Guterl is maybe greatest recognized for successful the 2019 Massive Canine’s Yard Extremely and the 2021 Cocodona 250 Mile. Whereas she’s struggled with lengthy occasions at excessive altitude prior to now and battles an Achilles harm, she’ll have spent as a lot time on the course this 12 months as any lady you possibly can count on to see towards the entrance of the race. She was additionally eighth on the 2022 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile.
Maggie Guterl throughout the 2022 Hardrock 100. She’s again on the roster for 2024. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Extra Ladies to Watch
- Becky Bates (Canada) – seventh 2023 Hardrock 100; twenty second 2022 TDS; eighth 2022 Excessive Lonesome 100 Mile
- Serena Eley – third 2023 Grindstone 100 Mile
- Emily Halnon – ninth 2023 & seventh 2022 Hardrock 100
- Jordan Maki-Richards (U.S., dwelling in Australia) – 4th 2022 Cascade Crest 100 Mile; 4th 2024 & 1st 2023 Buffalo Stampede 100k
- Amber Weibel – fifteenth 2022 Western States 100; third 2023 Swiss Alps 100 Mile; 4th 2021 Excessive Lonesome 100 Mile
Notable Withdrawals
Claire Bannwarth (left) and Annie Hughes share early miles within the 2023 Hardrock 100. Bannwarth returns in 2024. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
2024 Hardrock 100 Males’s Preview
François D’Haene
It’s laborious to wager in opposition to current success at Hardrock. That’s why France’s François D’Haene is probably going the favourite heading into this 12 months’s Hardrock 100. D’Haene is definitely among the many high three males at lengthy, mountainous ultras over the previous decade with wins at UTMB, Diagonale des Fous, Extremely-Path Mount Fuji, Madeira Island Extremely-Path (MIUT), and plenty of extra. Up right here in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, D’Haene received the 2021 Hardrock in a counterclockwise course document of 21:45 earlier than being edged out by Kilian Jornet to take second in 2022 in 21:51. That offers the Frenchman two of the three quickest instances at Hardrock. He doesn’t but have is a win within the clockwise course, which the course shall be run this 12 months. D’Haene was eighth at Diagonale des Fous final autumn and fifth on the Path 100 Andorra in mid-June of this 12 months.
Zach Miller
Whereas D’Haene could have two spectacular finishes within the San Juans, Zach Miller’s spent loads of time in these mountains over time. After a few years of battling accidents, he bounced again into long-distance type in 2023, successful the Tarawera 100 Mile, taking sixth Path Working World Championships – Lengthy Path in Austria, and, then, taking second to Jim Walmsley at UTMB. Again in February, Miller took seventh at Transgrancanaria. Little question, Miller and his bus may have been stationed excessive within the Colorado Rockies properly forward of race day.
Ludovic Pommeret
I’m excited that France’s Ludovic Pommeret may have spent almost a month in Silverton earlier than this 12 months’s Hardrock. It’s laborious to not root for a man who’s shortly approaching 50 years outdated and remains to be on high of his sport. Nowadays, UTMB is definitely probably the most aggressive path ultramarathon on the planet. In 2021, Ludo took fourth there, and, final 12 months, he positioned fifth. In between, he received TDS in 2022. Oh, and he received Diagonale des Fous in 2021.
Diego Pazos
Earlier than diving into his outcomes, I used to be tempted to say that Switzerland’s Diego Pazos has slowed a bit in recent times, however that’s not the case! Trying again at his UTMB finishes, he was eleventh in 2014 in 23:11, seventh in 23:00 in 2021, and twenty fourth in 23:17 in 2023, with the 2 latter races being on longer, slower programs than that from 2014. So, I feel we will affirm that Pazos has one high-quality chronometer!
Jason Schlarb
Primarily based in Durango, Colorado, Jason Schlarb tied with Kilian Jornet for the win on the 2016 Hardrock 100 earlier than DNFing the next 12 months. Nonetheless, he blew his ACL snowboarding in February 2021, and whereas in a position to absolutely prepare once more, his working hasn’t reached the degrees from earlier than the harm. Again in 2022, Schlarb was eighth on the Eiger Extremely-Path and 51st at UTMB in 25:30. Thus far this 12 months, he’s been twenty second at MIUT and received an area 50k.
Jeff Rome
Though he lives all of two blocks away from the beginning of Hardrock, Silverton’s personal Jeff Rome stays an entire wildcard for this 12 months’s race. Earlier than he moved to city, he was seventh man in 2017 earlier than shifting as much as take second in 26:34 in 2018. Extra of an adventurer than a racer, Rome did run properly ultimately 12 months’s close by San Juan Solstice 50 Mile earlier than taking thirteenth on the IMTUF 100 Mile in September. If he’s caught one other case of Hardrock fever, he may as soon as once more shock lots of people.
Solidly within the Regular Eddy camp, I’ll be shocked if Colorado’s Paul Terranova doesn’t at the least match his sixth-place males’s end from final 12 months’s Hardrock. Certainly, he’s the highest returning man from final 12 months’s occasion. Terranova ran Hardrock final 12 months as a part of the Rocky Mountain Slam, through which he additionally completed sixth on the Leadville 100 Mile, fourth on the Wasatch Entrance 100 Mile, and ninth on the Bear 100 Mile. In 2022, he was fourth on the Bighorn 100 Mile.
Jeff Rome takes second on the 2018 Hardrock 100 in a end dash. The Silverton, Colorado, native is racing once more this 12 months. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Extra Males to Watch
- Nick Coury – seventh 2022 Hardrock 100; 1st 2024 Zane Gray 50 Mile; 4th 2021 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile
- Karl Meltzer – third 2024 Antelope Island 100 Mile; 4th 2023 Pine to Palm 100 Mile
- Luke Jay – 2nd 2022 Excessive Lonesome 100 Mile; seventh 2023 Telluride Mountain Run 40 Mile
- Mick Jurynec – ninth 2021 Hardrock 100; tenth 2023 Bear 100 Mile
- Michael Owen – third 2024, 1st 2023, 1st 2022, 1st 2021, 1st 2019 & 1st 2017 Promised Land 50k; 1st 2023 Merciless Jewel 50 Mile
- Kris Tyson – 2nd 2021 Merciless Jewel 100 Mile; sixth 2023 Cascade Crest 100 Mile
Males with a Likelihood for Final-Minute Entry
- Joel Anderson (2nd By no means waitlist) – thirteenth 2023 & 14th 2021 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile; sixth 2021 San Juan Solstice 50 Mile
Into the archives on this one! Right here’s Xavier Thévenard main Jason Schlarb and Kilian Jornet early within the 2016 Hardrock 100. Schlarb and Jornet would tie that 12 months. Schlarb is again for 2024. Photograph: iRunFar/Marissa Harris
Name for Feedback
- Who do you suppose would be the first lady and first man to complete?
- Who do you suppose will shock everybody at this 12 months’s Hardrock?
François D’Haene on his method to setting a course document on the 2021 Hardrock 100. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
