Hardrock 100

Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run
Photo taken during 2006 race. Grant Swamp Pass, 12,900 ft (3,900 m)
Date	July
Location	Silverton, Colorado
Event type	Ultramarathon trail run
Distance	100.5-mile (161.7 km)
Established	1992
Course records	Kilian Jornet 23:28:10 (2015, counter-clockwise) Kilian Jornet 22:41:33 (2014, clockwise)
Official site	http://www.hardrock100.com/

The Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run is an ultramarathon 100.5 miles (161.7 km) in length, with 33,000 feet (10,000 m) of climb at an average elevation of over 11,000 feet (3,400 m). The race is held on a loop course on 4WD roads, dirt trails, and cross country in Southern Colorado's San Juan Range, USA. The race is dedicated to the memory of the miners who settled in the area and who built the mining trails on which much of the race is run.

The run starts and ends in Silverton, Colorado and travels through the towns of Telluride, Ouray, and the ghost town of Sherman, crossing thirteen major passes in the 12,000' to 13,000' range. Entrants must travel above 12,000 feet (3,700 m) of elevation a total of 13 times, with the highest point on the course being the 14,048' summit of Handies Peak. The race has been held in early July of each year beginning in 1992, except for 1995 (too much snow) and 2002 (nearby forest fires). Each year's race is run in the opposite direction of the previous year's event (2008 was run in the clockwise direction, 2009 was counter-clockwise). In order to complete the event, instead of crossing a finish line, runners are required to "kiss the Hardrock", a picture of a ram's head painted on a large block of stone mining debris.

The cut-off time for finishing the race is 48 hours. Current fast performances are held by Kilian Jornet (22:41:35), set in 2014 and Diana Finkel (27:18), set in 2009. The average time to finish this race is 41:10:15, which is longer than the cutoff times of most 100-mile (160 km) races. This is due largely to the high elevations, which can cause altitude sickness or edema in some runners. In addition, the course covers extremely rugged terrain including steep scree climbs and descents, snow packs, river crossings, and boulder fields. The race starts at 6am, so runners who finish in over 40 hours see the sun set twice before finishing. Runners continue at night using flashlights or headlamps. Portions of the trail are adjacent to steep dropoffs and are described in the course description with the word "exposure".