![]() ![]() Refuse to kiss the painted white rock at the end and you’ll be denied the title of an official finisher. At Hardrock you won’t receive a fancy buckle if you require bragging bling that costs extra. Designed as a tribute to the hardscrabble miners who persevered in these unforgiving hills, the run maintains a no-fuss, no-frills approach with a rigid adherence to tradition. Photo by Matt Trappe.Īs a budding ultrarunner with a love of the mountains and a few hundreds under my belt, I was smitten with HR’s suffer factor, but I was also intrigued by the culture. Scenes from the historic Avon Hotel–many a Hardrocker’s base camp. The Hardrock 100, meanwhile, sits calmly by the Bucket List campfire, stirring hot coals with a trekking pole, while wearing an all-knowing smile.” Journalist and three-time HR finisher Garett Graubins wrote in an article for Elevation Outdoors, “Many other events dance around in a campsite of extremes, obnoxiously beating their chests about how they are the most grueling challenges anywhere. Since its first running in 1992, only 591 people have completed it. At Hardrock, snow, rain, hail, bouts of acrophobia and extreme thunder and lightning displays are common the 48-hour time limit is intended to accommodate waiting out thunderstorms when necessary. By comparison, Colorado’s other longest-standing 100-mile race, the Leadville 100, has a total elevation change of 36,336 feet. Participants cross 13 mountain ridges of 12,000 feet or greater, including one 14,000 foot peak, for a total elevation change of 67,984 feet. The Hardrock Hundred Endurance Run (HR) is one of the hardest mountain 100-milers in the world. Sultan Mountain looms over Silverton’s only paved road, Greene Street. This was Silverton, Colorado-a rocky, rugged country where no one coddles your journey. That night in Wilbur, my 1975 vintage motor home, I sucked down a PBR and admitted to myself that I was no longer among the soft, forgiving ferns of Washington. After talking to her for a while, I slipped out the backdoor, choosing to avoid another pass through the dining-room gauntlet. Just then a runner I knew from back home in Washington walked through on her way to the kitchen and I latched on like we had important catching up to do. And hopefully pace.” My normal confidence vanished as I nervously worked on a follow up line. “Well, not actually to run, but to write about it. Finally, a man glanced over at me, unimpressed, and said with a Boston accent, “Can we help you?” I stood there taking in the scene, hoping someone would look up. At the table, a group of adults in running shorts and caps, some still sweaty from a run, poured over topographic maps while downing recovery drinks and cold beers. Against the wall some 30 pairs of dirty trail-running shoes formed a tidy chain. It looked like an eclectic retreat for artists and writers, except for a few telltale signs. Collections of books were stashed on every shelf and table, and miniature oil paintings of the San Juan Mountains hung in vignettes. Antique typewriters lined the second floor balcony above. It was dark by contrast to the bright sun outside, with a massive oak table cutting down the center. Slowly opening the big wooden doors of Silverton, Colorado’s Avon Hotel, I peered into a room. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!Ī runner and her 1975 vintage motor home’s trip to Silverton, Colorado, for the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Runĭiana Finkel ascends Grant Swamp Pass at the 2012 Hardrock. ![]()
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