Hardrock 100: The Toughest Trail Race on Earth

The race manual warns runners about the possibility of losing consciousness,
search-and-rescue operations and well, death. Of course, when you’re talking about a 100-mile foot race that includes more than 33,000 feet of climbing (to altitudes over 14,000 feet), running on scree, the possibility of unscheduled meetings with bears, and terrifying descents down 1000-foot cliffs, death isn’t such an unpleasant option. TrailRunner magazine gives us the lowdown on what may be the highest trail race in the country, the Hardrock 100, which takes runners over 12 peaks and mountain passes in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. Clearly, a race for the young and crazy, right? Half right. The Hardrock 100 was started 13 years ago by a 52-year-old engineer who wanted to do something to help the economy. To read more, find this story under “Features” in the left nav bar of the TrailRunner site.