Hardrock 100 is a legendary 101.7-mile trail race through Colorado’s rugged San Juan Mountains with more than 33,000 feet of elevation gain.
Although wildfires are looming nearby, the 2026 Hardrock 100 is slated to begin at 6 a.m. MT on Friday, July 10 in Silverton, Colorado. One of America’s premier trail races, it will send runners on a 101.7-mile clockwise loop through the San Juan Mountains with 33,000 feet of vertical gain and loss.
After leaving the historic mining town of Silverton, the course climbs into the high country over Grant-Swamp Pass en route to Telluride, a former Victorian-era mining boomtown that has evolved into a world-renowned mountain destination, before continuing to Ouray, the picturesque “Switzerland of America,” tucked into a dramatic box canyon beneath towering peaks.
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While the southern edge of the race loop and the 44-mile aid station sit within Ouray’s city limits, officials say the Gold Mountain Fire doesn’t directly affect any part of the course. They’ve stayed in close contact with public safety officials and continue to monitor the fire, which has been spreading north, away from the Hardrock route.
From there, runners tackle the race’s highest point atop 14,048-foot Handies Peak before descending toward Lake City, another remarkably preserved 1870s mining settlement surrounded by vast wilderness, and then begin the long push back to Silverton over a series of punishing alpine passes.
Significant smoke from several other fires in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah earlier this week, but winds shifted and it was mostly clear in Silverton as of July 8 with a very low Air Quality Index (AQI).
The clockwise direction offers its own distinct rhythm, but regardless of direction, the Hardrock 100 remains one of ultrarunning’s most demanding and breathtaking adventures.
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2026 Hardrock 100 Runners
- There 147 runners who will toe the starting line of the 2026 Hardrock 100 at 6 a.m. MT on the morning of July 10 in Silverton and have 48 hours to make it back to Silverton to earn official “finisher” status.
“Among big mountain, high-altitude trail running races, it’s the, it’s the pinnacle, particularly domestically,” says Paul Terranova, of Twin Lakes, Colorado, who is running Hardrock for the third time. “It’s always a challenge no matter how fit you show up, whether you’re going for sub 24, sub 30, sub 36 or even sub 48 hours. It’s always, always a challenge. I’m just approaching it with a sense of gratitude and thankfulness for being healthy.” - Women’s favorites include three-time winner Courtney Dauwalter (pictured), Careth Arnold, Aliza Lapierre, Kaci Lickteig and Tara Dower, who just finished 6th at Western States nine days ago.
- Men’s favorites include two-time defending champ Ludovic Pommeret, Tom Evans, Jimmy Elam and Jason Schlarb.
- The Hardrock 100 alternates between clockwise and counterclockwise routes each year, so he race recognizes separate course records for each direction in addition to an overall fastest time. That means the records runners are chasing depend on which direction the course is run.
- Men’s course records: The overall men’s course record of 21:33 was set by Ludovic Pommeret in 2024 on the clockwise course, making it the benchmark for this year’s race. The fastest counterclockwise performance belongs to François D’Haene, who ran 21:45 in 2021.
- Women’s course records: Katie Schide owns the overall women’s course record of 25:50, set on the counterclockwise route in 2025. Since this year’s race is run clockwise. The women’s record in play this year is Courtney Dauwalter’s 26:11 from 2024, the mark she’ll be aiming to lower if she puts together another dominant performance.
For more about the 2026 Hardrock 100: - Check out race previews on Freetrail, Singletrack and iRunFar.
- Catch the racing action on the Livestream!
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