About the race
The Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run is a loop ultramarathon in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, starting and finishing in Silverton. It is dedicated to the miners who built the trails much of the course follows.
History
The race has been held in early July since 1992, except in 1995 (too much snow), 2002 (forest fires nearby), 2019 (avalanche damage to the trail) and 2020 (the pandemic). The direction reverses each year. Instead of crossing a finish line, runners "kiss the Hardrock", a ram's head painted on a block of mining debris. The race director is Dale Garland.
The course
The organiser describes a 100-mile run with 33,441 feet of climb and the same amount of descent, an average elevation of 11,186 feet, a low point of 7,680 feet at Ouray and a high point of 14,048 feet on Handies Peak. Wikipedia gives the length as 102.5 miles. The loop passes through Telluride, Ouray and the ghost town of Sherman, crosses thirteen major passes and goes above 12,000 feet thirteen times, partly on four-wheel-drive roads, partly on trails and partly cross-country.
The 2027 race
The organiser lists a 6:00 am start on 9 July 2027 in Silverton, run counter-clockwise, with the event spanning 9 to 11 July.
Cut-offs and entry
The finishing cut-off is 48 hours. Places are allocated by lottery, and the organiser's menu lists qualifying, entry and deferrals, and a service requirement. Registration for the 2027 lottery has closed, and the lottery is on Saturday 5 December 2026. The organiser also runs a scholarship open to underrepresented runners.
Where to watch
Aid stations and the town of Silverton, where the race starts and finishes, are the main named points. Much of the course is remote high country. The organiser's menu includes live tracking pages.
Weather
Weather in the San Juan Mountains can be very extreme. Wikipedia notes that high-elevation nights can drop below freezing and that fast-moving thunderstorms can bring rain, hail, wind and lightning, so runners carry spare layers. This is general background, not a forecast.
SourcesHardrock 100 home · Wikipedia: Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run