The 2025 Exhausting rock 100 kicks off on Friday, July 11, with the 146 fortunate runners having 48 hours to finish the loop via Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.
Beginning within the tiny village of Silverton, the route alternates course yearly and, this 12 months, is headed counterclockwise towards Lake Metropolis, onward to Ouray and Telluride, earlier than returning to Silverton. Alongside the best way, the runners will climb greater than 33,000 ft (10,000 meters) at a median elevation of roughly 11,000 ft (3,350 meters) and a excessive level of 14,058 ft (4,284 meters). The course at present traverses 102.5 miles.
With the potential exception of small sections, the course ought to be comparatively snow-free on race day. An around-average snowpack over the winter and a moist begin to the summer season ought to imply loads of water might be discovered alongside the course.
Ludovic Pommeret main early throughout the 2024 Hardrock 100 on his option to setting a course report. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
With Courtney Dauwalter not returning to defend her Hardrock crownit’s exhausting to not name the defending ladies’s UTMB champ Katie Schide (pre-race interview) the ladies’s favourite. Following the American who lives in France over the Atlantic Ocean and, maybe, on the course are Manon Bohard Cailler of France and Katharina Hartmuth of Germany, who each have high finishes on the world’s best big-mountain 100 milers.
Within the males’s discipline, defending champion Ludovic Pommeret is returning a 12 months after setting the boys’s total course report. He could have run his option to a dominating win final 12 months, however he’ll have his fingers full this 12 months! He’ll be joined by three Hardrock debutants, all of whom have current UTMB podium finishes to their credit score within the type of Zach Millerin addition to Mathieu Blanchard and Germain Grangier (pre-race interview), each of France.
The ladies’s counterclockwise report was set by Courtney Dauwalter in 2023 with a time of 26:14:12. Dauwalter additionally holds the general ladies’s course report, having run 26:11:49 within the clockwise course in 2024. François d’Haene holds the males’s counterclockwise report of 21:45:50 run in 2021whereas Pommeret ran his option to the general males’s course report in clocking 21:33:06 final 12 months. With little snow on the course, if climate situations are favorable throughout the race, the competitors may result in some very quick occasions once more this 12 months.
Forward of the race, we’ll publish interviews with a few of the race favorites and, after all, we’ll be masking the race stay beginning at 6 a.m. U.S. MDT on Friday, July 11. Get pleasure from!
Nightfall on the climb up Engineer Go throughout the 2023 Hardrock 100. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2025 Hardrock 100 Males’s Preview
I used to be simply rereading feedback on our 2024 Hardock preview, and other people positive did sleep on France’s Ludovic Pommeret. Nevertheless, with his course record-setting win in 21:33:06people gained’t make that mistake once more! We may spend a number of paragraphs noting his accomplishments, however, sticking to some current highlights, Pommeret has been fourth, fifth, and fifth at UTMB in 2021, 2023, and 2024, gained TDS in 2022, took sixth on the Western States 100 in 2022, and gained Diagonale des Fous in 2021. As of late-June 2025, the 49-year-old Pommeret already run a pair of Softrocks with numerous extra time on the course below his belt. Lest you suppose that an excessive amount of, he equally ran two Softrocks en path to his 2024 victory.
Ludovic Pommeret rolling via Chapman Gulch on his manner profitable the 2024 Hardrock 100. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
I believe everyone seems to be psyched to see Zach Miller run this 12 months’s Hardrock 100 after an ill-timed bout of appendicitis saved him out of final 12 months’s race. In any case, he’s had a protracted and thrilling ultrarunning profession. Since getting back from a chronic damage in 2022, Miller’s taken fifth and second on the 2022 and 2023 UTMB and sixth on the 2023 Path World Championships – Lengthy Path. Whereas he’s not raced a lot because the begin of 2024 — only a seventh ultimately 12 months’s Transgrancanaria — that shouldn’t fear anybody, as he’s by no means been one to over race. Belief that he’s placing in loads of miles up excessive in Colorado.
The truth that Mathieu Blanchard of France has the very best UTMB index on this 12 months’s Hardrock discipline is a testomony to his energy. After DNFing at UTMB final 12 months, Blanchard made the fast turnaround to win Diagonale des Fous. In fact, he beforehand completed third, secondand fourth at UTMB from 2021 via 2023. Though much less relevant to Hardrock than the above races, Blanchard did run 15:37 to take sixth at Western States in 2023, as properly. In mid-Might, he took second on the Extremely-Path Snowdonia 100k, and, in late-June, he logged a Softrock with Pommeret.
Mathieu Blanchard excessive fives the followers as he finishes fourth at UTMB in 2023. Picture: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
And now we’ve obtained our third Frenchman and fourth current UTMB podium finisher within the race in Germain Grangier (pre-race interview). You would possibly know him from his third place at UTMB in 2023 and fifth place there in 2021. He additionally took second at Diagonale des Fous in 2023 after taking fourth in 2022, whereas he gained the Mont-Blanc 90k in 2023. Grangier did hit a tough patch late final 12 months, logging DNFs at each UTMB and Diagonale des Fous. Nevertheless, he gained the Chianti Extremely Path 73k in March, took fifth at Madeira Island Extremely-Path in April, and has been coaching within the San Juan Mountains since early June, so there’s no purpose to count on something however Grangier’s greatest.
Jeff Rome is maintaining alive the custom of somebody ultrarunning followers would do not know exists, however for Hardrock. After taking seventh at Hardrock in 2017, he made himself recognized by taking second the next 12 months. Then, as rapidly as he appeared, he seemingly disappeared into the Misty Mountains (Hithaeglir to those that communicate the Elvish tongue) for an age. Final summer season, he reemerged to take fourth at Hardrock, and motion on the waitlist has him again on this 12 months’s race.
Silverton, Colorado’s Jeff Rome, on his option to taking fourth on the 2024 Hardrock 100. Picture: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Regardless of greater than a decade of ultrarunning success, native Colorado runner Kyle Curtin largely sat simply off the radar till he set the males’s supported quickest recognized time on the Colorado Path final 12 months. Along with numerous sturdy performances within the San Juan Mountains, a few of his highlights embrace taking eleventh at Tor des Géants in 2021 and ninth there in 2023, together with taking ninth at Western States in 2021.
Kyle Curtin working within the San Juan Mountains. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Extra Males to Watch
- David Ayala – 1st 2024 IMTUF 100 Mile; 2nd 2023 & 2021 Bighorn 100 Mile
- Brian Culmo – seventh 2023 Hardrock 100; 14th 2025 Gorge Waterfalls 100k; 1st 2023 & 2nd 2022 Hellgate 100k
- Tyler Fannin – third 2024 & fifth 2022 Wasatch Entrance 100 Mile; 1st 2021 El Vaquero Loco 50k
- Ian Farris – 1st 2024 Scout Mountain 100 Mile; sixth 2025, fifth 2024 & 2022 HURT 100 Mile; eighth 2024 & fifth 2022 Bear 100 Mile
- Hannes Gehring – 1st 2023 Fats Canine 120 Mile; tenth 2023 Kodiak 100 Mile; seventh 2021 Leadville 100 Mile
- Isaiah inhibit – eighth 2025 HURT 100 Mile; 2nd 2023 Scout Mountain 100 Mile; 4th 2023 Plain 100 Mile
- Brian Hopton-Jones – twelfth 2021 Hardrock 100
- Gabe Joyes – sixth 2025 Canyons 100 Mile; 2nd 2024 Quad Rock 50 Mile; 2nd 2023 IMTUF 100 Mile; 2nd 2021 Excessive Lonesome 100 Mile
- Chris Roberts – 4th 2024 Grindstone 100 Mile; 1st 2024 Six Days within the Dome 24 Hour (149 miles)
Notable Withdrawals
- Alexandre Boucheix
- Mike Groenewegen
- Sam Ritchie
The American Basin facet of Handies Peak is certainly one of Hardrock’s iconic views. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2025 Hardrock 100 Ladies’s Preview
It ought to shock nobody that our ladies’s preview begins with Katie Schide (pre-race interview), as she’s been completely dominant at lengthy ultras the previous few years. Certainly, her solely loss above 60k up to now 4 years was putting second to Hardrock ladies’s course report holder Courtney Dauwalter on the 2023 Western States 100a run which was nonetheless ok for the second quickest time in Western States race historical past at that time. What occurred subsequent is Schide returned to Western States and gained final 12 months, turning into the second ever girl to run quicker than 16 hours. Since taking eighth at UTMB in 2021, she’s additionally gained the 2022 UTMB, 2023 Diagonale des Fous, 2024 Canyons 100K, 2024 UTMB, the place she set a course reportand 2025 Madeira Island Extremely-Path. She’s clearly taking Hardrock critically, as she’s been within the San Juan Mountains since early June. The one small hitch is that whereas out right here, she did endure a fall that required a bunch of stitches and a brief hiatus from working. Nonetheless, she’s the clear favourite on the ladies’s facet.
Katie Schide main the 2024 UTMB, on her option to setting a brand new course report. Picture courtesy of UTMB.
France’s Manon Bohard Cailler has the expertise and expertise to run a quick Hardrock. Final 12 months, she gained the mountainous Diagonale des Fous after taking third on the 2023 Path World Championships – Lengthy Path. She additionally gained the Madeira Island Extremely-Path in 2023 and TDS in 2021. Nevertheless, it’s price noting that Bohard Callier additionally has some massive misses at essential lengthy path ultras, having DNFed UTMB in each 2022 and 2023 earlier than taking twentieth final 12 months. Thus far this 12 months, she’s gained a pair of what had been seemingly tune-up ultras.
Katharina Hartmuth of Germany ran to a third place ultimately 12 months’s Hardrockhowever undoubtedly has room for enchancment primarily based on her second place at UTMB in 2023. Earlier than that, she was second on the 2023 Path World Championships – Lengthy Path and third at TDS in 2023. For a part of this spring, an damage saved Hartmuth biking moderately than working. Nevertheless, she’s additionally been within the San Juans since early June and has just lately returned to the paths.
Katharina Hartmuth runs into the city of Ouray on her option to taking third on the 2024 Hardrock 100. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
A Canadian dwelling in France, Stephanie Case took second on the 2022 Hardrock 100 earlier than taking a hiatus from ultras throughout which era she had her first youngster. In Might, she returned to the paths to win the Extremely-Path Snowdonia 100k. Given her break from racing, we’ll look a bit additional again to when she was third on the 2021 Val d’Aran 100 Mile and fourth at each the 2017 and 2018 Tor des Géants.
Stephanie Case attempting to take pleasure in a slice of pizza in Telluride throughout the 2022 Hardrock 100. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Except you’re following 200 milers, you won’t have seen a lot of Alima Lapierre’s identify in a bit. This former Western States podium finisher was second on the Cocodona 250 Mile in 2023 and seventh in 2024. A bit additional again, she gained the 2022 Vermont 100 Mile and was seventh on the Leadville 100 Mile in 2021.
Extra Ladies to Watch
- Becky Bates (Canada) – seventh 2024 & 2023 Hardrock 100; seventh 2024 IMTUF 100 Mile
- Uxue fraile (Spain) – twelfth 2021 & 2nd 2018 UTMB
- Shelby Johnson – 2nd 2023 Grindstone 100 Mile; ninth 2022 Leadville 100 Mile
Whitney Mickelsen – sixth 2023 Hardrock 100; eighth 2021 Wasatch 100 Mile; 4th 2020 IMTUF 100 Mile(Up to date: July 4)- SEMERJIAN (France) – third 2024 Ehunmilak 100 mile; sixth 2021 Endurance Path des Templiers; sixth 2019 Diagonale des Fous
- Amber Weibel – ninth 2024 Hardrock 100; third 2023 Swiss Alps 100 Mile; fifteenth 2022 Western States 100
Notable Withdrawals
A runner within the excessive nation throughout the first afternoon of Hardrock 2023. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Name for Feedback
- Who do you suppose would be the first girl and first man to complete?
- Who do you suppose will shock everybody at this 12 months’s Hardrock?
