After their impressive runs at the Hardrock 100 over the last year 2022, Kilian Jornet and Courtney Dauwalter have earned our utmost respect.

After Kilian Jornet and Courtney Dauwalter showed why they are two of the best ultra-runners in the world, this year's edition of the Hardrock 100 endurance race in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado will go down in the annals of racing history. Both finished with times that were faster than the previous course records, with 21:36:24 and 26:44:36 respectively. They destroyed the records that were previously held by Francois D'Haene (21:45:50, 2021) and Diana Finkel (27:18:24, 2009).

The Long and high-altitude run! 

The distance of the race, which is 102 miles, isn't what sets it apart from others; rather, it's the high altitude that makes it one of the most difficult endurance sports in the world. Which is one of the most challenging. The entirety of the race takes place at a height that is at least 3,400 meters above sea level and has a total of 20,000 meters of elevation gain, which means that racers not only have to contend with one another but also with storms, difficult terrain, and altitude sickness.

Event Description:

The race begins and concludes in Silverton, Colorado, and crosses over thirteen significant passes between 12,000 and 13,000 feet in elevation as it makes its way through the communities of Telluride, Ouray, and the abandoned settlement of Sherman. Participants are required to reach an elevation of 12,000 feet (3,700 meters) or higher a total of 13 times along the course, with the summit of Handies Peak serving as the competition's highest point at 14,048 feet. Since 1992, the race has been placed at the beginning of July of each year, with the exception of 1995 (due to an excessive amount of snow), 2002 (due to neighboring forest fires), 2019 (due to an excessive amount of snow), and 2020. (COVID-19 pandemic). The race starts in the opposite way that it did the year before at each successive year's event (2021 was run in the counter-clockwise direction, and 2022 was clockwise). Rather than crossing a finish line, participants in the event are obliged to "kiss the Hardrock," which is a depiction of a ram's head painted on a giant block of stone mining detritus. This "kiss" signifies that they have completed the race. The challenges presented in this class are designed for students at the graduate level. The route is deliberately constructed to present exceptionally difficult obstacles, particularly in the areas of altitude, steepness, and isolation. Your endurance is just as crucial as it is for you to have mountaineering, wilderness survival, and wilderness navigation skills for this competition.

Courtney Dauwalter's winning strategy:

In the meantime, Courtney Dauwalter had modified her nutrition plan since she had to withdraw from the race at mile 62 due to stomach troubles the previous year. However, despite the fact that the American ultramarathoner had an exceptional running background, she had not yet achieved a finish in a Hardrock 100 race. During the race in 2021, Courtney Dauwalter fell behind at the mile mark because she was having trouble both with nourishment and stomach troubles.

She was now concentrating on ingesting more fuel that was based on liquids while she was competing. Her strategy was successful, as she won the race with a comfortable seven-hour lead over Stephanie Case, who finished in second place. As a result of her victory, she moved up to sixth position overall and established a new record for the women's distance for the course.

According to Dauwalter, she spent the previous year experimenting with various feeding strategies and discovered that she could get the most out of relying on liquid calories for sustained energy.

The Details:

At this year's Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run, history was created as Kilian Jornet and Courtney Dauwalter achieved new course records on the clockwise circuit. Their times of 21:36:24 and 26:44:36, respectively, at the finish line set new benchmarks for the competition. The final place that Dauwalter took in the competition was sixth overall.

They completely destroyed the records that were previously held by Francois D'Haene (21:45:50, 2021) and Diana Finkel (27:18:24, 2009).

D'Haene, who finished in second place with a time of 21:51:19, and Dakota Jones, who came in third with a time of 23:06:17, were two of the other top finishers. In the competition for women, Stephanie Case finished in second place with a time of 33:52:40, and Hannah Green came in third with a time of 34:26:39.

Ornet, who is 34 years old, and Dauwalter, who is 37 years old, were considered to be the favorites heading into the race weekend, which began on July 15. Both are widely regarded as the greatest in their respective sports (Jornet had already won Hardrock four times prior to this weekend), which meant that setting new course records was a distinct possibility. Jornet did not compete in a race for the first time since 2017 and won it despite dislocating his shoulder at the 40-mile mark. This year was Jornet's first race since 2017.

Conclusion:

Dauwalter, who is 37 years old, is widely regarded as the best female ultramarathon runner in the world. It's possible that she's the best ultrarunner in the history of the sport, full stop. She competes in events of incredible distances, ranging from 100 to more than 200 miles, and has even tried her hand at a 486-mile route.

Courtney Dauwalter's entire summer was devoted to climbing Hardrock, a route that traverses the San Juan Range in southern Colorado and features an elevation gain of more than 66,000 feet. She practiced hard and changed her diet strategy for this race and it paid off really well. Courtney Dauwalter is the best competitor and ultrarunner when it is to endurance and strength. She often says when it's a race that you almost certainly won't win, there's a strangely strong draw to see how well you can do at it anyhow. She always steps in with positive energies for navigating, strong climbing leg vibes, and ensures her victory.