Each July, one of the most gruelling endurance trail running races in the United States occurs in Southwestern Colorado. The Hardrock 100 which commences and finishes in Silverton and navigates the San Juan Mountains and through the historic mining towns, Telluride and Ouray.

The course ascends over 10,000 metres (nearly 34,000 feet) over the 160 km (100.5 miles) at an average elevation of nearly 3,500m (11,186 feet), peaking at the 4,282 metres (14,048-foot) Handies Peak and a total elevation change of nearly 21,000 metres (67,984 feet).

As is the case with the majority of 100 mile races having a 24- or 36-hour cut-off time, the Hardrock 100 has a 48-hour cut-off time, with the average winner’s time around 24 hours and an average finish time of just over 41 hours, meaning most competitors will experience sunrise twice!

It’s almost as hard to get into the race as it is finishing, this year more than 1,200 runners (this was a 50% percent increase in applications in one year) applied for a coveted lottery spot to gain one of the 140 entries into the event. The previous year’s male and female automatically qualify for the next year. Due to confines on the run's permit with local land authorities there is no plans to increase the number of runners over 140.

Each year's event is run in the reverse direction of the previous year's race. In order to complete the event, instead of running across the finish line, it is obligatory for runners to "kiss the Hardrock", a picture of a ram's head painted on a large mining stone.

In 2014, the race is offering one of the most intriguing in the event’s history.

In the men’s field, arguably the greatest athlete in trail running and mountaineering in the world at the moment, Kilian Jornet has secured an elusive lottery spot, his form is hot winning the recent vertical kilometre and marathon at the Skyrunning World Championships plus breaking the record for the fastest known time for the round trip of Denali's (McKinley's) Rescue Gully route in Alaska earlier this year. Last year’s Hardrock winner, Seb Chaigneau returns, he ran the second fastest time in racing history in 2013 with a 24.25. The two time Western States 100 winner Timothy Olson is also here along with the 2011 Hardrock winner, Julien Chorier plus two time Hardrock podium finisher, Dakota Jones.

In the women’s field it appears there appears to two likely winners, Darcy Piceu, the 2012 and 2013 Hardrock winner and course record holder Diana Finkel. There is only 18 women in total in the race this year.

The Hardrock 100 Current Records

Men’s Record: Kyle Skaggs, 23:23 set in 2008

Women's record: Diana Finkel, 27:18 set in 2009

Here is a great clip capturing some of the beauty and tough terrain of the race.