Of the many good-natured debates that permeate the sport of trail running and ultrarunning, few are as lively and as varied as the discussion over which direction — clockwise or counterclockwise — is harder at the Hardrock 100.
Of course, the simple answer is that they are both hard. And that’s quite true. But, for those of us who’ve run the race in both directions, and I am fortunate to count myself as one of those, we all have our opinions.
The Hardrock 100 course showcases four historic mountain towns of the San Juans — Silverton, Lake City, Ouray, and Telluride — and allows the toughest ultrarunners in the world to test themselves in these majestic mountains. Over nearly 30 years of the iconic race, the course has remained virtually unchanged, save for a few small re-routes here and there. As a result, it provides great fodder for the debate: which direction is harder? What follows is my opinion on that question.
Claire Bannwarth (left) and Annie Hughes share early miles in the 2023 Hardrock 100 hiking up the “ramp” outside of Maggie Gulch. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Most everyone knows that the Hardrock course, over its 100 miles, packs about 33,200 feet of climbing over nine major climbs, the highest one topping out at 14,058 feet. All of those climbs are steep, soul-sucking efforts in both directions that will test even the most seasoned ultrarunner. But, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that one direction — the clockwise direction that runners are traversing this year — is more forgiving and, therefore, more likely to yield fast times. As my good friend Roch Horton, 10-time Hardrock finisher, often says, “Going clockwise you run up the ‘walls’ and down the ‘ramps.’”
In the clockwise direction, the climbs, or the walls, are invariably steeper, more technical, and shorter. The descents, or the ramps, are longer, gentler, and more likely to allow runners to open things up a bit and make up time running down the more gradual grades. There are four key places where this point is illuminated:
- The descent off of Oscars Pass into Telluride
- The long descent down Camp Bird Road into Ouray
- The sweeping road descent from Engineer Pass to Grouse Gulch
- The smooth road from Burrows Park to Sherman
These four sections, totaling over 22 miles in aggregate — mostly on jeep roads and double-track track — represent sections where runners can really run. They are fantastically forgiving. I remember first becoming aware of this in 2008 when Kyle Skaggs became the first person ever to run Hardock in under 24 hours. That year, he told me he ran the seven-mile Camp Bird section from Governor Basin to Ouray in 48 minutes during the race.
This idea was reinforced in 2012 when, according to winner Hal Koerner, he ran down all four of the “ramps” at a sub-7:30-minute-per-mile pace and distanced all of his competitors in the process.
Kilian Jornet leading François D’Haene and Dakota Jones early in the 2022 Hardrock 100, a clockwise year, before going on to set a course record. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
In a long mountain race of 100 miles, multiple variables are always at play, and the brutal truth is that Hardock is difficult in either direction. But for the smart and savvy runner who does their homework and analyzes the course, it is clear that clockwise is the faster direction. It will be fun to see how it all plays out this year.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Telluride Brewing Company in Telluride, Colorado. Suero is a crisp pilsner brewed with fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt to provide a taste of Mexico in a high mountain town. Suero is, in many ways, a classic German-style pilsner. But in other ways, it is one of those beers that keeps you coming back for more.
Call for Comments
- If you’ve run Hardrock in both directions before, which do you think is harder?
- Given the option, which direction would you choose to go?
