Courtney Dauwalter is truly in a league of her own. For the third consecutive year, the 39-year-old trail running superstar won the Hardrock 100 in course-record time—two and a half minutes under her own overall women’s course record from last year, and over 30 minutes ahead of her first-course record set in 2022.
Dauwalter completed the 100-mile dirt course, which features over 10,000 metres of elevation gain, in 26 hours, 11 minutes, and 19 seconds. With this win, she has now won the Hardrock 100 three times in her four starts, setting course records each time. The only year she didn’t win Hardrock was in 2021, when she dropped out midway due to stomach issues on the gruelling high-altitude course, which averages 3,000 meters above sea level in Colorado. Dauwalter has been nearly unbeatable since, winning 18 of her last 20 races dating back to 2019.
RÉCORDS HARDROCK 100! Courtney Dauwalter y Ludovic Pommeret vencen a lo grande en Colorado.
🖥️ 👉 https://t.co/DJ4ACR2gkm#carrerasdemontaña #hr100
📷 Sapphirothehero pic.twitter.com/OcvqPVZfvm— Carrerasdemontanacom (@CarrerasMontana) July 14, 2024
Camille Bruyas of France was the only woman close to Dauwalter in the race. Bruyas tailed Dauwalter until just after 40 kilometres when Dauwalter surged ahead and never looked back. Bruyas finished more than three hours after Dauwalter, securing second place (and sixth overall) in 29:28:14. Switzerland’s Katharina Hartmuth was third, finishing in 30:29:12.
Two Canadian women crack the top 10
Two Canadian ultrarunners achieved impressive results at the Hardrock 100, cracking the top 10. Becky Bates of Kimberley, B.C., was the top Canadian finisher, crossing the line in 36 hours and 26 seconds. Her time set a new women’s 60-69 age group record, breaking her previous record from last year’s race by more than 15 minutes.
Running 100 miles at 62 is impressive enough, but setting records year in and year out is sensational. Bates took up running in her early 50s and has competed at the Hardrock 100 seven times. She also holds the age group record for the women’s 50-59 division (32:46:17), which she set in 2017 when she was 55.
Becky Bates is the seventh women at the 2024 Hardrock 100 in 36:00:25. #HR100 pic.twitter.com/fWHfEzpx6p
— iRunFar (@iRunFar) July 14, 2024
Bates credits her knowledge and Hardrock experience for her success. “When I got into Hardrock the first time I was a pretty novice runner, so there were no expectations about how I would do,” said Bates. “When I got into Hardrock the second time, I thought, well, I’m old, so that takes the pressure off, 100 percent!”
Claire Heslop, a physician from Almonte, Ont., rounded out the top 10 in 37:10:19. According to IRunFar, Heslop struggled with stomach pain in the final 20 kilometres but is psyched to be running UTMB next month.
Women’s top 10
- Courtney Dauwalter (USA) – 26:11:49
- Camille Bruyas (France) – 29:28:11
- Katharina Hartmuth (Switzerland) – 30:29:12
- Tara Dower (USA) – 33:10:55
- Yitka Winn (USA) – 33:17:00
- Emily Halnon (USA) – 33:24:22
- Becky Bates (Canada) – 36:00:26
- Claire Bannwarth (France) – 36:13:33
- Amber Weibel (USA) – 36:26:49
- Claire Heslop (Canada) – 37:10:19
For full results from the 2024 Hardrock 100, check here.
