Strong field will be competing in 2022 Hardrock 100, with a lottery narrows field to 145

The Hardrock 100 ultramarathon held its lottery on Saturday to select runners to fill out its field of 145.

The race had 1,916 runners apply from 46 states and 50 foreign countries this year, which is slightly down from the roughly 2,200 applicants in 2019. The ages of the applicants ranged from 19 to 73, and the largest group was 40 to 49 years old, or 43% of the total.

New this year is a gender-equity provision, guaranteeing the percentage of women in the field at least equals the percentage of women who applied. So, since 345 women applied, representing 18% , 27 women were selected to participate.

“I thought the gender equity worked out well,” said race director Dale Garland. “The lottery is designed for gender equity and also to make it accessible to new runners and people who have been here before. Both are important.”

Because of COVID-19, international runners who were chosen for the previous year’s event but were unable to travel in 2021 gained an automatic entry for the 2022 race, which includes 16 men and two women.

Automatic entry goes to last year’s winners – Sabrina Stanley, a two-time champ, and Francois D’Haene, who set a course record last year. D’Haene also won the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc last year in Chamonix, France.

Garland also got to choose six entries, which are kept secret. He said, however, that his picks this year are elite runners, some runners who have provided service for the event and two with good storylines.

After that, 119 runners were selected in the lottery. To be eligible for the lottery, the athletes had to complete one of 30 qualifiers around the world that are all at least 100 miles long.

“I’m really happy with it,” Garland said this year’s field of athletes. “There’s some interesting competitive story lines, some competitive longevity story lines, and we’re seeing some people who have run in 10 or 15 Hardrocks.

Killian Jornet, a four-time Hardrock champion, will race again this year. Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz, who finished second at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc last year, also is expected to compete for the title.

In the women’s race, Courtney Dauwalter, an Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc winner in 2019 and 2021, will challenge Stanley. “It will be an interesting dynamic to have those two run,” Garland said.

Darcy Piceu, an eight-time Hardrock finisher with three wins, also will be in contention, as will Meghan Hicks, a top-three finisher from last year who lives in Silverton, like Stanley.

Neal Matosky of Durango and Durango High School graduate Dakota Jones also will compete.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see (Jones) in the top 10,” Garland said.

The race takes place July 15-17. It will start at 6 a.m. on July 15, and the runners will have 48 hours to complete the race. It will start at Silverton and go to Telluride first this year, then Ouray, close to Lake City and finish in Silverton. The first race was held in 1992 and this will be the 27th running of the event. Snow and fires caused a few to be canceled.

Volunteers are needed for the event. For information, visit hardrock100.com.

posted Friday December 10th
by Cody Olivas