It’s shaping up to be a classic Hardrock 100 next weekend (Friday 11 / Saturday 12 July).
Topping the start lists are last year’s surprise men’s winner Ludovic Pommeret and Katie Schide, the brilliant winner of both Western States and UTMB last year.
But they are joined by a whole host of other star names, including Zach Miller, Mathieu Blanchard, Katharina Hartmuth and Stephanie Case.
Running royalty alongside Ludo
It may be slightly harsh to call Pommeret a surprise winner 12 months ago given his ultrarunning CV and the fact he set a new course record.
No one will make that mistake again and – ahead of turning 50 later this month – the Frenchman is set to be helped by a couple of stellar pacers in the shape of the last two UTMB winners, Vincent Bouillard and Jim Walmsley!
Walmsley is easing himself back towards full fitness after being unable to defend his Western States crown and will take in Hardrock before heading to his French base.
Miller’s appearance at Hardrock is particularly welcome after he was forced out just before last year’s race because of appendicitis.
Schide makes her Hardrock debut
On the women’s side and in the absence of reigning champ Courtney Dauwalter, it’s her great rival and fellow American Schide who looks to be the one to beat.
Schide has never raced Hardrock before but she and partner Germain Grangier have been doing plenty of recce work with Pommeret in the last month.
Indeed the French-based athlete has been in the US since mid-May, which underlines how big a target this is.
The only blip in training was a fall when she banged her knee and required stitches but she says things are very much back on track.
Plenty of big names are taking her on and one of the more fascinating is Case. The Canadian was second at Hardrock in 2022 but then had a spell out of the sport to start a family.
But she made a remarkable return – and made headlines around the world – when she returned in May to win the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 100k despite not starting with the elites and breastfeeding her daughter Pepper during the race.
We’ll be building up to Hardrock in much more detail over the coming week so be sure to stay tuned for what promises to be another vintage edition.
