Hardrock 100-Mile Endurance Run in Silverton, Colorado saw winners with extreme grit this year. Kilian Jornet and Caroline Chaverot both walked away victorious on July 15, but not without obstacles.
Jornet, 29, fell on Stony Pass around the 13-mile mark and dislocated his shoulder, as reported by The Denver Post. After popping it back in himself, accepting a sling, and declining medication, he raced to the finish. The Spaniard completed the race in 24 hours, 32 minutes, and 32 seconds.
This isn’t the first time the endurance runner has experienced severe pain and discomfort. You think climbing Everest is hard? Try ascending and descending the beast without supplemental oxygen. (Hint: that’s exactly what Jornet did in May). The combination of Colorado’s rocky terrain, Saturday’s unforgiving weather, and the pain of dislocated shoulder made Jornet’s victory that much more impressive.
Chaverot, an IAU Trail and Skyrunning Trail World Champion from France, also took a spill, but not without getting lost for 90 minutes first. About two-thirds through the race, her and her pacesetter descended Virginius Pass in the dark and lost the trail. After seeing someone and joining the trail again, the 40-year-old fought to keep her lead for the remaining 33 miles. She finished the race in 28 hours, 31 minutes, and 50 seconds.
The lesson here, folks, is to never, ever give up.
Tackle the trail with these new rugged kicks.
After a summer internship with Runner’s World in 2017, McGee has somehow convinced the team to let her keep writing for them as a freelancer. Her work for both Runner’s World and Bicycling consists mostly of news and human interest pieces. Her favorite stories to tell are ones of “ordinary” people doing extraordinary things through running and cycling, whether accomplishing personal goals, overcoming severe trials, or transforming their communities. Her writing has also appeared on ACTIVE and Paste Magazine. When she’s not running or eating, you can probably find her still eating.
