Lottery Season – it’s on every trail runner’s mind. In late fall to early winter, runners eagerly put their names in the draw for the summer season’s most historic and high-profile races around the world. Perhaps none is more closely followed – yet poorly understood – as the lottery for Colorado’s Hardrock 100. Featured photo: Lobo Photo NM (Travis & Amanda McWhorter).
Out of nearly three thousand applicants, the 2026 Hardrock 100 accepted only 147 runners. Applicants represented 48 states and 63 countries. “The Hardrock 100 has certainly become a global event,” says Hardrock 100 race director Dale Garland.
The low acceptance rate, along with a unique lottery system that aims to preserve the culture of the race while evolving with the sport, makes the Hardrock 100 one of the most notoriously difficult lotteries in which to earn a spot. Even for elite athletes or multiple time 100-mile race finishers, there’s no guaranteed entry into this historic race.
Yet, with better understanding of how the lottery works and how to increase one’s odds of selection, runners will not be so intimidated by the Hardrock 100 — and may even consider starting what is likely to be a multi-year journey of being selected.
PRO TIP: Curious how many trail races use lottery systems? While it is still a low percentage (approximately six percent by an iRunFar statistical analysis), an increasingly high number of high profile races such as the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, UTMB series, Golden Trail Series, and Leadville 100 race series utilize race lotteries to respond to the high demand of runners seeking to run their events.
Postgraduate ultra
The Hardrock 100 was established in 1992. Its lottery system was created in 2003, in response to the growing demand for participation in the event. The Hardrock 100 lottery is regarded as one of the most complicated to understand in the sport, but it is surprisingly simple to start the process of entry: run one qualifying race.
In order for runners to put their names in the Hardrock 100 lottery, they must finish one of the qualifying races designated on the race organization’s website. See the list of qualifying races for both the 2027 and 2028 Hardrock 100 races here.
Qualifying races are most often 100-mile races (or comparably challenging distances) with similar terrain and profile to the Hardrock 100. For safety reasons, the Hardrock 100 race organization does not allow inexperienced runners the opportunity to compete in their event. The Hardrock 100 presents participants with serious challenges including extreme altitude, severe weather, water/snow crossings, exposure, and much more.
“The Hardrock Hundred is a ‘post-graduate run. For safety reasons, not as an attempt at elitism, we cannot accept novice runners,” states the race organization (HRH). The organization continues, “The HRH has selected qualifying races to give the runner and the HRH management confidence that the runner is prepared to safely complete the HRH. The qualifying races each exhibit some of the challenges listed above. Some consideration is also taken for geographic location to help provide access to qualifiers worldwide.”
Curious about adding an event to the qualifying list? Contact Hardrock 100 board member Ken Gordon at ken@hardrock100.com.
Service requirement
In addition to running a qualifying race, runners must complete a Service Requirement for admission to run that consists of eight hours of service from the following choices:
Organization of an ultra
Service at an ultra
Work on a trail used by an ultra
Construction work on a new or existing natural-surface trail under the supervision of a formal trail maintenance organization operating under permit by the appropriate land agency, not necessarily on a trail used by an ultra.
Read more about specific guidelines for the Hardrock 100 service requirement here.
Feet limit
The Hardrock 100 may be the dream race for many trail runners, but there are several factors that limit participation numbers. Namely, the forest service and BLM. “Our permits with the BLM and forest service are based not just on the runners, but overall feet on the trail,” says Garland. He continues, “When we look at runners, crews, pacers, volunteers and race coordinators, there’s a lot of people on the trails and that’s a large part of what goes into determining our participation number each year.”
While there’s no set number of participants each year, the past several years has stayed roughly around 146. “We’re not quite as rigid as a race such as the Western States 100 that has the exact same number of participants each year, there’s some wiggle room,” says Garland, “We are consistently very close to the limit of individuals allowed on the trail by our permits. However, we do juggle the number of allowed participants, pacers, and crew each year.”
In addition to forest service and BLM permits, Garland says that the Hardrock 100 race organization must take into account the number of runners they believe they can provide a good race experience for. “There’s the administrative part, then there’s the experiential part,” says Garland. “We want to provide the kind of experience we think runners deserve when they come to the Hardrock 100.”
From a practical standpoint, the remoteness of the Hardrock 100’s aid stations can only accommodate a small number of participants. “The Hardrock 100 will never be a huge race because of this course and terrain,” says Garland. Additionally, several of the major checkpoint towns along the course – Telluride and Silverton to name a few – are in high tourist season on race day, which makes hotel and restaurant options limited for participants and their crews. “We want everyone to have a great experience and there to be resources available for all involved. That’s why Hardrock must remain true to its small mountain racing roots.”
Ethos and evolution
Key to understanding the odds of being selected in the Hardrock 100 lottery is the special format of the never finished and finished categories for lottery applicants. All qualified applicants of the Hardrock 100 are divided into two categories: never finished, or first-time participants of the race, and finished, or past finishers.
In 2026, a total of 82 never finished and 64 finished runners were accepted. “This ratio of finished to never finished may change year to year, but it is always by specific design,” says Garland, “We’ve seen growth in the amount of people who want to run the Hardrock 100 for the first time, so the ‘never finished’ number has correspondingly increased. Never finished is now higher than the number of ‘finished’ runners allowed.”
But the Hardrock 100 does not cater completely to first-time runners. Garland believes the culture of this historic race is best preserved by those who have completed the race, “As an organization, we think it’s important that people know what the Hardrock ethos and culture is. The best way we’ve found to do that is for finishers to share their experiences with the people who haven’t run the race.”
In addition to the ratio of never finished and finished runners, the Hardrock 100 race organization has specific rules for the number of male and female participants. In 2022, the organization introduced a gender equity policy. The guiding principle of this policy is that, “the percentage of women who start the race should be equal to or greater than the number of women who apply,” says Garland.
In 2026, the percentage of women in the race is 22.2%. Learn more about the gender equity policy here.
PRO TIP: Curious about what happens if runners are wait listed? Separate wait lists are created for each finishers and never finished runners. Beginning from the top of each waitlist, spots will be awarded to the corresponding category when entrants drop out from the race. Wait listed runners should check their email for updates from the race organization about their wait list position. On race week, runners at the top of the wait list may be asked to come to the race if there’s a chance of runners dropping out (decided each year on a case by case basis). Wait listed runners have forty-eight hours to accept their entry and pay the race fee should they become entered in the race. Runners do not have to pay a fee unless accepted (the 2026 entrant fee is $450). View the 2026 entrants and wait listed runners here.
Play the long game
The Hardrock 100 is not like other races where nearly every runner who applies will be accepted in a short timeframe. “Running the Hardrock 100 can be a five-, six- or seven-year process for many runners,” says Garland. He shares his advice for runners hoping to run the Hardrock 100 as soon as possible, “Start the process of applying earlier rather than later, even if you’re not convinced, you’re ready to run it yet. Secondly, get involved with Hardrock by volunteering, doing trail work, etc. This will also increase your odds of being selected.”
Service tickets are awarded for those who volunteer for the Hardrock 100 organization. Read more about how to increase the odds of being selected for the Hardrock 100 through service tickets here.
PRO TIP: Curious how lottery winners are drawn? The Hardrock 100 uses a computerized, weighted lottery system that simulates randomly pulling virtual tickets out of a hat.
Worst kept secret in ultrarunning
Dale’s picks, or the twelve lucky individuals proposed to the Hardrock 100 board by Garland for special entry into the race, is one of the most iconic parts of the Hardrock 100 lottery lore. “It’s now the worst kept secret in ultrarunning, jokes Garland.
The Hardrock 100 organization states the reasoning for these picks, “The intent of these picks is to correct perceived omissions in the lottery, such as a runner that has tried for many years to enter, who has given exceptional service to the HRH, or who the RD (race director) thinks will bring added interest to the run.”
Garland explains Dale’s picks, in greater detail and how this aspect has become an essential part of the race’s history, “Dale’s picks has been around for as long as the lottery (and used to be a well-guarded secret!). It came about because before 2002, nearly anyone who signed up could get in the race. There was never a need for anyone to bypass the lottery. This quickly changed as the race grew.” Garland continues highlighting the process of submitting names to the board, “I give a list of twelve people, six men and six women, who have already applied for the lottery and are qualified. The board can either approve or reject my recommendations. These athletes can be elite runners, people with a long-standing history of volunteering or any number of reasons that deserve special consideration.”
Each year, Garland finds that there are many deserving athletes for Dale’s picks. “We could have done thirty special consideration picks this year,” says Garland, “I’m considering so many factors and even with elite athletes picks it comes down to so much more than just race results. There are subcategories I’m analyzing such as volunteering or major contributions to the sport of ultrarunning.
“I’m looking for someone who best represents the Hardrock ethos and who thinks of Hardrock as a community which they will become a part of, not just someone who will come run the race and not return.”
PRO TIP: Curious to view results from the 2026 Hardrock Lottery and how athletes are selected? Watch the livestream of the lottery at the link below.
