Fancy a bowl of avocado soup and a pickle ice pop while battling the trails of southern Colorado’s San Juan mountain range? Those are just two of the unique “specialty dishes” runners have to look forward to at the aid stations along the Hardrock 100 ultramarathon course when they kick off their journey on Friday.
“We’d like to think we’ve got some of the best aid stations in the game here at the Hardrock 100 Endurance Run,” the race organizers wrote in an Instagram post.
Fueling and aid stations are a crucial part of every endurance race, but the Hardrock 100 organizers are particularly creative when it comes to their snacks. Alongside the race’s customary “standard menu” of homemade items that they provide every year—including 85 gallons of soup, 100 pounds of slow roasted brisket, 50 pumpkin pies, and black beans and rice—each aid station along the course has concocted its own “specialty dish” for the 146 runners taking part in the 2023 competition.
This year’s spread includes quite a cornucopia of culinary options, including deviled eggs, potstickers, pierogies, “super soups,” burgers, Nutella wraps, and a quesadilla bar. There’s also loaded tots, a hot drink bar, cosmic brownies, and banana pudding to look forward to. Behind-the-scenes photos of volunteers in the kitchen could easily be mistaken for a sprawling family Thanksgiving dinner in the works.
Obstacle racer and endurance athlete Amelia Boone aptly joked about the race’s food offerings on Twitter: “I sometimes try to explain 100 milers to people as either an ‘eating contest with a side of running,’ or ‘trick or treating in the mountains for 100 miles.’”
Another runner wrote, “I think there’s a pocket on all hydration vests specifically for tots!”
Be sure to check out our streaming guide to catch all the action on the Hardrock 100 course this weekend.
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
