There isn’t much Sarah Lavender Smith hasn’t done in the world of running.
The Colorado resident has run more than 100 ultras and marathons, winning several at the 50k distance and clocking up many thousands of miles during more than 30 years in the sport.
In 2019, she won the Grand to Grand Ultra, widely celebrated as one of the toughest races in the world.
But Sarah had a ten year itch she needed to scratch: an event as hard to get into as it is to run.
It is a race which features 102.5 miles (165km) and 33,000 feet (10,000 m) of climb through an area of such spiritual significance to her that she can track her family roots there back to 1880.
Sarah’s date with destiny arrived on July 11, 2025 in Silverton, Colorado.
At 6am on that day, she toed the start line of one of ultra running’s most famous races: The Hardrock 100.
In this episode of Running Tales, we spoke to Sarah to find out how her Hardrock adventure turned out...
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