Hardrock 100 isn’t losing sight of its origins, despite soaring popularity

SILVERTON — As the clock approached 5 a.m., the sun still tucked behind the mountains, they emerged bleary-eyed from the shadows and lined alongside the Silverton High School gym.
It is known at the Hardrock 100 as “The Golden Hour” — the final 60 minutes before the 48-hour cutoff for finishing this 100.5-mile odyssey through the rugged San Juan Mountains, a run that requires athletes to climb nearly 33,000 feet.
A small cadre of fans, crew members, run officials and runn