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Destination100MLottery

High Lonesome 100

Demand

5 out of 5

How much it asks

Worth

5 out of 5

Whether the ticket is worth it

Mount Princeton / Salida, Colorado, United States

Mount Princeton from a Buena Vista overlook, Collegiate Peaks
Mount Princeton from a Buena Vista overlook, Collegiate Peaks Nholifield / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Scorecard · is it worth it?

Worth the trip if the mountains match what you want.

The card

High Lonesome is the race we would tell a friend to fly for if the friend wanted Colorado mountains and did not have a Hardrock ticket. That is a worth score of 5, and it is the point of this site. The loop starts at the base of Mount Princeton, runs the southern Sawatch, uses 27 miles of the Continental Divide Trail and 35 miles of the Colorado Trail, crosses five alpine passes, and threads two ghost towns. Published demand: 100 miles, 23,500 feet of gain, high point 13,150 feet, about 15 percent above treeline, 37 hours. That is a mountain 100. It is not Ouray's vertical prank and it is not Leadville's dirt-road myth.

Demand is 5 because 13,000-foot passes, 23,500 feet of gain, storms, and true trail stack. The Colorado Trail sections give you flow; they do not make this a runnable road 100. Worth is 5 because the weekend is the mountains. Salida is a real town. The aid stations are captained by 100-mile veterans. The registration culture is the opposite of a circuit: qualifiers explicitly disallow UTMB-owned races. That is an editorial fact, not a vibe.

Organization confidence is high. The course pages, crew manuals, qualifier rules, and lottery mechanics are written like they expect to be read. A race that publishes like a community is not the same as a race that publishes like a brand.

Lottery is real. You should not pretend this is a secret. You should also not confuse a Colorado lottery with a stones economy. If you get in, go. If you do not, Ouray is the nastier nearby option and Hardrock is the icon. Leadville remains the wrong answer to the same mountain question.

Who it is for

Runners who want a true Colorado mountain 100 with community aid, alpine trail, and no World Series affiliation.

Who should skip

People who need a household-name buckle, or who cannot handle 13,000-foot passes and a competitive lottery.

Elevation

ft8,0009,00010,00011,00012,00013,0006amnoon4pm8pm4am+1d8am+1dnoon+1dRaspberry 1 · 7.3 mi · cutoff 2.5 hAntero · 16.9 mi · cutoff 7 hSt Elmo 1 · 25.1 mi · cutoff 9.5 hCottonwood · 31.5 mi · cutoff 12 hSt Elmo 2 · 37.9 mi · cutoff 14.5 hTin Cup · 41.7 miHancock · 49.6 mi · cutoff 19.5 hLost Wonder · 56 mi · cutoff 22 hPurgatory · 64.3 miMonarch Pass · 68.2 mi · cutoff 27 hFooses Creek · 75.1 mi · cutoff 29 hShavano · 81.5 miBlanks Cabin · 83.4 mi · cutoff 32 hRaspberry 2 · 92.7 mi · cutoff 34.75 hFinish · 100 mi · cutoff 37 h

Tap or hover for miles, clock, and aidft

Dark from 20:28 to 05:52 local. The median finisher is in the dark from Lost Wonder onward (11:06pm).

Bottom ticks are aid. Longest gap 9.6 mi.

Course line from official GPX. Dots are aid. Tap or hover for mile, elevation, and clock.

Finisher pace

Not yet sourced.

Where the cutoff bites

Least margin: Raspberry 1, 60 min for the back of the field.

Finishers only. DNFs are missing, so the real back of the field is slower.

Hardest stretch

Hardest stretch: Raspberry 1 to Antero, 4,176 ft in 9.6 mi.

Segment gains from the course elev profile.

FromToMiGainLoss
StartRaspberry 17.311.7 km1,146 ft349 m757 ft231 m
Raspberry 1Antero9.615.4 km4,176 ft1,273 m1,483 ft452 m
AnteroSt Elmo 18.213.2 km742 ft226 m2,283 ft696 m
St Elmo 1Cottonwood6.410.3 km2,175 ft663 m1,996 ft608 m
CottonwoodSt Elmo 26.410.3 km1,955 ft596 m2,050 ft625 m
St Elmo 2Tin Cup3.86.1 km920 ft280 m0 ft0 m
Tin CupHancock7.912.7 km1,353 ft412 m1,322 ft403 m
HancockLost Wonder6.410.3 km999 ft304 m1,326 ft404 m
Lost WonderPurgatory8.313.4 km2,090 ft637 m1,316 ft401 m
PurgatoryMonarch Pass3.96.3 km522 ft159 m620 ft189 m
Monarch PassFooses Creek6.911.1 km130 ft40 m2,777 ft846 m
Fooses CreekShavano6.410.3 km1,420 ft433 m663 ft202 m
ShavanoBlanks Cabin1.93.1 km311 ft95 m49 ft15 m
Blanks CabinRaspberry 29.315 km874 ft266 m1,759 ft536 m
Raspberry 2Finish7.311.7 km718 ft219 m1,131 ft345 m
Start
8,550 ft2,606 m
Finish
8,550 ft2,606 m
Net
0 ft0 m
Longest climb
4,213 ft1,284 m
Above 10,000 ft
58 mi93 km

Start and finish are within 400 ft. Treat net as a loop.

Weekend

Official handbook facts

Start
06:00
Crew
31, 49.6 mi
Pacer from
49.6 mi
Kit
Required · Whistle, bivy, 1.5 L, emergency light, taped-seam jacket, cup. Gear check Friday 5:00-5:45 AM (not the gun).
Tracker
Open
Course file
Open

Printable cutoff card

High Lonesome 100 2026 race-week page + Runner Guide v3 · retrieved 2026-09-06 (repo record)

Required kit

2026 edition · RD list

  • Whistle

    Base required gear, start to finish.

  • Emergency bivvy

    SOL emergency bivvy.

    Base required gear, start to finish.

  • Water capacity

    Minimum 1.5L.

    Base required gear, start to finish.

  • Emergency light source

    At least 10 lumens.

    Base required gear, start to finish.

  • Waterproof jacket

    Must have taped seams.

    Base required gear, start to finish.

  • Collapsible cup

    Base required gear, start to finish.

  • Pants

    Leggings, tights, running pants, or waterproof options are all acceptable.

    Divide gear, required only from Cottonwood to Monarch.

  • Two light sources

    Primary plus emergency light.

    Divide gear, required only from Cottonwood to Monarch.

  • Beanie or buff

    Divide gear, required only from Cottonwood to Monarch.

  • Extra layer

    Long sleeve T-shirt or greater. No cotton.

    Divide gear, required only from Cottonwood to Monarch.

  • CORSAR card

    Proof required at packet pickup.

    Not necessarily carried during the race itself.

Runners are checked at the Start Line (Friday 5:00am-5:45am), Cottonwood (mile 31), and Hancock (mile 49). Pacers are checked at their pickup location only; a pacer starting at Hancock is checked there but not at subsequent aid stations.

highlonesome100.comretrieved 2026-09-06

Full kit page

Field

Last editions · 100M scored distance

Field evidence: who showed up, who finished, how long. DNF is that evidence, not a difficulty score. Public results, scored distance only.

DNF over the years

202428%202526%202628%

DNF 28% in 2026, 26% the year before.

2026

Starters
250
Finishers
180
DNF
28%
Win
19:56:30
Median
32:38:45
retrieved 2026-09-03

2025

Starters
225
Finishers
166
DNF
26%
Win
18:52:00
Median
32:45:10
retrieved 2026-09-03

2024

Starters
199
Finishers
143
DNF
28%
Win
20:16:25
Median
33:16:15
retrieved 2026-09-03

2023

Finishers from UltraRunning Magazine calendar results table (100 Miles). Starters/DNF not published on this page.

Starters
.
Finishers
125
DNF
–
Win
19:42:03
Median
.
retrieved 2026-09-07

2022

Finishers from UltraRunning Magazine calendar results table (100 Miles). Starters/DNF not published on this page.

Starters
.
Finishers
96
DNF
–
Win
20:58:57
Median
.
retrieved 2026-09-07

2021

Finishers from UltraRunning Magazine calendar results table (100 Miles). Starters/DNF not published on this page.

Starters
.
Finishers
94
DNF
–
Win
21:23:00
Median
.
retrieved 2026-09-07

2019

Finishers from UltraRunning Magazine calendar results table (100 Miles). Starters/DNF not published on this page.

Starters
.
Finishers
86
DNF
–
Win
22:22:43
Median
.
retrieved 2026-09-07

2018

Finishers from UltraRunning Magazine calendar results table (100 Miles). Starters/DNF not published on this page.

Starters
.
Finishers
67
DNF
–
Win
21:02:59
Median
.
retrieved 2026-09-07

2017

Finishers from UltraRunning Magazine calendar results table (100 Miles). Starters/DNF not published on this page.

Starters
.
Finishers
53
DNF
–
Win
23:29:05
Median
.
retrieved 2026-09-07

Latest median 32:38:45 (2026) vs the 37-hour cutoff already listed in Gate. Not a hardness score.

Overall field only. Not a pro or sponsored subset.

Where people drop

DNF by last recorded station · 2025. 225 starters.

  • Raspberry 1 (mi 7.3)0
  • Skyline (mi 14.7)0
  • Antero (mi 16.9)0
  • Baldwin (mi 21.1)0
  • St Elmo 1 (mi 25.1)2
  • Cottonwood (mi 31.5)6
  • St Elmo 2 (mi 37.9)3
  • Tin Cup (mi 41.7)0
  • Hancock (mi 49.6)12
  • Lost Wonder (mi 56)9
  • Purgatory (mi 64.3)3
  • Monarch Pass (mi 68.2)8
  • Fooses Creek (mi 75.1)1
  • Shavano (mi 81.5)4
  • Blanks Cabin (mi 83.4)5
  • Raspberry 2 (mi 92.7)6
  • Finish (mi 100)0

Most drops: Hancock, 12 of 225 in 2025

OpenSplitTime 2025 dropped last-station countsretrieved 2026-09-07

Climate

Typical July at the start area · historical race-week weather

Typical high
54°F (12°C)
Typical low
34°F (1°C)
Typical precip
4.9 in (126 mm) / July
Days with rain
67% of days
High point
13,150 ft (4,008 m)

BewareHigh point 13,150 ft (4,008 m). Measurable precip on about 67% of July days.

2015–2024 July means at the start / massif. · Open-Meteo ERA5 / climate · retrieved 2026-09-06 (repo record)

Dimensions

Ten 1–5 scores with a one-line why. Organization has a separate confidence tag.

Supporting dimensions · organization confidence high

Distance & format
How much does the advertised distance and format actually ask?
4 out of 5

A 100-mile loop with a 37-hour cutoff: tighter than Ouray, kinder than a 30-hour road 100.

Vertical
How serious is the climbing, not just the mile marker?
4 out of 5

23,500 ft of gain. Enough to be a mountain race, not a 42k-ft suffering contest.

Technicality
Hands, poles, route-finding, or just a long dirt road?
4 out of 5

Alpine passes, CDT and Colorado Trail, basins and ridges. Trail, not jeep boulevard.

Climate
Heat, monsoon, ice, or a friendly summer afternoon?
4 out of 5

Sawatch summer: storms, cold nights, sun. Fifteen percent above treeline.

Altitude
Does the air change the race, or is it a talking point?
4 out of 5

High point 13,150 ft, average around 10,600. The air is part of the course.

Logistics
How hard is the weekend around the race: travel, crew, lodging, rules?
3 out of 5

Salida / Mount Princeton is easier than Silverton, still a mountain-town weekend. Lottery plus qualifiers.

Prestige & field
Does the start list and history change what the weekend feels like?
3 out of 5

Respected Colorado mountain 100, not a global final. Community is the prestige.

Organization
From public evidence, does the event look competently run?
5 out of 5

Veteran-captained aid, unusually public course docs, qualifier rules that refuse UTMB-owned races.

Value
Entry fee, travel tax, and lottery friction versus what you get on course.
5 out of 5

Hard to name a better flight-to-trail ratio in the U.S. if you can get through the lottery.

Adventure & scenery
Would you fly for the place even if nobody kept score?
5 out of 5

Five alpine passes, two ghost towns, CDT and CT. This is the postcard without the circus.