HANDIES PEAK – As he descended from the high point of the Hardrock 100 endurance race that snakes across the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado, first-time Hardrock runner Kyle Skaggs of Glenwood, New Mexico was set to shatter the course record for one of most grueling ultramarathons in the world. As of 9:50 p.m. on Friday, July 11, 24 year-old Skaggs had crested the course’s high point on Handies Peak, reaching the aid station in the old mining ghost town of Sherman a full three hours ahead of the fastest time ever recorded, at 15 hours from the starting point in Silverton, Colo. The Sherman aid station wasn’t even set to open until 10:15; Skaggs hit the station an hour early.

Winners usually finish the race between 25 to 27 hours after starting, and Skaggs is expected to break the 24-hour mark this year.

Skaggs, formerly of the Pacific Northwest, will break the record set last year by Scott Jurek of Seattle. Jurek is in Europe and did not run the Hardrock this year. Jurek’s record stands at at 26 hours, 8 minutes and 34 seconds.

Diana Finkel, who won last year’s Leadville 100 and is leading the women’s pack, is currently in seventh place overall. The current women’s record was set by Krissy Moehl of Seattle at 29:24:45.

From Sherman, racers cross four high ridges over 12,000’ each before descending to the finish line in Silverton early Saturday morning, July 12.

This year’s race was not expected to be a record-breaking run, due to the heavy snowpack that runners are encountering on the course.

From Sherman, Skaggs has 9,000 feet of climbing and 9,350 feet of descent over the course of 28.65 miles to the finish line. He has been running since 6 a.m. on the morning of Friday, July 11. To gain the Sherman station, Skaggs and the other racers climbed 23,939 feet and lost 23,612 feet in 71.8 miles.