Performances for the ‘Ages’ from Ludo and Courtney

Several players turned back their biological clocks at Wimbledon 2026, but it took one of the world’s toughest endurance races to really demonstrate that ‘age is just a number’.

Swiss tennis pro, Stanislas Warinka at 41 and Serena Williams at 44 returned to Wimbledon in attempts to turn back the clock, but although they played impressively, they lost in the first round.

Novic Djokovic at 39 is nine years older than the next oldest player in the world’s top 30, and advanced to the semi-finals before losing to the World Number 1, Jannik Sinner.

But among the most impressive sporting endeavours by ‘senior citizens’ in recent times was French ultra-trail athlete, Ludovic Pommeret’s feat in winning the Hardrock Endurance Run in the American state of Colorado in record time last weekend (11 July).

Just ten days short of his 51^st birthday, the French ultra-trail athlete returned to his happy hunting ground to race to a record-breaking victory around the 100-mile circuit through the San Juan Range and historic mining hills of Southern Colorado.

The Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run is an ultra-marathon, close to 100 miles (162.0 km) in length, including 10,000 m of elevation gain at an average elevation of over 3,400 m with a lung-searing high point of 4281 metres at Handies Peak, two thirds of the way into the counter-clockwise direction race.

The race is dedicated to the memory of the miners who settled in the area and who built the mining trails on which much of the race is run.

The run starts and ends in the regional centre of Silverton, passes through the towns of Telluride, Ouray and the ghost town of Sherman and crosses thirteen major passes in the 3700m to 4000m range. Runners must overcome extremely rugged terrain including steep scree climbs and descents, snowpacks, river crossings, and boulder fields.

To still be improving past fifty is extraordinary, but that’s what Pommeret achieved. He first won the (counter-clockwise) event in 2024 as a sprightly 49-year-old in record time in 21 hrs 33min 06sec before returning last year to win the clockwise version in 22:21:53, 45 minutes outside Kilian Jornet’s 2022 record which marked the Spaniard’s fifth win at Hardrock.

This year Pommeret stunned the trail running world with an outstanding performance, reaching the finish at Silverton well before dawn 21:11:36 – almost 22 minutes inside his 2024 mark and the fastest Hardrock circuit in either direction.

While the majority of full-time trail runners turn professional early in their careers before turning to ‘more conventional’ occupations later in life, Pommeret did it in reverse. A computer engineer who worked for Swiss air traffic control, Pommeret retired in 2025 at age 50 to become a full-time professional athlete.

“I pushed the pace in the beginning as I was feeling cold,” Pommeret remarked, before giving credit to his supporters. “Without my team it would not be possible. I was not sure I could hold the pace but they all helped me – my physio with her quick massages, as I don’t spend much time in the aid stations, and my father-in-law who helped me push the pace in the final section.”

Pommeret’s performance was exceptional, but 41-year-old Courtney Dauwalter’s fourth Hardrock victory in the women’s competition also demonstrated that the potential loss of youthful power and vigour in mature athletes can be more than offset in ultra-trail competition by resilience and experience.  Dauwalter’s consistency in elite competition over ever-increasing distances sets her apart as one of the best ever and she shows no sign of slowing.

Dauwalter has achieved record victories with each of her races at Hardrock, starting with 26:44:38 in 2022 (counter-clockwise) which she improved to 26:11:47 in 2024 and 26:03:10 last weekend. Heir-apparent, Katy Schide, won the 2025 (clockwise) race in Dauwalter’s absence in 25:50:23, 24 minutes inside Dauwalter’s 2023 mark.

This year Dauwalter was on course to finish inside Schide’s mark for the fastest time in either direction until she suffered severe gastronomical distress after peaking at Handies, the high point of the race.

“Handies was beautiful but the beginning of the end for me,” Dauwalter reflected. “The climb to the top was very cool but my stomach problems started on the descent.  I spent the night ‘fertilizing the course’!  It was really hard.

“In the first half I was cruising and just letting miles happen – it felt good.  The weather was good and I was running with some fun people. I didn’t have a finish time in mind, but as race unfolded during the day (Katy Schide’s) record seemed possible. But then during the night (after stomach problems) it was plain that it was not possible.”

2026 Hardrock Endurance Run Results

Men

1. Ludovic Pommeret – 21:11:36
2. Jimmy Elam – 23:48:56
3. David Ayala – 24:28:17
4. Ryan Smith – 25:45:37
5. Arlen Glick – 26:41:17
6. Nick Coury – 29:53:39
7. Paul Terranova – 30:48:30
8. Dustin Simoens – 31:37:57
9. Shad Mika – 32:27:55
10. Alex Docta – 32:36:20

Women

1. Courtney Dauwalter – 26:03:10
2. Careth Arnold – 30:32:31
3. Tara Dower – 33:02:04
4. Bailey Eppard – 35:41:59
5. Kaci Lickteig – 36:12:17
6. Erin Shaw – 36:44:55
7. Darla Askew – 36:49:47
8. Jenny Pierce – 37:26:08
9. Jenny Fox – 37:33:26
10. Jordan Armstrong – 38:39:14

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