BLACK HILLS 100 | Bold, Brash And Nearly Broken

As the name implies, the Black Hills 100 Miler takes place in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This race features an out & back course with 17,000 feet of elevation gain on a mix of single track and some double wide track over some technical terrain. It is run almost exclusively on the Centennial Trail and features a few extended climbs along with some undulating terrain. Heat was a major factor this year and while not the hottest edition ever, both Friday and Saturday featured temps in the 90s with some considerable humidity. Since the race started at 10AM on Friday, most runners would experience two days in 90 degree heat, me included. Earning my 22nd state with a 100 mile or longer ultra marathon finish would take considerable effort if I was to make it to the finish line. With the finisher rate barely above 30% this year, finishing this event just 2 weeks removed from the Trail 100 Andorra race would be no easy task. However, I was committed to finishing this thing, so hopefully that would be enough.