Woman dies during 100-mile ultramarathon through Colorado mountains

A -year-old Michigan woman died Friday morning during a -mile ultramarathon through rugged Colorado mountain terrain San Juan County agents stated San Juan sheriff s officers and Silverton Clinical Rescue crews were called to the Little Giant Trail near Gold Lake at a m when members of the Hardrock safety band started CPR on a participant experiencing an unknown therapeutic issue Silverton agents revealed in a news release Rescue crews took over resuscitation efforts after hiking into the area but the woman identified as Elaine Stypula was pronounced dead at a m Additional information about what happened before event crews started CPR was not without delay available stated San Juan County spokesperson Deanne Gallegos Event organizers authenticated a runner had died and offered condolences in a post on the Hardrock website Our hearts are with their family friends and fellow runners as we grieve this tremendous loss event organizers wrote We are committed to caring for runners crews assistants and all members of our group through the event s duration and beyond The Hardrock is a -mile discipline through the San Juan mountains starting in Silverton and looping through Telluride Ouray and the ghost town of Sherman Runners traverse mountain passes including the -foot summit of Handies Peak and cover feet of elevation change according to the event s website The average time to finish the class is nearly hours and runners must tour through steep scree climbs and descents snow packs river crossings boulder fields and trails near sharp dropoffs during the day and at night Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter