[Author’s Note: This is the third article in an 11-part series celebrating legendary aid stations. You can read about the series here. Particular thanks go out to Nick Leuck, Hancock Aid Station captain at the High Lonesome 100 Mile, for his contributions to this article.]
From the volunteer guide for the High Lonesome 100 Mile: “Ahhhh Hancock … also known as Carnage City. No place showcases the 100-mile spirit like here. It’s a gritty spot where runners are invariably in terrible shape, but you’ll never see more determination than here. It’s the halfway point of the race and a wild ride. This is a crew-accessible aid station and is the first point runners are allowed to pick up pacers.
“If you’re looking for a true 100-miler aid station experience, this is your spot. Runners tend to be struggling with all the usual problems — eating, drinking, blisters, fatigue, breathing, etc. This is a large aid station with a ton of moving parts. Volunteers have to manage parking, crews, pacers, gear checks, food prep, runner assistance, medical issues, comm[unications] issues, and more.”
The path leading up to the Hancock Aid Station’s spectacular location. All photos courtesy of Nick Leuck.
The Hancock Aid Station sits at 11,100 feet above sea level, just before the halfway point of the High Lonesome 100 Mile in the Sawatch Range of Colorado. Runners are just coming down off the United States’ Continental Divide after having been running above treeline in one of most beautiful sections of the course for hours at elevations between 11,000 and 12,200 feet. The aid station is set up at a historical town site. There are historic placards, old structures, and evidence of a bygone era dominating the area. The particular section of trail here is part of both the Continental Divide Trail and the Colorado Trail — two iconic long trails in the heart of the Rocky Mountains of the U.S.
Runners reach the aid station starting in late afternoon and extending into the night. Many come down deliriously from the elevation to a spectacular sunset. Moose are common here. The aid station is one of the larger ones on the course. Runners have already accumulated about 15,000 feet of elevation gain and, because of all this, Hancock is commonly known as Carnage City.
Hancock Aid Station captain Nick Leuck notes, “Hancock is a place where I have seen many runners holding back tears of joy from merely seeing a familiar face. I’ve seen families here with a look of shock on their face as they are probably seeing their first 100-mile race. It’s amazing!”
For years, the mile-49 aid station had a rotating theme, but after the 2024 event, which had the theme of “Area 49” — complete with aliens, UFOs, and out of body experiences — Leuck and his team have decided to make that the permanent theme. All the volunteers are decked out in alien-themed costumes with glow sticks around their necks so crews and runners can easily pick out someone to help them. Last year they even had a younger family member casually riding his bike through the area with E.T. in the front basket. The aid station also provides each runner with a small alien figurine at the gear-check table for runners to take as protectors/friends through the night.
An alien-themed party in full swing as night falls on the Hancock Aid Station.
Leuck has developed a lifetime of memories as aid station captain over the years. “We are so lucky and thankful that we have a fantastic pool of people to pull volunteers from every year, people who return to our aid station year after year. Big Sean is a big Viking-looking redhead who loves doing the gear checks. He loves pulling in a quiet volunteer and making them be forceful with the runners and pacers. We have people that have worked in kitchens and just take that over and run with it. It’s also fun having volunteers that have no idea what a 100 miler entails and thrusting them into the fire.”
For Nick Leuck and the rest of his crew, running the Hancock Aid Station is one of their favorite times of the year. “It’s great. It’s at once a tent-city madhouse, a party, a triage tent, and a special place where runners who don’t feel like smiling smile anyway because they see friendly and familiar faces.”
Bottoms up!
A volunteer complete with glowstick cooking up a storm at the Hancock Aid Station.
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s beer of the week comes from Eddyline Brewing in Buena Vista, Colorado. Surfea Mexican Lager is a delicious, crispy Mexican lager, with a hint of lime and salt. A classic smooth-drinking lager, Surfea is a perfect beer to enjoy on a warm Colorado evening in the summer.
Call for Comments
Have you run the High Lonesome 100 Mile? If so, tell us your memories of this aid station.
The alien protectors given to each runner as they leave the Hancock Aid Station.
