There is perhaps no one in U.S. ultrarunning history who has had quite as big an impact on the creation, development, and perhaps even the soul of the sport as John Cappis. When news of John’s death at age 83 circulated through the ultrarunning community on the morning of Thursday, April 30, 2026, there was a profound sense that the ultra world had lost someone whose full impact on the sport will never be completely understood. As our community mourns John’s passing, those who knew him well shared thoughts about the impact he had on the sport and on them.
John Cappis was always an integral part of the Hardrock 100 community. Photos: Blake Wood
John Trent — journalist, veteran ultrarunner, and long-time Western States 100 board member — reflected on John, saying, “What was unique about John was how he straddled the creation and the success of arguably the two most important 100 milers in the United States — the Western States 100 and Hardrock 100. He was a key contributor to both while they were in their infancy, and it’s hard to imagine either one being what they are today without the indelible imprint of care, thoughtfulness, and vision for the future that he was able to provide each event.”
The Early Years
In 1975, four years after his first race, John finished the Boston Marathon in 2:36.
Then two years later, he showed up at the first Western States 100 start line. He was one of the 14 pioneering runners who participated in the first officially organized Western States 100 in 1977 — when runners had access to only a couple of aid stations and had to drink from streams. While he ultimately dropped that year at Michigan Bluff after halfway, he finished the event in 1978 in 19:49. He and those other early runners offered proof-of-concept that it was, in fact, difficult but doable to run 100 miles through the remote backcountry of California.
John was also one of the founders and key creators of the Hardrock 100 course when it debuted in 1992. He knew the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, where the event would take place, like the back of his hand. Few others could have mapped a line as aesthetic or creative, especially in the early 90s. John’s vision of what was possible was especially unique since he hadn’t become a runner until he was nearly 30.
John was everywhere in those early years, participating in and helping to establish a sport still in its infancy. He was there when running rim-to-rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon was an event in the early 1980s. He was there during the fifth running of the Leadville 100 Mile in 1987. He participated in the first edition of Hardrock and finished fourth. And John didn’t stop running — he finished the 17-mile high-altitude Imogene Pass Run between the Colorado mining towns of Telluride and Ouray in 2003 at age 61.
John enjoying the Hardrock 100 course and community. Photos: Hardrock 100/Andrew Cappis and Blake Wood
Contributions to the Community
While John didn’t race as prolifically as many others, he remained involved in the community as a volunteer, serving on the Hardrock 100 board until 2008, and received Hardrock’s Mother Lode Award in 1996, recognizing his significant contributions to the Hardrock community. He was inducted into the Hardrock Hall of Fame in 2025.
James Varner, Rainshadow Running race director and former Hardrock 100 course director, spent countless hours in the mountains with John over the years. On Thursday, he said, “The world lost a good one today. John Cappis loved the mountains, and he shared that love with thousands of people who ran in races and fun runs he helped to create. He was a kind, generous, and supportive person who really enjoyed sharing these amazing places with others. As one of the founders of the Hardrock 100, he helped to create a race that many folks didn’t think at the time would even be possible to complete — 100 miles through the rugged and remote San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado.”
The 14 starters of the 1977 Western States 100. John is in a white sweatshirt and a hat on the right. Photo courtesy of Shannon Weil.
Dale Garland, Hardrock 100 run director, echoes the sentiment. “When Hardrock was no more than an idea, John’s knowledge of the San Juans, their trails, and their challenges was one of the keys to making Hardrock the event that it is today. But his contributions went further than that. His enthusiasm and support of all who joined us in the early years, his commitment to what he thought Hardrock could and should be, and his sage wisdom and advice on how to make those thoughts and ideas into a reality all helped lay the foundation for our event. Hardrock, the organization, and Hardrock the community would not be what we are today without the passion and commitment that John shared with us.”
A Legacy Lives on
Shannon Weil, one of the founders of the Western States 100 and the author of “Buckle Fever: Origins of the Western States Endurance Run,” shared her early memories of meeting John during the 1977 Western States, saying, “Ever since that day in 1977 — when just 14 runners set out alongside the horses and riders of the Tevis Cup — he’s lived in my mind as something larger than life. John was one of those original, courageous few who helped shape what would become the Western States Endurance Run. I remember watching him, speaking with him along the trail while I rode. It has had a lasting impact on me.”
John Cappis during the inaugural Western States 100 in 1977. Photo courtesy of Shannon Weil.
John has certainly left behind an extraordinary legacy. His memory will live on in the deep canyons of Western States and the soaring peaks of Hardrock, as well as in the hearts of the thousands of ordinary folks he inspired to do extraordinary things.
Trent concluded his thoughts by saying, “Not many can say they were in on history at the very beginning. And few others can ever say they had a hand in shaping that early history. John did both. What an incredible legacy that he leaves us.”
Bottoms up!
Call for Comments
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