After being forced to withdraw at the last moment in 2024 due to a ruptured appendix, Zach Miller returns to Hardrock in 2025 to take on the iconic loop through the San Juan Mountains, not just as a competitive challenge, but as a deeply personal journey in honor of his friend Bill Dooper, carrying his memory throughout the race, navigating highs and lows, physical struggles, and quiet determination, and ultimately reaching Silverton to kiss the rock, completing what became a symbolic lap for Bill, driven as much by friendship and meaning as by the race itself.