The Western States ® 100-Mile Endurance Run is the world’s oldest 100 mile trail race.

Race Date: June 27-28, 2026
Lottery Registration: November 1-21, 2025
Lottery Drawing: December 6, 2025

The Western States ® 100-Mile Endurance Run is the world’s oldest 100 mile trail race. The Run starts in Olympic Valley, California, near the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, and ends 100.2 miles later in Auburn, California. In the decades since its inception in 1974, Western States has come to represent one of the ultimate endurance tests in the world.

Traversing the traditional lands of the Nisenan, Washoe, and other neighboring Indigenous Peoples, the Western States Trail climbs more than 18,000 feet and descends nearly 23,000 feet before runners reach the finish at Placer High School in Auburn. In the miles between Olympic Valley and Auburn, runners experience the majestic high country of Emigrant Pass and the Granite Chief Wilderness, the crucible of the canyons of the California gold country, a memorable crossing of the ice-cold waters of the Middle Fork of the American River, and finally the historic reddish brown trails that led many travelers, including gold prospectors, to Auburn.

For five decades, Western States has been home to some of the sport’s most stirring and legendary competitions. With more than 1,500 dedicated volunteers helping to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the Run continues to ignite the spirit of runners from all walks of life, from all over the globe.

Offering the sport’s oldest and most prized possession – a sub-24-hour silver belt buckle and a sub-30-hour bronze belt buckle – Western States remains one of the undisputed crown jewels of human endurance.

June 30, 2025 in Race News

2025 Race Recap

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Trent, WSER Media Relations, press@wser.org HOT DAY, HOT FINISHES: OLSON AND HALL CAPTURE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TITLES AT 52ND WSER AUBURN, Calif. – On a day where the high temperature on the course reached 99 degrees at one point, men’s champion Caleb Olson and women’s champion Abby Hall posted two of the fastest winning times in race history during the Western 52nd annual Western States Endurance Run, held June 28-29. Olson, 29, of Draper, Utah, outdueled one of the deepest men’s fields ever assembled at Western States and came very close to establishing a course…

June 25, 2025 in General Interest, Race News

2025 WS 100 Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Trent, WSER Media Relations, press@wser.org WITH TWO OF THE DEEPEST AND MOST COMPETITIVE FIELDS EVER, 2025 WSER IS ‘WIDE OPEN’ AUBURN, Calif. – Two of the deepest and most competitive fields ever assembled at the Western States Endurance Run will vie for victory during the 52nd annual event on Saturday, June 28. Western States starts at 5 a.m. at Palisades Tahoe Resort, at Olympic Valley, California. The world’s oldest trail 100 miler finishes on the Placer High School track in Auburn, California. The women’s race features three of the top of four finishers from 2024’s…

June 24, 2025 in General Interest, Race News

GU ENERGY EXTENDS WESTERN STATES SPONSORSHIP TO 2029

BERKELEY, CA – June 23, 2025 — GU Energy Labs, a leader in performance sports nutrition, is proud to announce the extension of its sponsorship of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run (WSER) through 2029. This renewed commitment deepens GU’s longstanding partnership with the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race and reinforces both organizations’ shared dedication to endurance athletes, community building, and increasing representation in ultra running. As official performance nutrition sponsor, GU provides full on-course nutrition support for the Western States Memorial Day Weekend Training Camp and race, as well as athlete education and training initiatives in the lead-up to…

Granite Chief Wilderness Trail Reroute

Granite Chief Wilderness Trail Reroute Project – 2025 Update

The Western States Endurance Run (WSER), in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service’s American River Ranger District (USFS) and the Western States Trail Foundation (WSTF), have made significant progress towards completing a project in Granite Chief Wilderness that will yield over 7 miles of new and rehabilitated trail. The existing trail was never really designed, contained unsustainable grades, and traversed stretches of sensitive habitat. The new trail was designed to current USFS trail building standards, has been re-routed out of sensitive habitat, and is higher up on the ridge with commanding views of area. After years of planning the project was approved in 2019. The USFS secured $1,200,000 in funding through the Great American Outdoors Act, and with an additional commitment of funding by WSER and WSTF construction began in the summer of 2023. In spite of a short 3-month snow-free construction season, the USFS, its contractors, and WSER & WSTF volunteers have made substantial progress these last 3 summers, and hope to have a significant portion of the new trail open for use in 2026, with the balance of the new trail open in 2028.