Western States Endurance Run

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Craig Thornley, WS 100 race director, rd@wser.org and
Colleen Logan, VP Marketing, clogan@iconfitness.com

ALTRA NAMED PRESENTING SPONSOR OF WESTERN STATES 100

The world’s oldest and most prestigious 100-mile trail race announces multi-year presenting sponsorship agreement with Altra Footwear

AUBURN, Calif. – Altra Footwear has been named the presenting sponsor of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, Western States 100 President John Medinger announced today.

The three-year agreement builds on an already successful partnership that began in October 2015, in which Altra was Western States’ exclusive footwear sponsor.

The new agreement, in addition to awarding Altra presenting sponsorship status, also gives Altra exclusive rights to serve again as Western States’ official footwear sponsor and gives Altra title sponsorship for the Golden Ticket races for entry into Western States. The Altra Golden Ticket races include Bandera 100K, Sean O’Brien 100K, Black Canyon 100K, Gorge Waterfalls 100K, Georgia Death Race 68M, and Lake Sonoma 50M.

“Altra exceeded all of our expectations over the past year,” Medinger said. “We have been really impressed with how responsive Altra has been as our partner. More generally, Altra is just such a fast-growing, progressive, future-minded company. They are as involved as a company can be in ultra running, and they truly understand the ethos of our sport.

“We are very excited to have Altra as Western States’ presenting sponsor.”

Western States race director Craig Thornley added: “We’ve developed a great relationship with Altra over the past year. In 2016 they were instrumental in helping us deliver one of the most memorable races we’ve ever had. Their engagement at each training run was unprecedented in my experience as race director. Altra’s representatives provided free shoe demos, and gave out free shoes. What was even more impressive was the human touch – when you have Altra’s people ─ well-respected reps such as Zach Bitter and Ben Bartley and Altra co-founder Brian Beckstead there in person ─ interacting with our runners, sharing stories, training tips and providing their perspective and encouragement, it makes for a truly memorable experience for our runners. I can’t compliment Altra enough for how involved they became last year.

“We’re thrilled to have this presenting sponsorship agreement with Altra in place.”

Altra was well represented in the 2016 Western States Endurance Run, with five of the Top 10 men: Jeff Browning (M3), Thomas Lorblanchet (M4), Ian Sharman (M6), Kyle Pietari (M8) and Jesse Haynes (M10) and two of the top 10 women: Meghan Arbogast (F6) and Maggie Guterl (F8).

“Altra is proud to renew and expand our partnership with the first and one of the greatest 100-mile ultra marathons in the world,” said Brian Beckstead, Altra’s co-founder and Global VP of sales. “Being part of the legendary Western States race in such a meaningful, long-term way is a dream come true for me as an ultrarunner. Altra is committed to running footwear innovation for the road, trail, track, treadmill and gym.  As athletes, we fully understand the importance of footwear and have a high expectations in our continued quest for footwear perfection.”

ABOUT ALTRA: Altra Footwear is now the third largest trail shoe brand sold in run specialty with three of the top seven trail-running shoes, according to data from NPD: Altra Lone Peak, Superior and Olympus.

Altra’s running shoe innovations are born from long hard runs in the Wasatch range, just minutes from Altra’s Utah headquarters. Founder Golden Harper, a former All-American runner who loves to run to the top of difficult mountain summits, invented a cushioned Zero Drop shoe and a foot-shaped toe box, features that are now found on every Altra shoe. Co-founder and Global VP of Sales Brian Beckstead completes at least one ultramarathon each year, including Eco-Trail Norway in 2016, Ultra Trail Mont Blanc and the Wasatch 100 in 2015 and Ultra Trail Mt Fuji in 2014.

Altra’s recent awards the 2016 “40 Under 40 Award” from Sporting Goods Business for Harper and Beckstead; in July of 2016 the Altra Lone Peak 3.0 Neoshell MID won “The Apex Award” from Polartec and the original Lone Peak Neoshell won “Top Gear Picks” from Gear Junkie; the Altra Olympus 2.0 won “Editor’s Choice” from Trail Runner and “Comfiest Runner” from Backpacker; the Altra Performance Half Zip jacket won “Most Innovative” from UltraRunning magazine and many more.

Follow @AltraRunning and #ZeroLimits on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and at AltraRunning.com. Altra® Footwear is a brand of ICON Health & Fitness, the world’s leading health and fitness innovator, based in Logan, Utah.

ABOUT THE WESTERN STATES 100-MILE ENDURANCE RUN: The Western States 100-Mile Endurance run, first held in 1974, is the world’s oldest and most prestigious 100-mile trail run. Held on the last weekend in June in Squaw Valley, Calif., Western States brings together approximately 360 runners from across the globe and from all 50 states for what is considered the world’s most competitive and prestigious 100-mile trail race.

Altra Elite Athlete Jeff Browning took third place at the 2016 Western States Endurance Run, crossing the finish line with his children, from left, Annie, Abraham, Benjamin. Photo credit: Joe McCladdie

Although much of the same entry process remains in place, the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run Board of Trustees announced on Monday, July 25 a new “general wait list” to accompany the field of 369 runners chosen during the race’s lottery on Dec. 3, 2016.

The 50-person “wait list” will also be chosen during December’s lottery. If any entrant withdraws from the race for any reason, the spot will be given to the next runner on the general wait list. A refund structure with corresponding deadlines has also been instituted for runners who choose to withdraw prior to the event.

According to Western States Board President John Medinger, the structure of a wait list will help the Run stay at its Forest Service permit limit of 369 runners.

“We realize the odds of being chosen in our general lottery are still pretty low – last year we had a record 3,510 applicants,” Medinger said. “In the past, we’ve ‘overbooked’ our initial entry list, anticipating that some runners will drop out due to injury or other factors. But it’s become increasingly difficult to forecast how many. With our new wait list, we’re ensuring that we will start exactly 369 runners.”

Much of the Run’s qualifying process remains the same. Runners are still required to complete a qualifying race in the allotted time during the qualifying period (the 2017 Run has a Nov. 9, 2015 through Nov. 6, 2016 qualifying period).

Once individuals have submitted their online applications from Nov. 5-12, 2016, entrants will be selected via lottery on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 in Auburn, Calif.

Once the field of 369 runners has been set, 50 more applicants will be selected from the lottery for an ordered general wait list. If any entrant withdraws from the race for any reason, the spot will be given to the next runner on the general wait list.

The only exception to this is if a sponsor or aid station designated runner withdraws from the race; the sponsor or aid station will be allowed to designate another qualified runner who has qualified and applied for the 2017 Run. If no replacement is designated, then the spot will be given to the next runner on the general wait list.

The refund structure for runners who withdraw is as follows:

Entrants who withdraw from the Run by May 1 will receive a 75 percent refund of their entry fee (not including the online fee);

Entrants who withdraw from May 2-June 9 will receive a 50 percent refund;

Entrants who withdraw from June 10-June 20 will receive a 25 percent refund;

Entrants withdrawing after June 20 will not receive a refund.

Runners who are not chosen in the original lottery remain “in the hat” for the next year’s lottery. Runners on the wait list who decline the opportunity to join the field of 369 will maintain ticket counts in the next lottery. If an individual is entered in the race at any point – e.g., is part of the 369-runner field – ticket counts will start over at the next year’s lottery.

The 44th presentation of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run will be held on June 24-25, 2017.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: John Trent, media relations, (775) 842-4871, president@wser.org

43^rd WESTERN STATES 100-MILER FEATURES WIDE-OPEN MEN’S RACE, POTENTIALLY CLASSIC MATCHUP IN WOMEN’S RUN

A first-time champion will be crowned in men’s race; women’s race features defending champion Magdalena Boulet

For the first time in several years, the men’s race of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run appears to be wide open, with several of the world’s top ultra runners vying on June 25-26, 2016, to become a first-time champion. The women’s race will feature defending champion Magdalena Boulet, a former U.S. Olympic Marathon team member, who will be challenged by one of the deepest women’s fields in recent memory.

A field of more than 360 entrants from more than 30 countries, and more than 40 states will make the 43^rd annual, 100.2-mile trek on Saturday morning from Squaw Valley, Calif., the site of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games, before finishing at Placer High School in Auburn, Calif.

Western States, known as the world’s oldest and most prestigious 100-mile trail run, has a 30-hour time limit.

Boulet, 42, of Oakland, Calif., made her Western States debut in 2015 and despite going off course briefly early in the run, won in 19:05. The former UC-Berkeley track and cross-country standout has had a strong spring of training and racing, highlighted by her victory in the Canyons 100K (held in the iconic “Canyons” section of the Western States Trail) in May.

Boulet will be pressed by a number of strong female runners, including Kaci Lickteig of Omaha, Neb. The 29-year-old known as the “Pixie Ninja” finished second to Boulet in 2015, and posted a strong win on the mountainous Silver State 50-miler in Nevada in May. At least 20 other women have the potential of finishing in the women’s top 10, among them 55-year-old Meghan Arbogast, of Cool, Calif., who will be attempting to finish her 10^th Western States – all in under 24 hours.

Another notable women’s entrant is Gunhild Swanson, 71, of Spokane Valley, Wash., who established the race’s over-60 record in 2005 in 25:40. She again made history last year with her dramatic finish, sprinting through the final 100 meters on the Placer High track with hundreds of assembled spectators screaming and cheering. Swanson finished a scant six seconds under the run’s 30-hour time limit to become the oldest female finisher in Western States history.

With two-time defending champion Rob Krar choosing not to run this year, Western States will crown a first-time champion for the first time since Krar’s first victory in 2014. The top returning runner from last year’s top 10 is Thomas Lorbanchlet, of France, who finished fifth. The field doesn’t lack talent or accomplishment, however, as among the entrants are Francois D’Haene, a former Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc (UTMB) champion who finished 14^th at Western States last year; David Laney of Portland, Ore., who finished third at UTMB last year and was eighth at Western States in 2016; Sage Canaday, of Boulder, Colo., a former U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier who has excelled on the American tour of 50-mile and 100K distances; first-time 100-mile runner Jim Walmsley, of Flagstaff, Ariz., the JFK 50-mile and Sonoma 50-mile champion; and perhaps the most consistent 100-mile racer in the world in Ian Sharman, of Bend, Ore., who has placed in the top 10 at Western States for six consecutive years.

In an effort to celebrate the event, the Placer County Visitor Bureau has created two large banners which will be flying in Auburn. The group is also organizing a beer garden across from the track from 7-11 p.m. on Saturday. The finish line is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. The first male will finish sometime around 7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m., with the first female to finish around 10 p.m.

WHAT: 43nd running of the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run

WHEN: Saturday, June 25, 5 a.m. start at Squaw Valley, Calif., finish at Placer High School, Auburn, Calif. More than 360 trail runners from more than 30 countries and more than 40 states to compete.