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2023 WS 100 MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

50th WESTERN STATES ENDURANCE RUN PRESENTED BY HOKA READIES FOLLOWING ‘EPIC’ CHALLENGES

Following the devastating Mosquito Fire in the fall and a heavy winter snow, WSER is ready for one of its most memorable starts

The challenges facing this year’s 50th Western States Endurance Run presented by HOKA have certainly been formidable. But, according to Race Director Craig Thornley, who has helped lead a herculean effort over the past several months to bring the Western States Trail back from California’s largest wildfire as well as massive amounts of winter snow, the challenges were never insurmountable.

It all began during September-October’s 76,788-acre Mosquito Fire, which burned in California’s Placer and El Dorado Counties. The Mosquito Fire had a devastating impact on the communities in and around the Western States Trail, destroying 78 structures in Michigan Bluff, Foresthill and Volcanoville. The fire also charred about 16 miles of the Western States Trail. Then, just as trail restoration efforts were underway in the Middle Fork of the American River drainage in the late fall, winter snowfall left much of the “high country” of the WSER inaccessible until only the last few weeks.

“It’s been a challenging time for the race, that’s for certain,” Thornley said. “But Western States always finds a way. This year was no different. The trail volunteers who helped bring the trail back this spring were amazing in their belief and their commitment to our race. The snow has been melting, and again, thanks to our trail team and a number of key volunteers, we’ve been able to gain access to our key early aid stations at Lyon Ridge (mile 10) and Red Star Ridge (mile 16).

“An epic year requires an epic effort. It’s what Western States has always been about. It’s been extremely humbling to see the extreme lengths our people have put in to make sure Western States will be held on our normal course. Our volunteers, who are always at the heart of everything that we do, have been incredible this year.”

Saturday’s Western States will have its traditional start in Olympic Valley, California promptly at 5 a.m. The 100.2-mile event through the picturesque “high country” of the Granite Chief Wilderness and the historic canyons in and out of the Middle Fork of the American River then finishes at Placer High School in Auburn, California. 369 entrants from more than 30 countries will attempt to finish the course in under 30 hours – the run’s absolute time limit. A live broadcast will carry the action of this year’s run for the entire 30 hours. A link for the broadcast will be available on Saturday morning at www.wser.org

This year’s fields, on both the men’s and women’s sides, are among the most competitive WSER has ever assembled.

“It says something when we don’t have either our men’s champion (Adam Peterman, out with injury) or women’s champion (Ruth Croft, who had other racing commitments) back and the general consensus is that this could be the deepest race we’ve ever had,” Thornley said. “It’s going to be exciting to see how all of these really accomplished athletes are going to race not just against themselves, but on a course where in the high country, though it’s been melting, will still be highly disruptive and challenging.”

On the women’s side, five of last year’s top 10 are entered, including fifth-place finisher Emily Hawgood of Zimbabwe, who finished in 18:16. Other top 10’s who are returning include Leah Yingling (sixth in 18:32); Taylor Nowlin (seventh in 18:46); Camille Herron, who is fresh off a world 48-hour record of more than 270 miles, (eighth in 18:51); Katie Asmuth (ninth in 19:30).

2018 women’s champion Courtney Dauwalter of Leadville, Colorado, returns to Western States following a four-year absence. Her 2018 winning time of 17:27 was at the time the second-fastest women’s run ever at Western States. Western States will be the first leg of a challenging three-week double where Dauwalter will also attempt to win the Hardrock 100 in Colorado in mid-July.

Other notable entrants include 2022 UTMB champion Katie Schide, top Swedish runner Ida Nilsson who has excelled on the world stage at shorter distances and will be making her debut 100-mile effort at Western States, 2021 ninth-place finisher Keely Henninger, Heather Jackson, who is one of the world’s finest multi-discipline athletes, as well as 2016 women’s champion Kaci Lickteig.

The men’s race is highlighted by 2022 second-place finisher Hayden Hawks, who battled with Peterman through 70 miles of last year’s run before finishing in 15:47, as well as third-place finisher Arlen Glick, who ran 15:56, fourth-place finisher Tyler Green, who ran 15:57, France’s Ludovic Pommeret, who finished sixth in 16:20, Alex Nichols, who was eighth in 16:28, Cody Lind, who was ninth in 16:29, and Scott Traer, 10th in 16:35.

In addition, France’s Mathieu Blanchard is coming off a stirring duel with the legendary Kilian Jornet at the 2022 UTMB, where Blanchard finished second. The United Kingdom’s Tom Evans returns to Western States following a four-year hiatus – he finished third in 2019 in 14:59. Dakota Jones, a Salt Lake City resident whose ultra running career dates back to his days as a teenage phenom, will be making his Western States debut at age 32. Jones is coming off impressive victories at the Transvulcania ultra in the Canary Islands earlier this year, as well as at the Javelina 100 in October in the Arizona desert.

This year’s event will also feature a top age group entrant in Gene Dykes, who at age 75 will attempt to become WSER’s oldest finisher. Nicholas Bassett of Wyoming made history at age 73 with his finish in 2018, becoming the oldest runner to ever finish. The 2023 WSER is also part of the UTMB World Series, which is considered the world’s ultimate trail running circuit, uniting the sport’s biggest stars and runners of all abilities in more than three dozen events held worldwide.

Saturday’s start will also commemorate the 50th Western States. In August 1974, Meadow Vista, California woodcutter Gordy Ainsleigh joined the horses of the Tevis Cup and covered the distance from Olympic Valley, California to Auburn, California entirely on foot in 23 hours and 42 minutes. Since then, more than 6,000 individuals have finished Western States.

The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run has a 369-runner field from throughout the United States and more than 30 countries. Runners start at 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Olympic Valley, Calif., and travel 100.2 miles, through the Sierra high country and the canyons of the American River, before finishing at Placer High School in Auburn, Calif.

Posted in General Interest, Race News | on: June 21st, 2023 by JohnT | Comments Off on 2023 WS 100 MEDIA RELEASE

KRAUS AND ROCHE NAMED WSER MEDICAL RESEARCH DIRECTORS

Emily Kraus and Megan Roche have been named Medical Research Directors for the Western States Endurance Run, WSER President Diana Fitzpatrick announced.

Kraus and Roche succeed John Diana, who had served as Medical Research Director for WSER since 2016.

“Emily and Megan both bring impeccable professional credentials as well as a deep understanding of our sport to their new post,” Fitzpatrick said. “We have always viewed our medical research director position as one that needs to constantly evolve as runners in the sport increasingly turn to science-based information for the best practices in enhancing human performance. With Emily and Megan, we have two individuals who have proven track records in understanding the value of collaborative approaches in research, catalyzing that research and making it available for the betterment of the running community.

“They are both incredibly dynamic individuals who we feel will help take our medical research effort to the next level. I wish to thank Dr. John Diana for his incredible record of service to WSER over the past few years. Dr. Diana brought his own personal brand of collegiality, professional sense of collaboration and a strong sense of cohesiveness to our medical research effort. We are extremely grateful for all of the work he did in furthering our research agenda.”

Added WSER Medical Director Andy Pasternak: “Emily and Megan have all of the professional experience and personal qualities necessary to lead WSER’s medical research enterprise. Their insight into what the position needs to do in the coming years is very exciting. They truly wish to see our medical research endeavors continue the impactful legacy that has already been established by our previous medical research directors, while also positioning our future research studies so that they can help re-define how science-based discovery and translational research is being used to further our sport.”

Kraus is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. She received her M.D. from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2012 and her B.S. in Nutrition Science from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, in 2008. She has produced more than 20 peer-reviewed original research papers on a variety of topics. In 2018-2020, she served as principal investigator for a study at Western States on “Genetic and Serologic Determinants of Bone Health in Ultramarathoners,” which was renewed for further study in 2021.

Roche is the Research Lead for the Stanford Lifestyle Medicine Program as well as Research Lead for FASTR (Female Athlete Science and Translational Research). She is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She received her M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2018, earned her M.M.S. in Management from Duke University in 2013 and her B.S. in Neuroscience from Duke in 2012. Her more than a dozen research publications include studies on bone stress and mental health of athletes, among many others.

For more than 40 years, medical research activity has played an important role at the Western States Endurance Run. WSER’s late Medical Director Dr. Robert Lind welcomed and encouraged researchers from throughout the country and the world to come to WSER and study its runners. One of the earliest studies that established the connection between the body’s release of endorphins and physical activity was conducted at WSER in 1981 by Dr. Walter Bortz of Stanford University. Since 2006, more than 80 research publications or abstracts in human performance have been produced by researchers from throughout the world based on studies conducted on WSER runners.

Posted in General Interest, Research, WSER Foundation | on: July 14th, 2022 by JohnT | Comments Off on KRAUS AND ROCHE NAMED WSER MEDICAL RESEARCH DIRECTORS

2022 Race Recap

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

PETERMAN, CROFT POST SMASHING WINNING PERFORMANCES AT WSER

Adam Peterman becomes first male runner since 1986 to win Western States in first 100 ever; Ruth Croft runs third-fastest women’s time

Even in its 49th year, the Western States Endurance Run continues to make history, as Adam Peterman became the first men’s race winner since 1986 to win the race during a 100-mile debut, while Ruth Croft won the women’s race with the third-fastest time in race history, notable on a day when temperatures soared into the high 90s.

Peterman, 26, of Missoula, Montana, won the men’s race in 15 hours and 13 minutes. Peterman and Hayden Hawks, 31, of Cedar City, Utah, who finished second in 15:47, waged a pitched battle during the California Street section of the course at around miles 74-76 with Peterman taking a 2-minute lead at the Rucky Chucky river crossing at mile 78.

“It got pretty intense along the river,” Peterman said. “Both of us were hammering.”

Peterman became the first male runner to win Western States in his 100-mile debut since 27-year-old Chuck Jones won the 1986 edition of the race in 16:37.

“It’s hard to believe,’ Peterman said. “I thought I had a chance, but you never know what’s going happen over 100 miles. So I just tried to run my own race the whole time. I hoped that would make the podium. … It was really hard. (Winning in his debut) was hard to believe, really.”

Arlen Glick of Massillon, Ohio, finished third in 15:56.

Croft, 33, from Greymouth, New Zealand, had finished second to Beth Pascall in 2021. Croft used that experience in posting the third-fastest women’s time in race history, finishing in 17:21. Although Croft now owns two of the six fastest times in race history (her 2021 time of 17:33 is the sixth-fastest race history) Croft noted at the finish that her entire day on Saturday was “magical.”

“It was pretty special today,” she said. “I had an awesome crew out there and my parents came from New Zealand, and my aunt. It was pretty magical.”

She said that running with a good friend, Zimbabwe’s Emily Hawgood, who eventually would finish in fifth in 18:16, helped.

“I caught up with Emily coming up to Robinson Flat (at mile 30),” she said, “and we kind of teamed up ran a lot together.”

The two would run together for the next 20-plus miles before Croft took command of the race at Michigan Bluff at mile 55.7. She built a four-minute lead over Hawgood that she would never relinquish.

Alisa Macdonald, 41, of Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, finished second in 17:46, while Marianne Hogan, 32, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was third in 18:05.

Conditions saw temperatures reach into the high 90s throughout Saturday. Even with the high temperatures, the race saw 305 finishers out of 383 starters. There were 101 runners who finished the race in under 24 hours. In a testament to how well runners throughout the field were able to manage a challenging, hot day, the race’s “Golden Hour” – the time between 29 and the race cutoff at 30 hours – saw a phenomenal 79 runners celebrate a hard-earned finish on the track at Placer High School in Auburn, California.

The oldest runners to finish this year were 61-year-old Meghan Canfield of Corvallis, Oregon, who ran 24:38, and 63-year-old Simon Bennett of Ackworth, Great Britain, who finished in 29:32.

June 25-26, 2022 Full Race Results

Posted in Race News | on: June 28th, 2022 by JohnT | Comments Off on 2022 Race Recap

2022 WS 100 Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WESTERN STATES ENDURANCE RUN READIES FOR 2022 RACE: ‘CHANGING OF THE GUARD’

Women’s contenders poised to make history again while men’s field looks to crown first champion in post-Jim Walmsley era

The 2021 edition of the Western States Endurance Run featured one of the most competitive and historic women’s races ever held, while Jim Walmsley cemented his Western States men’s competition legend with a third commanding win. The 2022 edition of Western States, which will be held on June 25-26, promises to be just as notable. Deep women’s and men’s elite fields are vying to earn the top crowns at the 49th annual event. Presenting sponsor HOKA will again play an important role in this year’s event, including its support of Western States’ second annual Live Broadcast, which will begin just before the Saturday, June 25 start at 5 a.m. and will continue until race weekend activities conclude around noon on Sunday, June 26. The Live Broadcast can be accessed via Western States’ YouTube channel, with veteran elite runners Dylan Bowman and Corrine Malcolm providing commentary.

“We have incredible depth in both the men’s and women’s fields this year,” Race Director Craig Thornley said. “In 2021, on a brutally hot day, our women’s race made history with the high percentage of female finishers who finished in our top 30 – 15 of them were women, which speaks to what a pitched and exciting competition we had last year.

“We are expecting our women’s elite field, which features several notable international standouts as well as some of the most well-known figures in American trail running, to be highly competitive again this year.

“Our men’s race should be fascinating as well, as we look to crown a new race champion following a succession of memorable runs by three-time champion Jim Walmsley. The storyline for our men’s race will be ‘a changing of the guard.’ It is anybody’s guess who among a field of proven veterans and exciting newcomers will be our 2022 men’s champion.”

Seven of the top 10 women’s finishers are back for this year’s race, including second-place finisher Ruth Croft of New Zealand. Croft’s time of 17:33 was just behind 2021 women’s champion Beth Pascall of England, whose time of 17:10 run on a day where temperatures reached 101 degrees was the second-fastest in race history. Pascall is not running this year due to a long road back from injury during the winter and early spring. She will be at the Laverado Ultra Trail by UTMB the same weekend as Western States.

Top American entrants include Brittany Peterson of Pocatello, Idaho, who finished fourth in 2021 and was second in 2019, Katie Asmuth, of Mammoth Lakes, California, 2021’s fifth-place finisher, Keely Henninger, of Portland, Oregon, ninth in 2021, Kaci Lickteig of Omaha, Nebraska, 10th in 2021 and the 2016 Western States women’s champion, as well as Zimbabwe’s Emily Hawgood, who finished seventh last year.

Perhaps the most intriguing women’s entrant is Camille Herron. The 40-year-old from Warr Acres, Oklahoma, is the 100-mile world record holder, having broken her own record in February 2022 with a 12:41 run at the Jackpot 100-Miler in Las Vegas, Nevada. Herron, who also set the 100-mile American track record with her 13:21 at December’s Desert Solstice timed track event, fought through an off day and finished Western States in 2021 in 27:28.

Walmsley, as Thornley indicated, has cast a significant competitive shadow over the men’s race over the past five years. He set the Western States course record in winning the 2019 race in 14:09, and all three of his victories (2018, 2019 and 2021) represent three of the four fastest races ever run at Western States. Walmsley is living and training in France this summer as he prepares for August’s UTMB Mont-Blanc event.

Last year’s top men’s finishers will be well represented in 2022, with second-place Tyler Green of Portland, Oregon, third-place Drew Holmen, of Boulder, Colorado, fourth-place Cody Lind of Challis, Idaho, and fifth-place Tim Tollefson, of Mammoth Lakes, California, all returning. Jared Hazen, who ran the second-fastest time (14:26) in Western States history in finishing second to Walmsley in 2019, is also in this year’s field.

An added wrinkle to this year’s event will be Western States’ inclusion in the UTMB World Series. The UTMB World Series is considered the world’s ultimate trail running circuit that unites the sport’s biggest stars and runners of all abilities across 25 events held worldwide in 2022.

All runners who successfully complete Western States will be awarded four “Running Stones,” which can be used as entries into the lottery for the iconic UTMB Mont-Blanc and the UTMB World Series Finals in 2023. The top three finishers at Western States gain entry into UTMB in either 2022 or 2023. The top two finishers at UTMB Chamonix in August earn “Golden Tickets,” or automatic entry, for the 2023 Western States.

“The UTMB World Series has already proven to be a groundbreaking and important step forward for our sport,” Thornley said. “Western States has always made a concerted effort to make our sport more inclusive, internationalized and united. Our race is very proud to be part of the UTMB World Series, which at its core is an effort to give more runners more opportunities to compete at many of the most challenging and iconic events in the world.”

Now in its 49th year, the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run has a 385-runner field from throughout the United States and more than 30 countries. Runners start at 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 25, 2022 in Olympic Valley, Calif., and travel 100.2 miles, through the Sierra high country and the canyons of the American River on the ancestral lands of the Washoe and Nisenan tribes, before finishing at Placer High School in Auburn, Calif.

Posted in General Interest, Race News | on: June 17th, 2022 by JohnT | Comments Off on 2022 WS 100 Press Release

DIANA FITZPATRICK ELECTED PRESIDENT OF WESTERN STATES

Diana Fitzpatrick was elected president of the Western States Endurance Run Foundation’s Board of Trustees in the organization’s annual vote for board officers.

Fitzpatrick becomes the first woman to serve as president of the Western States Endurance Run Foundation. She is the ninth president in the history of the Run.

Since joining the board in October 2012, Fitzpatrick has helped lead several ground-breaking initiatives for Western States. She played an instrumental role in guiding the implementation of Western States’ drug testing program in 2017, helped craft the policy that has afforded female participants a pregnancy deferral for up to three years and developed the framework for the Run’s transgender athlete policy. All three policy initiatives have been lauded throughout the sport. In 2018, Fitzpatrick, then 60 years old, made race history when she became the oldest female in Western States history to break 24 hours and earn a coveted silver belt buckle. Fitzpatrick’s time was 23:52.

Diana Fitzpatrick

An attorney who lives with her husband, Tim, in Larkspur, California, Fitzpatrick has long been actively involved in the running/ultra community. She and Tim coach the cross country teams at Marin Catholic High School. Fitzpatrick has also served as a volunteer running coach for inmates at San Quentin Prison.

“Diana’s track record speaks for itself,” said John Medinger, who had served as Western States president since 2016 and now that his presidency is over, still retains a spot on the board. “She would be the first person to try to deflect this sort of praise, but she is without question an influential and extremely important voice in our sport. She knows how to sweat the policy details and she also knows how to connect with people about the 47-year-old story that is Western States. She is going to lead Western States into innovative and exciting directions. The race is in very good hands.”

Fitzpatrick said she was “humbled” to be chosen president.

“I am honored, humbled and excited to take on this new role,” she said. “The goal will always be to continue forward as a team and let our passion for this event take us to new heights.”

Added Race Director Craig Thornley: “Diana hasn’t shied away from the challenging issues in our sport. She’s encouraged the race to be proactive and progressive in all aspects of our mission. She brings a wealth of experience and insight to the job as a key board member, creator of some of the most impactful policy we’ve ever implemented, high-level runner, coach, and race director (for several years Fitzpatrick and her husband were RD’s for the successful Headlands 50K).”

Fitzpatrick’s election as president adds another chapter to the prominent role that women have played throughout Western States’ 47-year history. Mo Livermore, who has served on the Western States Board since it was first formed in 1977, is one of the pioneering female figures in the sport of ultra running. Livermore along with friend Shannon Weil were co-race directors at a time when there were few female race directors in any running events in the world. The two served as co-RD’s from 1978-81 as Western States surged in popularity. Livermore then served as race director in 1982 and 1983. Before Livermore and Weil, it was Drucilla Barner, secretary of the Western States Trail Foundation and associate of Tevis Cup founder Wendell Robie, who encouraged Gordy Ainsleigh to make his run from Squaw Valley to Auburn with the horses of the Tevis Cup in 1974.

Livermore said: “It’s always a pleasure to work with Diana, whose appreciation and understanding of the foundational values of Western States blend authentically with her respect for each athlete and the particular issues each may confront. Her comprehensive analyses yield a standard of excellence which inspires, and her kind, thoughtful approach helps lead the Board towards decisions which reflect both the imperatives of the present and the challenges of the future.”

The other officers elected during Sunday’s vote in Auburn, California, were: Vice Presidents – Topher Gaylord, Tim Twietmeyer; Secretary – Allyson Thomas; Treasurer – Karl Hoagland. Hoagland will take over from Dr. Gary Towle, who after 38 years as the organization’s treasurer, will still remain a member of the board.

The board also announced that Dr. Andy Pasternak, a physician and ultra runner from Reno, Nevada, will now assume duties as WSER’s medical director. Pasternak has been the long-time medical director at the Tahoe Rim Trail 100-miler, and has served on the boards of Nevada State Medical Society and Washoe County Medical Society. He has also been the doctor, along with his wife, Dr. JoAnn Ellero, for the Peachstone, or “Cal 2” aid station at mile 70.7 of Western States. Pasternak succeeds Dr. Robert Weiss, one of the country’s leading kidney disease researchers/practitioners from UC-Davis.

Presidents of the Western States Endurance Run:

1978-1986, Curt Sproul
1987-1991, Doug Latimer
1992-1996, Tony Rossmann
1997-2000, Charles Savage
2001-2005, John Medinger
2006-2010, Tim Twietmeyer
2011-2015, John Trent
2016-2019, John Medinger
2020, Diana Fitzpatrick

Posted in General Interest, WSER Foundation | on: November 12th, 2019 by JohnT | Comments Off on DIANA FITZPATRICK ELECTED PRESIDENT OF WESTERN STATES