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Craig
In General Interest, WSER Foundation

Diana Fitzpatrick Honored With Little Cougar

Diana Fitzpatrick, a longtime Western States Endurance Run (WSER) board member whose tenure as the organization’s president was one of historic achievement for the organization, has been named a recipient of the prestigious “Little Cougar” award, WSER President Topher Gaylord announced.

The Little Cougar is awarded to individuals who have served the Western States Endurance Run organization through the years in extraordinarily significant ways. The Little Cougar is considered the pinnacle of all WSER awards and is not awarded annually. The most recent recipient of the Little Cougar was Ted Knudsen in 2019.

“Diana’s contributions to the Western States Endurance Run are among some of the most significant accomplishments WSER has ever seen,” Gaylord said. “Our organization has always been powered by the belief that no one single individual is greater than the whole, or is solely responsible for our successes. There are, however, individuals that exemplify leadership, teamwork, and organization stewardship who are so extraordinary in all of these areas that they are deserving of individual recognition. This is what Diana Fitzpatrick has meant to WSER. She has exemplified in her years with Western States as a runner, volunteer, pacer, crew member, board member, executive committee member and president the most worthy characteristics of a Little Cougar Award recipient.

“It is no stretch to say that Diana is a person whose involvement has made Western States better in every way.”

Fitzpatrick, who already had served as an aid station and trail work volunteer and had run Western States as a top over-40 runner, joined the Western States board in 2012. She was elected president of the organization in 2019 – becoming the first woman to ever be selected president of WSER – and served as WSER’s president until 2024.

Fitzpatrick’s presidency saw Western States successfully navigate several challenges, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 as well as 2022’s devastating Mosquito Fire which destroyed several key areas of the Western States Trail and devastated some Gold Country communities, including Michigan Bluff.

“Throughout those difficult times, Diana was always steadfast in her ability to keep our organization focused on the runner experience, which is so central to everything we do at Western States,” Race Director Craig Thornley said. “She made sure the trail team was given the space and the support to do what it needed to do to bring the trail back in time for our event. As a leader, she never lost sight of how valuable our run, the trail we steward, and the volunteers who are giving their hearts and souls to our run, are in connecting communities of people for the common good.”

Gaylord said Fitzpatrick’s achievements speak to an abiding “100-mile mindset” that views Western States as having important tasks of the moment but also in “multi-year” segments that connects the organizations mission, vision and ideals with the future.

“She has always shown unwavering perseverance, particularly during those times when we face extremely complicated our multi-faceted issues,” Gaylord said.

As president, Fitzpatrick led Western States through a time of historic achievement, including:

  • Championing the organization’s ongoing Granite Chief Wilderness Reroute Project, and in leading the efforts to raise private donor grant funding to further the project;
  • Leading the organization through a period of governance realignment that included updates and the modernization of board bylaws, mission, vision, and values documents and overall board structure, as well as legal compliance in all aspects of run and board operations;
  • Ensuring that the run has continued access to key portions of the Western States Trail, including the area in and around Foresthill, working tirelessly with key stakeholders through ongoing communication and collaboration;
  • Formulating the composition and goals for key committees that have in turn developed new sponsorship agreements for the run, as well as the production of a Live Broadcast which has quickly become one of the best in the world. Her involvement on the WSER Community and Belonging Committee has led the organization to welcome runners of all backgrounds and abilities, including building a stronger relationship and acknowledgment of the Native American communities whose ancestral connection with the WS Trail goes back thousands of years. Fitzpatrick’s work was also central to the adoption of WSER’s drug testing policy and protocol, pregnancy deferral policy, and transgender athlete policy.
  • Participating in numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the year, including aid station work, and serving as a swamper and cross cutter at trail work weekends.

“Diana has always walked the talk when it comes to everything she has done with Western States,” Gaylord said. “Her attention to detail, commitment to always showing up, and relentless desire to see projects through to the end have been impressive and have helped transform the organization.”

Fitzpatrick, who is a five-time WSER finisher (all under 24 hours) and remains the only over-60 female runner to ever break 24 hours at Western States, remains on the WSER board and is still actively involved.

“Diana has been a mentor to the next generation on how to cultivate that spirit of giving back,” Gaylord said.

Craig
In General Interest, Research, WSER Foundation

Hew-Butler Named WSER Medical Research Director

Dr. Tamara “Tami” Hew-Butler has been named Medical Research Director for the Western States Endurance Run, WSER President Topher Gaylord announced.

Hew-Butler succeeds Dr. Emily Kraus and Dr. Megan Roche, who had served as Co-Medical Research Directors for WSER since 2022.

“Tami brings an impressive array of professional achievement as a clinician and scientist, having been published extensively  in some of the world’s most important exercise science journals,” Gaylord said, noting that Hew-Butler was the lead author and organizer of three International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Guidelines and previously was awarded two WSER research grants, as Principal Investigator/PI, which in turn generated 18 scientific publications. “Tami knows our race intimately, having been a leader in several research studies at our run, as well as lending her expertise as part of our medical team in years past.

“Medical research has always been one of our foundational pillars at WSER. We feel that Tami will help elevate the awareness, application and understanding of the medical research that is conducted every year at our run.

“On behalf of our board, I wish to thank Emily and Megan for their tremendous service over the past three years. Both Emily and Megan are unwavering proponents of the value of science-based inquiry for endurance sports. Their work represented a highly productive and memorable chapter in our medical research story.”

“I am beyond grateful and honored to continue WSER’s scientific legacy of cutting-edge medical research aimed at improving the health, safety and performance of ultramarathon runners across the globe,” Hew-Butler said. “I believe that WSER is THE greatest field laboratory in the world, and look forward to working closely with the WSER Board, Medical Team, and running community at-large to expand WSER’s scientific collaborations, funding network, and dissemination of evidenced-based information which best serves the growth and safety of our sport.”

Added WSER Medical Director Andy Pasternak: “What became obvious during our search for a new medical research director was how incredibly well-rounded Tami is. She is an excellent communicator, and has an impressive track record of involvement with WSER medical research projects. She has made it very clear that her goals are to ensure that every WSER medical research project should in some way enhance the experience of runners at WSER as well as the ultrarunning community at large.

“In addition to being a highly organized and strategic thinker, Tami is very much a ‘hands-on,’ type of leader who over the years has contributed in numerous ways to WSER. Our search committee as well as the WSER board were deeply impressed with how Tami was able to communicate that the timeless human qualities that help a person run 100 miles will be at the core of her vision for our medical research effort.”

Hew-Butler, who is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, is a recently retired Associate Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Previously, she was an Associate Professor at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, as well as a Research Assistant Professor at Arizona State University. She received her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from Temple University, and has been a clinician for more than three decades. She received her Ph.D. in exercise science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

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, nearly 100 research publications or abstracts in human performance have been produced by researchers from throughout the world based on studies conducted on WSER runners.

Craig
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 race, which was the fastest in race history – Fuzhao Xiang of China (who ran the third-fastest time in race history behind 2024 champion Katie Schide in 16 hours and 20 minutes); Eszter Csillag, a native of Hungary living in Hong Kong (third in 16:42, the fourth-fastest time in race history); and Emily Hawgood of Beatrice, Zimbabwe, who spends much of the year living and training in the Auburn, California area (fourth in 16:48, the seventh-fastest time in race history).

The men’s race returns Rod Farvard of Mammoth Lakes, California, whose scintillating duel for more than 80 miles with 2024 champion Jim Walmsley culminated with a second-place finish in the third-fastest time in race history in 14:24, as well as fourth-place finisher Daniel Jones of Wellington, New Zealand, who ran the seventh-fastest time in race history in 14:32, and fifth-place finisher Caleb Olsen of Draper, Utah, who recorded the eighth-fastest time in race history in 14:40. Also entered are 2011 WSER champion Kilian Jornet, a native of Spain living in Norway who is generally considered to be the greatest male trail runner of all-time. Jornet will be making his first WSER appearance since his third-place finish in the legendary “Unbreakable WSER of 2010 and his victory in 2011. 2023 men’s champion Adam Peterman of Missoula, Montana, is also entered.

“When you factor in the HOKA Golden Ticket entrants (elite runners who have earned “Golden Tickets” and entry into Western States during a series of six highly competitive races in the United States and Europe), as well as the runners we have coming back in both our women’s and men’s races, this is easily one of the deepest and most competitive fields we’ve ever had,” Race Director Craig Thornley said. “Both races have so many great talents entered it’s very difficult to pick a favorite. They’re both wide open in the sense that anything can happen, and probably will, on race day. We’re excited to see how this year’s run will play out.”

In addition to the elite competitors, this year’s 369-runner field includes runners from throughout the United States and more than 30 countries. WSER’s entrants will vie for a sterling silver belt buckle for a sub-24-hour finish or a bronze belt buckle for a finish under the run’s 30-hour absolute cutoff. An added wrinkle in this year’s race is the presence of five competitors who are in the 70 to 79 age group and one who is 80 years old – the most over-70 runners ever to compete at Western States. The group includes Jan Vleck, 72, of Olympia, Washington; Michel Poletti, 70, of Chamonix, France; Ed Willson, 71, of Eugene, Oregon; Jim Howard, 70, of Applegate, California; Michael Koppy, 74, of Duluth, Minnesota. 80-year-old Nick Bassett, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, who is the race’s oldest finisher ever from his 2018 finish at age 73, is also entered. The oldest female entrant in this year’s run is Diane Grim, 65, of Boyertown, Pennsylvania.

Also attempting to make history is Adam Popp, 46, of Lafayette, Colorado. Popp, who lost his right leg as he was working to disarm a roadside bomb while serving in the military in Afghanistan in 2007, will attempt to become the first above-knee amputee to finish the race.

Western States traverses the high country of the historic Western States Trail through the Granite Chief Wilderness, then plunges into the deep canyons of the American River drainage. The runners pass through the sites of old mining settlements such as Last Chance, Deadwood and Michigan Bluff, making technical and challenging ascents and descents of more than 2,000 feet, before crossing the Middle Fork of the American River at mile 78 at the Rucky Chucky River Crossing aid station. From there, they make a final push to the finish line at Placer High.

The 2025 WSER will be streamed live on YouTube. Commentators Dylan Bowman and Corrine Malcolm will kick off the live broadcast at 4:15 a.m. on Saturday, June 28. The broadcast will continue through the entirety of the event and will conclude at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 29. Watch it at https://www.youtube.com/WSER100.

ABOUT WESTERN STATES: First held in 1974, the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run has a 369-runner field from throughout the United States and more than 30 countries. Western States is considered one of the world’s preeminent 100-mile trail races. Its mission is to stage a transformational and quality world-class event for its runners, as well as perform trail stewardship and conduct medical research studies for the betterment of the sport. Held on the last full weekend in June starting in Olympic Valley, California, the 100.2-mile event travels 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, California.

# # #

Craig
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 race day. In alignment with its core values, the brand’s investment in increasing diverse representation is just as central to the partnership.

“GU Energy Labs has always set an incredible standard in enhancing and expanding the limits of human performance, and equally importantly, in building the human relationships that lead to a stronger sense of community and of belonging, said WSER President Topher Gaylord. “These are core organizational values that we have always felt are in perfect alignment with WSER’s vision and values. WSER and GU Energy Labs will continue to be focused on bringing the community of ultra runners closer together through this shared vision of the future. We are absolutely thrilled about this continuation of our longtime partnership with GU Energy Labs.”

Since 2022, GU has worked closely with the WSER board to provide race entries for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) runners – eight total to-date, including four in kinship with the Indigenous-led organization Rising Hearts. With the renewed sponsorship agreement, GU extends its financial and logistical support for these entries, ensuring trail running becomes more reflective of the broader running community.

“Western States is more than just a race—it’s a powerful platform for change,” said Amy Cameron, VP of Marketing at GU Energy Labs. “We’re proud to support athletes from all backgrounds taking their place on the start line. By extending our sponsorship through 2029, we’re making a long-term commitment fueling every runner’s journey to the finish line and to building a trail community that welcomes everyone.”

The 2025 Western States 100 kicks off on June 28 in Olympic Valley, California, where over 300 athletes from around the world will attempt to complete the historic 100-mile route from Palisades Tahoe to Auburn.

About GU Energy Labs  

GU Energy Labs strives to help athletes reach their highest potential with products that deliver the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right time. Since its founding in 1993, GU has been committed to increasing access to sport for all. To that end, GU Gives – the company’s philanthropic arm – supports organizations and initiatives centered around 3 pillars: physical movement, environmental stewardship, and food awareness. Headquartered in Berkeley, CA, GU Energy Labs produces all of its Energy Gels onsite, largely through sustainable solar power. Learn more at www.guenergy.com.  

Craig
In General Interest, Trail Preservation

Western States Trail Museum: Home in Auburn to preserve a long and storied history

The many tales of a storied and remarkable trans-Sierra trail will soon come alive with the opening of the Western States Trail Museum. Supported by the City of Auburn with a lease arrangement for a portion of the former City Hall in Auburn’s historic Central Square, and with tenant improvements underway, the Museum’s Board of Directors is hopeful the facility will open its doors later in 2025. The location is 1103 High Street, Suite 300, in Auburn, California.

In the mid-1960s, the Governors of Nevada and California encouraged preserving the Capitol-to-Capitol route between Carson City and Sacramento, along with its relevant artifacts and memorabilia. As a part of this history, the incredible lore of the Western States Trail stands ready to be shared with the public.

The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the trail’s heritage through creative interpretive exhibits, artifacts, oral histories, docent-led field trips, speaker and film series, podcasts, and community engagements with modern day endurance events. The Western States Trail Museum archives will also serve as a research center for anyone who wants to learn more about this truly special trail. Please contact the Museum if you have something worth sharing.

The origin of the trail can be traced to the prehistoric era when Native Americans crossed the Sierra Nevada mountain range on trade routes to barter between the Nisenan, Washoe, and Paiute people, as well as to gather and hunt for food. By 1860, the Western States Trail route was well known as the shortest route over the Sierra Nevada from the gold mines of California’s Mother Lode to the Comstock Silver Lode in western Nevada.

In September, 1931, accompanied by five members from Parlor 59 of the Native Sons of the Golden West, Tahoe City, California Constable Robert Montgomery Watson and the group relocated and signed this early pioneer route that had been nearly forgotten. In 1955, Auburn businessman Wendell T. Robie led the founding of the annual Western States Trail 100 Mile One Day Ride, an equestrian event now known as the Tevis Cup. Robie established in 1974 what became an internationally celebrated crown jewel of ultramarathons, the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run.

For more information about the Museum or to get involved, visit www.wstrailmuseum.org or email info@wstrailmuseum.org

Craig
In General Interest, Trail Preservation, WSER Foundation

Granite Chief Wilderness Trail Re-Route Project Update

The trail through Granite Chief Wilderness that we use on race day stretches for 6.5 miles. The western portion of the trail was rehabilitated several years ago when it was accepted into the wilderness. The eastern portion was developed long before modern trail building standards were set, and is being re-routed to improve user safety, avoid environmentally sensitive areas, improve sustainability, and provide commanding views.

We have actively been working on this project for the last two summers (only 10-12 weeks are snow free each year).  Work has been performed by USFS employees, a 20-person California Conservation Corp trail crew, and our volunteers.  The work has been funded by the Great American Outdoor Act ($1.2M), designed to cover most of the project. Although $0.5M in funding remains, and the USFS was poised to complete contracts to engage a trail crew for this summer, the funding for the project has now been frozen by DOGE and inaccessible, and we cannot hire a trail crew for 2025.

The USFS and our volunteers still plan to work on the project this summer, and we hope to complete enough of the re-routed trail that we can use about 2 miles of the new trail for our event in 2026, which will get us up and out of the bogs. But to get there we need your help.   To date our four scheduled trail work weekends are only about half full, so come join us on the weekends of July 26th/27th, August 16th/17th,  September 6th/7th, and/or September 20th/21st.

To signup please visit https://www.wser.org/volunteering/trail-stewardship/trail-work-opportunities/

Craig
In General Interest, Race News

2025 Lottery Statistics

Last updated: February 8, 2025 at 22:20 pm

The 2025 race lottery will be held on December 7, 2024 in front of a live audience at the Placer High School auditorium in Auburn, CA beginning at 8:00 a.m. PST. We expect to be done by 11:00 a.m. As names are randomly selected, they will be posted at https://lottery.wser.org in real-time. There will also be live video coverage of the lottery on our Youtube Channel beginning at 7:00 a.m. PST.

Each applicant ran a qualifying race of 100k or longer within the last year to be eligible to enter. Some have done so for many years. Each runner who enters the lottery and fails to gain entry into the Run (and otherwise doesn’t gain an entry via other means such as an aid station, sponsor, or HOKA Golden Ticket spot) will have additional tickets in the hat when entering the lottery the following year, thus improving the probability of being selected. Every lottery applicant will receive 2^(n-1) tickets in the hat where n is the number of years entering the lottery without gaining entry. That is, 1st year applicants = 1 ticket, 2nd year = 2 tickets, 3rd year = 4 tickets, 4th year = 8 tickets, and so on. The maximum number of years for the 2025 lottery is 10 years or 512 tickets.

You can view the final 2025 applicants and their ticket counts.

We will be starting 369 runners in 2025. As we began in 2017, we are using a wait list model instead of overbooking like we had for decades to get the target number of starters which is the number we are legally allowed to run through the Granite Chief Wilderness. 109 of those 369 are automatic entrants resulting in 260 lottery spots. 257 of those will be selected in the lottery proper. The final three entrants to get to 369 will be selected from those in the audience. The probabilities of being selected as one of the 260 in the lottery are as follows:

We will also select an additional 75 names for the ordered wait list. What are the chances of getting into the race if you are selected for the wait list? In 2024 the 35th person on the wait list got into the race Friday before the race. In 2023 we went down to the 56th person on the list. In 2022 we exhausted the wait list of 75. In 2021 we exhausted the wait list of 50 which was rolled over from 2020. In 2019 the last person to get a spot on the starting line was selected 31st. In 2018 the 36th person on the list got in, in 2017 the 39th person got in. All the historical data from the wait lists can be found here.

Good luck to all.

JohnT
In General Interest, Race News, WSER Foundation

TOPHER GAYLORD NAMED PRESIDENT OF WESTERN STATES ENDURANCE RUN

Topher Gaylord, a longtime member of the Western States Endurance Run Board of Directors and a leading voice in the sport of ultrarunning, has been elected President of the WSER Board of Directors.

Gaylord succeeds Diana Fitzpatrick, whose term as President ended at the end of September following five years.

“As the first 100-mile trail race in the world, Western States Endurance Run strives to be a leader in the sport, honoring our traditions and evolving proactively with the sport.  We are an organization fueled by the community for the community with tremendous people who make the run special for every participant who has the opportunity to run Western States.  It is a privilege to serve in this leadership role for our organization,” said Gaylord.

Gaylord, whose experience as a competitor, organizer and thought leader in the sport dates back more than 25 years, has been a member of the WSER Board since 2016. During that time, Gaylord has served as a vice president for WSER and played instrumental roles in a number of WSER’s most notable successes. This has included WSER’s ongoing presenting sponsorship agreement with HOKA and historic growth overall in terms of partnership agreements, the production of a first-ever and continuing Live Broadcast of the event, and trail stewardship initiatives that have worked to open more of the Western States Trail to the public.

“I am extremely excited for the start of a new era for our race with Topher as our President,” said Fitzpatrick, who remains on the WSER Board as Vice President. “I don’t know if there is a more respected person in our sport than Topher. His keen perspective, which now dates back an entire generation of ultrarunners, his ability of bringing groups together for the common good, and his strategic sense of where the sport is headed next is what we need right now.”

Added Race Director Craig Thornley, now entering his 13th year as race director: “It’s been a distinct pleasure, both professionally and personally, to work with Diana over the past five years in furthering our Run’s mission. I cannot thank her enough for her dedication to all things Western States. I’ve known and worked with Topher for a very long time. He’s an incredibly gifted person in how he mixes his experiences as a leader in the outdoor space and in particular in ultrarunning, with an uncanny ability to always find the best in people and in organizations. He has big shoes to fill. I have every confidence he will.”

Gaylord’s career in global athletic and sports leadership includes executive-level positions with companies such as VF Corporation in North America, Europe, and Asia, Columbia Sportswear, Mountain Hardwear, Under Armour and The North Face. He ran his first Western States in 1998 and is a seven-time finisher of the Run. In 2003, he was the first American male finisher at the first-ever Ultra-Trail Du Mont-Blanc.

The organization’s officers for the upcoming 2025 race cycle include Gaylord as President, Fitzpatrick as Vice President, Lamont King as Treasurer and Kara Teklinski as Secretary.

JohnT
In General Interest, Race News

2024 Race Recap

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: John Trent, WSER Media Relations, press@wser.org

SCHIDE AND WALMSLEY’S WINS AT WESTERN STATES ENDURANCE RUN AMONG FASTEST EVER IN EVENT HISTORY

AUBURN, Calif. – Katie Schide and Jim Walmsley both ran the second-fastest times ever in winning the women’s and the men’s races, respectively, on Saturday at the 51st Western States Endurance Run.

Schide, 32, of Gardiner, Maine, who finished second in 2023, led the women’s race from the very beginning and finished in 15 hours and 46 minutes, second only to Courtney Dauwalter’s 2023 course record of 15:29. It was a near-hour improvement of her 2023 time of 16:43.

Walmsley, 34, of Flagstaff, Arizona, who set the men’s course record of 14:09 in 2019, returned to Western States after a three-year absence. He held off multiple challenges from second-place finisher Rod Farvard, 28, of Mammoth Lakes, in winning for the fourth time at Western States. Walmsley’s finished in 14:13, with Farvard taking second in 14:24.

2024’s run saw 286 runners cross the finish line at Placer High School in Auburn, with 109 runners culminating their journey that had started 100.2 miles earlier in Olympic Valley, California, in under 24 hours.

Schide’s wire-to-wire win was just one of several highlights in the women’s race. The top 10 women combined to record the swiftest women’s race in Western States history. Fuzhao Xiang, 32, of China, finished in the third-fastest time in run history in 16:20. Eszter Csillag, 39, a Hungarian runner who lives in Hong Kong, finished in third place in 16:42. In all, and for the first time ever at Western States, the top six women finished under 17 hours, including 42-year-old Ida Nilsson of Sweden, who finished in 16:56 to set a new master’s (40-49) age group record.

The high competitiveness of the women’s field was also seen in overall standings. Following Schide’s 13th-place finish, the next nine women finishers took the next 14 spots overall. It was a continuation of a similarly strong showing by Western States’ women’s field. “Last year we saw the top ten women totally exploding what everyone thought was possible,” Schide said moments after her victory on Saturday. “It seems like it is going to happen again today.”

Schide, the UTMB 2022 champion who had run away from a Golden Ticket field in April and set a new course record at The Canyons 100K in Auburn, said her 2023 run at Western States helped her on Saturday. Schide was buoyed as she saw familiar Western States volunteers from 2023, and felt a rising sense of comfort as she spotted course landmarks,

“During the whole race I took confidence in every place I was at,” she said. “That felt really reassuring: I know where I am, I know what to do.”

Walmsley, in making his return to Western States after focusing the past two professional running calendars on living in France and making good on a goal of finally winning UTMB last August, also knew what he needed to do: Fight off repeated challenges from Farvard.

Walmsley, eventual third-place men’s finisher Hayden Hawks, 33, of Cedar City, Utah (who would finish just 16 seconds behind Farvard), and fourth-place finisher Daniel Jones, 33, of New Zealand (who finished in 14:32), were all together at the 43-mile Last Chance aid station. Then it was Farvard who mounted a challenge. Farvard was only eight seconds behind Walmsley at the 62-mile aid station at Foresthill before surging into the lead by one minute at the Dardanelles (mile 65) aid station. Walmsley retook the lead at the Ford’s Bar (mile 73) aid station before Farvard mounted yet another charge to take a four-minute lead on the climb up to the Green Gate aid station at mile 79.8.

Throughout, Walmsley was impressed by Farvard’s tenacity and tactics. “Rod was just crushing me in the aid stations, just taking chunks of minutes every single time,” Walmsley said.

Fortified after taking in extra fluids and changing socks and shoes at an admitted low point at Green Gate, Walmsley rallied. By Auburn Lake Trails Walmsley held an 82-second advantage over Farvard, with the advantage swelling to 11 minutes at Pointed Rocks aid station (mile 94.3).

After his win, Walmsley noted that he was “really proud of this one.”

“Rod just ran an incredible day,” Walmsley said. His voice breaking as he was interviewed, Walmsley added, “It brings a lot of emotion because it was just really hard.”

JohnT
In General Interest, Race News

2024 WS 100 Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: John Trent, WSER Media Relations, press@wser.org

COURSE RECORD HOLDER WALMSLEY, 2023 WOMEN’S RUNNER-UP SCHIDE HEADLINE STELLAR WESTERN STATES FIELDS

AUBURN, Calif. – Men’s course record holder Jim Walmsley will make his first run since winning the race for the third time in 2021 while 2023 women’s runner-up Katie Schide heads the women’s field at the 51st running of the Western States Endurance Run.

Western States starts at 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 29, at Palisades Tahoe Resort, at Olympic Valley, California.

“Jim’s runs at Western States have left an indelible mark on our history. We are very excited to have him back this year,” WSER Race Director Craig Thornley said. “Jim is going to be pushed by a highly talented men’s field, though. We are equally excited about our women’s race. Katie Schide ran the second-fastest women’s race in our history last year (16 hours and 43 minutes in finishing second to Courtney Dauwalter’s CR of 15:29). We have one of the finest women’s fields ever assembled at this year’s race.

“It’s worth noting that our women’s races over the past several years have proven to be deep and highly competitive. The 2023 women’s race saw a new women’s course record, as well as the second-fastest, fourth-fastest, sixth-fastest and ninth-fastest women’s times in our history. 

“This year’s race is shaping up to be no exception.”

Walmsley, 34, of Flagstaff, Arizona, established the men’s course record of 14:09 in winning in 2019. He has since spent the majority of his time living and training in France, preparing with single-minded focus for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, which he won last August. He has returned to his home base in Flagstaff this spring. When Walmsley makes his way to the starting line in Olympic Valley on June 29, it will mark his first race start in the United States since his win at Western States in 2021. Walmsley’s other victory at Western States came in 2018.

Top 10 runners from last year who are returning include: Tyler Green, 40, of Portland, Oregon, who finished second; Jiasheng Shen, 29, of Kunming, China, fourth; Daniel Jones, 33, of Wellington, New Zealand, fifth; non-binary runner Ryan Montgomery, 30, of Wanship, Utah, seventh; Jeffrey Colt, 33, of Carbondale, Colorado, eighth; and Cole Watson, 32, of Rancho Cordova, California, ninth.

Schide, 32, from Gardiner, Maine, also lives in Europe, in the village of Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage in France’s Mercantour National Park. She has had an extraordinary run of success over the past few years. Schide won UTMB in 2022, finished second to Dauwalter at Western States last year and then ran away from the women’s field at The Canyons 100K in Auburn in April. On some of the same trails used by the Western States Endurance Run, Schide set a new women’s course record at The Canyons by more than 40 minutes and finished sixth overall.

In addition to Schide, Top 10 runners from last year who are returning include: Hungary’s Eszter Csillag, 39, who lives in Hong Kong, third; Emily Hawgood, 29, of Beatrice, Zimbabwe, fifth; Ida Nilsson, 43, of Kalmar, Sweden, seventh; Priscilla Forgie, 33, of Edmonton, Alberta, eighth; and Leah Yingling, 33, of Salt Lake City, ninth.

Both the men’s and women’s fields will also feature several “HOKA Golden Ticket” entrants – top men’s and women’s ultra runners who raced their way into this year’s run through highly competitive ultras held both in the United States and internationally. 

In addition to the elite competitors, this year’s 375-runner field includes runners from all backgrounds, abilities and walks of life from throughout the United States and from more than 30 countries. 

The runners will be vying for a sterling silver belt buckle for a sub-24-hour finish or a bronze belt buckle for a finish under the run’s 30-hour absolute cutoff. The buckles have been hand-crafted by the silversmiths of Comstock Heritage for more than three decades now and are considered the most coveted finisher’s award in all of ultra running.

The 2024 run field will traverse the picturesque high country of the historic Western States Trail through the Granite Chief Wilderness in the early morning. They will then plunge into the deep canyons of the American River drainage. The runners will pass through the sites of old mining settlements such as Last Chance, Deadwood and Michigan Bluff, making technical and challenging ascents and descents of more than 2,000 feet, before crossing the Middle Fork of the American River at mile 78 at the Rucky Chucky River Crossing aid station. From there, they will make a final push to the finish line at the track of Placer High School in Auburn, California.

Among this year’s entrants is William “Will” Barkan, a 40-year-old runner from Mill Valley, California with progressive vision loss. Over the past seven years Barkan has finished challenging mountain 100-milers such as Run Rabbit Run in Colorado and Tahoe Rim Trail at Lake Tahoe as well rugged 100K’s such as California’s Miwok and The Canyons and Waldo in Oregon. 

In December’s Western States lottery, Barkan was selected from more than 9,000 lottery entrants from around the world to run in the 2024’s run. Barkan will run with a series of guides and has been granted an exemption by the Western States Board of Directors to use trekking poles during his run.

This year’s event will be streamed live on YouTube. Commentators Dylan Bowman and Corrine Malcolm will kick off the live broadcast at 4:15 a.m. on Saturday, June 29. The broadcast will continue through the entirety of the event and will conclude at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 30. Watch it at https://www.youtube.com/@WSER100.

ABOUT WESTERN STATES: First held in 1974, the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run has a 369-runner field from throughout the United States and more than 30 countries. Western States is considered one of the world’s preeminent 100-mile trail races. Its mission is to stage a transformational and quality world-class event for its runners, as well as perform trail stewardship and conduct medical research studies for the betterment of the sport. Held on the last full weekend in June starting in Olympic Valley, California, the 100.2-mile event travels 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, California.