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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.

GCW

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.

Craig
In General Interest, Race News, WSER Foundation

WSER names Lamont King to Board of Directors

The Board of Directors for the Western States Endurance Run has named Lamont King, Western States volunteer, ultra runner and accomplished public pension fund lawyer, to the board, WSER president Diana Fitzpatrick announced.

“We are extremely pleased to have Lamont join our board,” Fitzpatrick said. “Lamont’s accomplishments and involvement in our sport as a volunteer and runner are incredibly impressive, as are his professional accomplishments. King currently serves as Deputy General Counsel for CalSTRS, the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, which is the second largest public pension fund in the country. King led the investment attorney division at CalSTRS for ten years prior to being appointed the first-ever Deputy General Counsel. In his current role he acts as liaison between the General Counsel and the Assistant General Counsels where he provides legal guidance and leadership on matters supporting the entire organization. 

“We wish to welcome Lamont to the board as our run faces an incredibly dynamic moment in our sport. Lamont’s experience and perspective as well as his leadership and professional skills will be incredibly helpful for our board and our organization as we look toward an exciting future.”

“I have been fortunate to enjoy Western States as a fan, volunteer, and runner,” King said. “I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute as a WSER board member. I look forward to working with the board and the trail running community to continue the great legacy of Western States as the premier 100-mile endurance run.”

King, 50, started running ultras in 2014, inspired by the PBS documentary on Western States, “A Race for the Soul.” He has now finished more than 50 ultras, including Western States in 2022. He has been a volunteer at the Green Gate aid station and has also participated in numerous Western States trail stewardship days. He is a graduate of Allegheny College in Pennsylvania and received his juris doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio. He also holds a CFA Institute Investment Foundations Certificate.

Craig
In General Interest, Race News, Surveys

2023 RUNNER SURVEY RESULTS

Here are the results of the independent Western States Endurance Run (WSER) Runner Survey from the June 24-25, 2023 race, conducted by ultralive.net.

WSER runner registration takes place in Olympic Valley Friday before race day and 2023 allowed for another year of the ultralive survey team to be in position. Runners are happy to participate while they wait in line for check-in providing us a 93.9% participation rate of the 379 starters.

Here are the surveys from 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019. and 2022.

Survey Questions

The runners were asked the following questions. Data was recorded by bib number allowing us to correlate the responses to finish times to make the analysis even more interesting. All data however is compiled and reported anonymously:

  • Number of 100’s completed
  • Number of years running ultras
  • Will they use a crew?
  • Will they use a pacer?
  • Did they attend the Memorial weekend training camp
  • Shoe brand
  • Sock brand
  • Pack type/brand
  • Lighting brand
  • Watch brand
  • Did they pay for coaching services?

This year’s race temps were “cool” and we saw the top 10 for women and men finish in very fast times. The top 10 women finished under 18:11 and the top 10 men finished under 16:09. Of the 379 starters we saw 328 finishers (86.5%) under 30 hours of which 110 (33.5%) finished under the coveted 24 hour mark for a Silver Buckle. The finish rate is the hightest rate since the early years when 100% completed (when only 1 runner on the course).

A total of 306 of the 328 finshers (93.3%) are in the survey.

Note: All graphs show numbers related to runners who participated in the survey and finished the race. DNS and DNF are not included in the final graphs.

Finish Hour

For sub 24 hour finishers completing the survey, 36 out of 110 (33%) finished in the 23rd hour of the race to get a silver buckle. This was slightly less than in the past couple of years most likely due to the cooler temperature which allowed for faster finish times. In the last two hours of the race, there were 121 (37%) finishers. The busiest times on the track are typically between 4-5 AM and 9-11 AM on Sunday morning and 2023 proved no different.

The graphs show the distribution of finishers by hour (14 hours to 29 hours), distribution of finishers by completed 100 mile races, and distribution of finishers by year of running ultras. Interestingly, many of the finishers over 24 hours have finished more than ten 100 mile races and have been running ultras over 10 years.

Despite the high country snow at the beginning of the race, the cool temperatures in this year’s race definitely attributed to the finish rate of 86.5%.

Shoes

Again Hoka was the most popular shoe (38.2%) for all finishers with Altra in second place with 17.6% and Salomon in third (10.1%). The rankings stayed the same for the sub-24 hour finishers. Hoka has been the top brand in the survey since it started in 2014. We acknowledge some runners did plan to change shoes during the race and may have changed to a different brand so we asked that they provide the brand they planned on using most of the race.

Socks

Injinji is now the strong favorite for all finishers with Drymax coming in second again. The “other” category was quite large this year and runners seem to like a large variety of socks.

Paid Coaching Services

36% of the runners use a paid coaching service overall. Sub-24 hour finishers have fully embraced coaching now and nearly half (47%) use a coach.

Memorial Weekend Training Camp

The training camp held on Memorial Weekend is a great weekend to get on the course for those running, supporting or spectating the race. Attendance is up with 40% of finishers now attending the weekend. However, attending camp does not seem to decrease the chance of a DNF as 40% of the runners who did not complete the race were at the training camp.

Lighting

Petzl’s remains the favorite light brand for all runners regardless of finish time (sub or over-24 hour) with Black Diamond second again.

Packs

Salomon was the top choice for all runners (sub 24 and overall) and at 50% is by far the most common pack in the race.

Watches

Garmin was the most popular watch overall in the survey. Coros is the second most popular and combined those two brands make up 90% of the watches worn in the race.

Crew and Pacer

The use of a crew and/or pacer are personal preference during a 100-mile race but may be more popular at WS. The following chart shows the correlation of using a pacer or crew to finish hour. In the overall survey, almost everyone (89%) planned on using a pacer.

Data Accuracy

379 runners started the 2023 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run

Ultralive.net team surveyed a majority of those runners through the registration process at Olympic Valley. Final survey reflects N = 356 (93.9%) athletes though individual questions may vary if athlete did not answer or know answer. And also note that this analysis was done by amateur statisticians.

Credits

The team would like to thank all of the runners who took time to talk with us and answer these questions. Many thanks to the ultralive.net survey team: Kara Teklinski, Kati Laan and Janeth Siva.

Any feedback or insights are welcome!