Race News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

FASTEST WESTERN STATES EVER: COURSE RECORDS FALL AT WSER

AUBURN, Calif. – Course records fell in both the women’s and the men’s races during the 53^rd Western States Endurance Run on June 27-28, with the top three finishers in the men’s race led by champion Vincent Bouillard shattering the 14-hour barrier as Jennifer Lichter made her 100-mile debut equally historic in eclipsing the women’s course record.

Bouillard, 32, of Annecy, France, passed runner-up Francesco Puppi of Italy late in the race to finish in 13 hours, 46 minutes and 15 seconds to become the first runner to ever complete the 100.2-mile course in under 14 hours. Puppi, 34, finished in 13:51, with Ryan Montgomery, 32, of Hanover, New Hampshire, finishing third in 13:53. All three runners, as well as fourth-place Thomas Cardin, 31, of Cognin, France, broke the previous course record of 14:09 set by Jim Walmsley in 2019.

Lichter, 30, of Missoula, Montana, running in her first 100-miler, ran a strong and confident race and took the lead for good at the Devil’s Thumb aid station at mile 47. Running at or near record pace throughout, she finished with a flourish on the Placer High School track in Auburn, California, sprinting by Courtney Dauwalter’s 2023 course record of 15:29:33 by a little more than a minute. Lichter’s course record time: 15:28:06.

Lichter was followed by Riley Brady, 31, of Boulder, Colorado, who finished in 15:42 (third-fastest ever at Western States), and Marianne Hogan, 36, of Canada, who finished in 15:51 (fifth-fastest all-time). In all, the women’s field saw seven of the fastest top 10 times ever recorded at Western States, with the men’s race recording five of the fastest top 10 times ever at the run, which was first held in 1974.

In addition to the two most competitive fields ever assembled at Western States, weather conditions were considered prime for the 370 runners who assembled in Olympic Valley, California on Saturday morning. The remnants of a low-pressure system from Alaska still buffeted the high country with cool temperatures and high winds early in Saturday’s run. As the day wore on, things calmed down and made for prime running. The high temperature struggled to break into the 70s at the finish line in Auburn, reaching only 73 degrees – nearly 20 degrees below the historical high average for June 27. The result was 322 runners who finished, with an all-time high finish rate of 87% percent.

Among the other notable performances was a new 50 to 59 age group record, set by Jeff “Bronco Billy” Browning, 54, of Flagstaff, Arizona, who ran 18:03. The run’s final official finisher was Mike Smith, 68, of Santa Fe, N.M., who ran 29:58:31, just under the official race cutoff time of 30 hours. The oldest female finisher was 64-year-old Stephanie Irving of Trout Lake, Washington, who finished in 29:27. 136 runners finished in under 24 hours, earning them a coveted silver belt buckle. All other finishers under 30 hours received a bronze belt buckle.

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

PAST CHAMPIONS WALMSLEY, JORNET RETURN AS WELL AS DEFENDING WOMEN’S CHAMPION ABBY HALL FOR 53^RD WSER

AUBURN, Calif. – Defending women’s champion Abby Hall as well as four-time men’s champion Jim Walmsley and 2011 champion Kilian Jornet, generally considered the greatest ultra runner of all-time, headline one of the most competitive fields ever assembled this weekend with the 53^rd running of the Western States Endurance Run (WSER). Western States starts on Saturday, June 27 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.

Hall, 35, of Flagstaff, Arizona, running strong and confident throughout, won last year’s WSER in the fourth-fastest time ever, 16 hours and 37 minutes. Her competition includes 34-year-old Fuzhao Xiang of China (who ran the third-fastest time in race history in 2024 as well as well as the seventh-fastest time ever last year, 16:47, in finishing second to Hall), as well Marianne Hogan, 36, of Canada, who was third in 2025, and 2025 fifth-place women’s finisher Fiona Pascall, 36, of Great Britain. 2021 Tokyo Olympic Marathon bronze medalist Molly Seidel, 31, of Flagstaff, who gained entry through a Golden Ticket qualification earlier this year, will make her 100-mile debut this weekend.

The men’s race is just as deep. Although 2025 men’s champion Caleb Olson is not competing this year, the presence of past champions Walmsley, 36, of Flagstaff, who holds the men’s course record of 14:09 set in 2019, as well as Jornet, a 38-year-old native of Spain who lives in Norway with his family and is the most recognizable ultra runner in the world, should potentially make the men’s race one of the fastest ever held at Western States. Jornet finished third in 2025. He will be joined by several other top finishers from last year’s run, including fourth-place finisher Jeff Mogavero, 32, of Missoula, Montana, and fifth-place finisher Daniel Jones, 35, of New Zealand. 2023 champion Adam Peterman, 30, of Missoula, Montana, has rounded into sharp form with a Golden Ticket performance in April’s Canyon 100K. Francesco Puppi, 34, of Italy, a dominant performer on the trails internationally, will be making his 100-mile debut.

Adding momentum to the talk of fast races for both the women and the men are two additional factors. A relatively dry spring has meant that there is no snow on the course. And for the first time in several years, predicted high temperatures on race day are expected to only reach the low 80s – mild weather by Western States’ usual infernally hot standards.

“The HOKA Golden Ticket season (the months-long series of qualifying races where elites battle for a Western States entry) was as competitive and as fast as I can ever remember,” Race Director Craig Thornley said. “Abby Hall ran a tactically brilliant race last year and has had a great spring. And for both the women and the men, many of the top 10 are returning from last year, along with some really strong and interesting Western States newcomers joining us for the first time through the HOKA Golden Ticket series. Having past champions like Jim Walmsley, Kilian and Adam Peterman back add even more to the tradition that is Western States. These are some of the great and inspiring figures from our history. And they are going to have a definite say in what transpires this year. It’s going to be exciting to see how it all plays out.”

This year’s field of runners, who come from 28 countries as well as throughout the United 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 2026 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 27. 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.

The Western States Endurance Run (WSER) and a new non-profit trail running organization, Support for Trail Running Inclusion Development and Empowerment (STRIDE), have entered into a sponsorship agreement to further the development of trail and ultra runners as they navigate one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.

Through its partnership with Western States, STRIDE will be making available grants to provide needs-based financial support to trail and ultra runners who demonstrate commitment, perseverance and community spirit but face financial or logistical challenges that could limit their participation. STRIDE grants are available for trail or ultra runners of all abilities and experience levels in the sport.

“We are extremely pleased to be partnering with STRIDE in this effort,” WSER President Topher Gaylord said. “We realize that for a number of people, our sport can present numerous challenges, not the least of which is a financial commitment that goes far beyond hours of training and preparation. STRIDE grants are designed to support a wide range of needs that enable runners to train, travel and compete by lessening the financial burden they might face.”

STRIDE, a 501c3, was founded in 2025 by veteran ultra runners Phil Sanderson and Jaclyn Foroughi in order to shape a stronger, more representative trail running community. By empowering individuals who reflect the diversity and dedication of the trail running community, STRIDE aims to cultivate a more inclusive, equitable, and inspired sport.

“We started STRIDE after seeing how often talented, deeply committed runners were limited not by ability or dedication, but by access,” Foroughi said. “Trail running has always been about hard work, dedication and community, and STRIDE exists to make sure more people have the opportunity to experience that—at all levels of the sport.”

Applicants for STRIDE grants will be evaluated holistically based on financial need, dedication to the sport, and potential to inspire inclusion and empowerment within the trail running community.

STRIDE is accepting applications for this year’s race cycle now. Find out more at www.stridegrant.org.

Last updated: December 6, 2025 at 5:06 am

The 2026 race lottery will be held on December 6, 2025 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.

Lottery Emcee Tim Twietmeyer

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 2026 applicants and their ticket counts. We will be starting 369 runners in 2026. 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. 112 of those 369 are automatic entrants resulting in 257 lottery spots. 254 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 257 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 2025 the 65th person drawn was offered a spot two days before the race. 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. Here are the probabilities of being selected for either the entrants (257) or wait list (75).  

Good luck to all.

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 52^nd 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.

# # #

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.