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WSER Foundation

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, 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/

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.

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.

JohnT
In General Interest, Research, WSER Foundation

KRAUS AND ROCHE NAMED WSER MEDICAL RESEARCH DIRECTORS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Craig
In General Interest, Race News, Trail Preservation, WSER Foundation

Granite Chief Wilderness Trail Reroute

Last updated: October 8, 2025 at 11:46 am

Granite Chief Wilderness Trail Reroute Project Receives $800,000 Award Through Great American Outdoors Act.

The Western States Endurance Run (WSER) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Forest Service – American River Ranger District (USFS) has secured $800,000 in funding for the Granite Chief Wilderness Trail Reroute Project (Project) through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA).  The USFS, the Western States Endurance Run Foundation (organizers of the WSER), and the Western States Trail Foundation (organizers of the Tevis Cup Ride), worked together over several years to develop and gain approval of a plan for non-motorized alternative trail access through Granite Chief Wilderness (the Wilderness). Planning activities culminated in a 2019 Decision Memo, issued by the USFS, that formalized the decision to proceed with the Project.

The trail through the Wilderness that WSER uses on race day stretches from approximately miles 4 through 10.5 of the WSER course. Although the western portion of the trail through the newly expanded Wilderness has been recently rehabilitated and meets current USFS trail building specifications, other portions of the existing trail through the Wilderness were developed long before modern trail building criteria and techniques were defined, while other portions of the trail were created by citizens (social trails) that are not within the formally recognized trail network. The existing trail alignment is problematic with regard to both user safety and resource damage. In places the trail is overly steep with grades up to 30%, and over time have become heavily rutted and channelized, contributing to excessive erosion in sensitive sub-alpine riparian terrain. For decades volunteers from WSER and the Tevis Cup Ride have partnered with the USFS to maintain the trail through the Wilderness, but because of its design, or lack of design, it has required an increasing level of commitment. 

The Project is designed to close sections of the existing trail that have unsustainable grades that traverse a series of hillside springs (bogs) and replace these trail sections with sustainable trail segments that will be farther upslope and out of the densely vegetated area where the springs discharge. The Project has been divided into nine trail segments (see figure), and will result in 5.7 miles of new trail, along the ridge connecting Granite Chief, Needle and Lyon Peaks. New trail segments will access alpine terrain that has not previously been accessible, which will afford stunning views to the south, east, and west. When completed the new trail system will allow recreational users the opportunity to walk, run, or ride shorter loop routes from both the east and northwest side of the Wilderness. New trail segments will be designed using Best Management Practices to minimize erosion and be safer for all users. Unsustainable sections of the existing trail will be closed and vegetation in the affected area restored.

On a typical year the project area is covered by snow from October to June, and therefore field work can only be performed during summer months. The Project has been scheduled for the summers of 2023, 2024, and 2025. A 20-person professional trail crew will live in the Wilderness and work 5 days each week, for a total of 14 weeks. On weekends volunteer trail crews will perform work commensurate with their skill level. For the summers of 2023 and 2024 access will be arranged with the Palisades Tahoe Resort, and trail workers will use Palisades Tahoe maintenance roads to bring supplies and personnel into the Wilderness from the east. For the summer of 2025 access will be from the northwest edge of the Wilderness using Forest Service Road 51.

Craig Thornley, Race Director for WSER, states: “I have been very excited about this new trail since I first walked it a few years ago. It will not only provide a more environmentally sensitive and sustainable way to traverse the Wilderness and substantially improve the views, but because the new route across the Wilderness will be shorter it will allow us to make other changes farther down our event route to incorporate more single-track and sustainable trail sections.”

Chuck Stalley, the Ride Director for the Tevis Cup also supports the project, as “it will provide safer passage for our horses and their riders and require less annual maintenance.” 

Matt Brownlee, the USFS District Trails Manager, is fully committed to the Project “This exciting new trail realignment project will require three years of hard work but will provide years of public enjoyment while at the same time protecting sensitive resources in federally protected wilderness. This project was originally identified in 1993 due to accelerated erosion and lack of trail design parameters but didn’t gain traction until 2016 when myself/WSER/WSTF representatives began initial ground-truthing. Obvious terrain and construction hurdles will make this a logistically challenging project but will benefit the American public for years to come. A mentor of mine used to say “just go out there and make it better”, I truly feel that’s what we are going to accomplish with this legacy project and I welcome any and all who would like to be part of it.”

The USFS has estimated the Project will cost $1,350,000. GAOA funding will cover $800,000 of the cost and WSER has secured funding for its share of the remaining $550,000 in cost.

Craig
In General Interest, Race News, WSER Foundation

Dylan Bowman Named to WSER Board

The Board of Directors for the Western States Endurance Run has named Dylan Bowman to the board, WSER President Diana Fitzpatrick announced Monday.

Bowman, 35, a three-time finisher at Western States has been an elite-level ultra runner for more than a decade. He is considered an influential voice in the sport, having served as host of one of the sport’s leading podcasts, “The Pyllars Podcast with Dylan Bowman,” which provides insight into ultrarunning, sports, business and the outdoor industry as well as serving as commentator for the live broadcasts provided by Western States and the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) over the past year.

“We are incredibly pleased and very excited to have Dylan on our board,” Fitzpatrick said. “In many ways, Dylan represents where the sport of ultra running is today and where it is going in the future. He has long been a passionate advocate for building the sport in the right ways. Dylan clearly understands what our race’s legacy is and he is someone who we believe can help our organization bring that legacy to the next generation.

“Dylan’s perspective and his many talents as a communicator and community builder will help increase the reach of our race and will help us further bridge the digital connection in how we share ideas relevant to our race, how we present and share our race with a worldwide audience, and perhaps most importantly of all, how we can continue making strides in building an even stronger sense of community and inclusion in our sport.”

Bowman, who grew up in Colorado and is a former college lacrosse player, ran his first ultra at age 23 in 2009. Since then, he set the course record at New Zealand’s Tarawera 100K and notched other international victories including Ultra-Trail Mount Fuji and the Ultra-Trail Australia 100K. He is also an accomplished FKT runner, having set the Wonderland (Washington) Trail FKT. This summer Bowman finished second at the Hardrock 100. In addition to his career in communications and digital media, Bowman is a former volunteer coach for the 1,000 Mile Club, a running club for incarcerated men held at the Bay Area’s San Quentin Prison.

Bowman’s appointment came about following the retirement from the board of Mark Falcone. Falcone announced earlier this spring he would be stepping down after serving on the board in a variety of capacities for more than 15 years. In addition to countless hours devoted to stewarding the Western States Trail through trail work, Falcone was one of the few Western States board members to ever also serve on the board of the Tevis Cup horse ride.

Craig
In General Interest, Race News, WSER Foundation

BOULET, TEKLINSKI AND YANG NAMED TO WSER BOARD

The Board of Directors for the Western States Endurance Run has named three new members to the board, WSER President Diana Fitzpatrick announced.

The new members of Western State’s Board of Directors are: Magdalena Boulet, Kara Teklinski and Billy Yang.

“We are so pleased that Magda, Kara and Billy will be joining us,” Fitzpatrick said. “They each represent unique skill sets, backgrounds, perspectives and personal and professional achievements that will help advance our race in new and exciting ways. All three possess not only an abiding passion for our race, but perhaps more importantly, bring perspectives, experiences and skills that will help further Western States’ mission in setting the standard for 100-mile runs.”

Boulet, who serves as senior vice president of innovation, research and development for GU Energy Labs, is one of the most accomplished and respected runners in American history. In addition to being a member of the 2008 United States Olympic Women’s Marathon Team, she is a past Western States champion, winning the race in 2015. An immigrant from Poland and a graduate of UC-Berkeley, where she excelled as one of the nation’s top 10,000-meter runners, Boulet became a United States citizen on Sept. 11, 2001. Boulet, who lives in Oakland, California, has been named one of the 15 Most Powerful Women in Running by Women’s Running Magazine.

Teklinski, who serves as the business manager and chief of staff for Roche/Genentech Product Development Global Clinical Operations, has played an integral role for many years in enhancing the race’s digital footprint. She has helped bring industry standard excellence and innovation to Western States’ live tracking of runners, which each race day is viewed by millions throughout the world. Her work extends each December to the massively popular livestream of the Western States lottery. Teklinski, who lives in Mill Valley, California and has been a Western States volunteer since 2010, has vast experience in supporting global launches of products and in leading cross-organizational projects.

Yang, who owns Billy Yang Films, has been a longtime chronicler of ultra running through his many films on the sport, as well as through his highly regarded podcast, the Billy Yang Podcast. Yang’s “Life in a Day” from 2017, which movingly tells the story of several of the race’s female competitors from the 2016 race, is considered one of the best films ever made about Western States. Yang, who lives in Los Angeles, came to America in the early 1980s when his father moved the Yang family from Seoul, South Korea. In addition to film and digital storytelling, Yang has an extensive background in marketing and product and brand activation.

The new members succeed three longtime board members who are now emeritus members and are part of the race’s Advisory Council. The group includes John Medinger, a longtime voice of the sport who is the only individual in the race’s long history to serve two separate times as president; Antonio Rossmann, whose more than 30-year tenure on the board included an historic legislative lobbying effort that maintained the use of the federally protected Granite Chief Wilderness in perpetuity for the race; and Donn Zea, whose versatile career on the board included key initiatives in trail stewardship, the strengthening of collaborative relationships with international events that included the Ultra Trail World Tour and governmental affairs.

Craig
In General Interest, Race News, WSER Foundation

COVID-19 Update #2

To the Western States community:

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak throughout the country and the world has been extremely dynamic over the past few days. The decisions we make in the coming days and weeks — individually and as a community — will have profound impacts on the intensity and the duration of coronavirus that all of us experience.

On March 15th, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued new guidelines recommending that organizers of in-person events — including sporting events — with 50 or more people cancel or postpone those events for the next eight weeks. We are very aware of the potential impact the postponement and cancellation of races will have on our runners and broader community. We plan to address issues related to WSER qualifiers, Golden Ticket races, and other things — including the feasibility of holding the race itself — as the situation develops and becomes more clear. For now, we will continue to make decisions based on the health, safety and well-being of our runners and broader community and in accordance with governmental rules and guidelines. For more information on COVID-19 and the ultrarunning community, see Corrine Malcolm’s extremely informative article in irunfar, COVID-19: A Trail Running and Ultrarunning Community Guide.

We thank you for your patience and consideration during this time of uncertainty.  We will keep you informed as things develop and we figure out how to address issues raised by this public health crisis. Our community is stronger together and we will need to draw on that strength and resilience in the coming days and months as we navigate these unchartered waters together.

Sincerely,

Craig Thornley, Race Director
The Western States Board of Trustees