Get Your Fill of the Western States 100
Some of the best stories, documentaries, and live coverage for context on Saturday's famed race
Did you catch yesterday’s post? I hope you’ll take time to read that story of a remarkable ultrarunner who spent last year coping with chemo and multiple surgeries. On Saturday, she and I will participate in the San Juan Solstice 50. Consequently, we’ll be offline in the mountains all day while the most exciting and special (in my mind) 100-miler takes place.
No, I am not talking about the overhyped and overcrowded Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc. I am referring, of course, to Western States.
Here in Colorado, the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run may be less of a big deal than in California. But in my mind, the storied 100-miler deserves all the attention it gets and remains the most special 100-miler I’ve completed.
In 2016, after several years of entering its lottery, my name got drawn (story about that lottery experience here) and I had the privilege of joining some of the best ultrarunners in the world to test my endurance from Olympic Village to Auburn. Everything “clicked” that day, even though it was a scorcher in the canyons—as it promises to be again this Saturday, with temperatures forecast to hit the high 90s.
I was in peak shape and found the ability in the final 20 miles to run and nail a sub-24-hour goal by 15 minutes. I cherish the silver buckle engraved with the cougar and “100 Miles—One Day.”
In fact, I’ve been feeling such Western States nostalgia that I’ve decided to start working toward getting my name pulled again. Given the backlog of ticket entries and the long odds, the multi-year process may take a full decade.
When I first started following the race virtually in the early 2000s, live tracking consisted of a dot on a webpage map representing a runner checking into aid stations. How things have changed! Now it’s possible to consume 30 hours of live coverage via twitter, YouTube, and online chatter.
Here’s how to follow Western States on Saturday:
Western States Endurance Run YouTube channel with live broadcasting, launched last year, promises to be even better this year. Kudos to Billy Yang, who’s now a Western States board member, for heading up this coverage.
iRunFar live coverage and race previews: iRunFar remains the most knowledgable and experienced team covering this race. Related: read my Q&A with iRF’s Meghan Hicks about media coverage of the sport.
For history & background, an article I wrote about the founding of Western States that includes a Q&A with Mo Livermore, the woman instrumental in developing it in the early days.
My 2020 profile of Western States race director Craig Thornley
Two favorite Western States documentaries: Unbreakable, JB Benna’s film on the 2010 showdown between a young Killian, Hal Koerner, Anton, and Geoff Roes; and Life In a Day, Billy Yang’s 2016 doc of four top women running it that year (I make a brief cameo around 49:30 when I pass & high-five Anna Mae).
A real blast from the past: The first article I ever wrote about ultrarunning and Western States, back in 1996, for the Berkeley Monthly magazine profiling the legendary Ann Trason, who won Western States 14 times.
And finally, I love these short clips from 2015 showing the nail-bitting finish of Gunhild Swanson, who became the first woman over 70 to finish Western States. The race has a 30-hour cutoff to earn a buckle and be listed as a finisher. This video captures the excitement on the Auburn track, and this one has a better view of her running through the finish line.
Happy Statesmas!
Related post:
Hardrock’s Draw: Includes a list of other Colorado 100s
