I was there at the finish line of the Western States 100 in 2015 when 70-year-old Gunhild Swanson finished just under the 30-hour cutoff. Watching it unfold in real time felt surreal, and I found myself sobbing and cheering at the same time. Howie's description of watching Jasmin sprint to the yellow gate despite all odds sounds very much like what I felt watching Gunhild -- two remarkable women proving a huge point that seemed out of reach just minutes earlier. Sarah, what a wonderful interview! I loved your spot-on dissection of the photo, especially your reflection on the husband-wife, crew-runner dynamic. I can't wait to share all of this with my students, many of whom are well-versed in Barkley lore thanks to their teacher and coach (me) who insist on showing them clips about Barkley every April. So many found me on Monday morning to excitedly tell me that "a woman finally finished Barkley!" Ha! I have done my job. Thank you, friend, for sharing this fantastic conversation with Howie.
Thanks for sharing. This is the best article I have read so far about what it was like at camp when Jasmin finished. Such an incredible achievement and I agree the photograph captures that moment better than any video I have seen.
What a lovely and wonderful telling of this amazing event. My husband and I are both trail runners and live in Knoxville. We were able to be there in real life and it was magical and emotional. One thing missing is that John Kelly’s young son was the one who alerted us all to her coming in. It was so cool. We didn’t believe him at first and just looked around. Then, Gary Robbins acknowledged this and that’s when everyone started yelling her name. Everyone kept looking at their watches and phones and we couldn’t stop yelling and screaming. And then it went silent as she collapsed and laid down. I am so glad to read about this all over again one week later. 🩵
Wow. I was stunned by the writing and the story. The writing was like a poem, just enough to transport you to the scene and feel it in your heart. And the story, well it was the greatest moment in ultrarunning.
Howie is definitely the Man Behind the Camera fo this. Not only beacuse he's a class A photographer and artist, but because he's got real emotions in life. Even if one doesn't see it much from outside.
I love that you shared Howie's emotional account and using the photograph at the finish to tell the story. Thanks so much for sharing this, Sarah! Gave me chills!
Howie Stern’s account of waiting for Jasmin at the finish got me choked up all over again. The anxious waiting, the hope. I know photographers have a lot of patience, but I bet these final three hours tested his.
And then the “There she is,” the commotion, and the lead finger on the camera trigger. Chills.
I was there at the finish line of the Western States 100 in 2015 when 70-year-old Gunhild Swanson finished just under the 30-hour cutoff. Watching it unfold in real time felt surreal, and I found myself sobbing and cheering at the same time. Howie's description of watching Jasmin sprint to the yellow gate despite all odds sounds very much like what I felt watching Gunhild -- two remarkable women proving a huge point that seemed out of reach just minutes earlier. Sarah, what a wonderful interview! I loved your spot-on dissection of the photo, especially your reflection on the husband-wife, crew-runner dynamic. I can't wait to share all of this with my students, many of whom are well-versed in Barkley lore thanks to their teacher and coach (me) who insist on showing them clips about Barkley every April. So many found me on Monday morning to excitedly tell me that "a woman finally finished Barkley!" Ha! I have done my job. Thank you, friend, for sharing this fantastic conversation with Howie.
Thanks for sharing. This is the best article I have read so far about what it was like at camp when Jasmin finished. Such an incredible achievement and I agree the photograph captures that moment better than any video I have seen.
What a lovely and wonderful telling of this amazing event. My husband and I are both trail runners and live in Knoxville. We were able to be there in real life and it was magical and emotional. One thing missing is that John Kelly’s young son was the one who alerted us all to her coming in. It was so cool. We didn’t believe him at first and just looked around. Then, Gary Robbins acknowledged this and that’s when everyone started yelling her name. Everyone kept looking at their watches and phones and we couldn’t stop yelling and screaming. And then it went silent as she collapsed and laid down. I am so glad to read about this all over again one week later. 🩵
Wow. I was stunned by the writing and the story. The writing was like a poem, just enough to transport you to the scene and feel it in your heart. And the story, well it was the greatest moment in ultrarunning.
I've seen the photo swirling around, but this is the first I've actually read about the race. What a captivating story!
Howie is definitely the Man Behind the Camera fo this. Not only beacuse he's a class A photographer and artist, but because he's got real emotions in life. Even if one doesn't see it much from outside.
I loved this photograph and appreciated learning more about the making of it. Thanks Sarah and Howie.
That got me choked up as well. I can hear Howie’s voice and feel the excitement. Thanks!
I love that you shared Howie's emotional account and using the photograph at the finish to tell the story. Thanks so much for sharing this, Sarah! Gave me chills!
Captivating! Thank you for writing this! So exciting!!
Wonderful! Thank you.
Wonderful interview! Polly
Howie Stern’s account of waiting for Jasmin at the finish got me choked up all over again. The anxious waiting, the hope. I know photographers have a lot of patience, but I bet these final three hours tested his.
And then the “There she is,” the commotion, and the lead finger on the camera trigger. Chills.
Thank you for sharing this! So wonderful.
Amazing story!
Thanks so much for this! This captivated me much like "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer did!