Western States Endurance Run


The Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100, is a 100-mile ultramarathon that takes place on California's Sierra Nevada Mountains trails each year on the last full weekend of June. The race starts at the base of the Squaw Valley ski resort and finishes at the Placer High School track in Auburn, California. The terrain is quite rugged, frequently showcasing snow on the highest passes and record hot temperatures throughout the course. Runners ascend a cumulative total of 18,090 feet and descend a total of 22,970 feet on mountain trails before reaching the finish. Because of the length, the race commences at 5 a.m. and continues through the day and into the night. Runners finishing before the 30-hour time limit for the race receive a commemorative bronze belt buckle, while runners finishing in under 24 hours receive a silver belt buckle.
The Western States 100 is sponsored by Altra, a Utah athletic footwear company, and is one of the five 100-mile races that comprise the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, which also includes the Old Dominion 100, Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run, the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run in Utah, and the Leadville Trail 100 in Colorado.

History

The Western States Trail Ride was first completed on foot by seven soldiers from Fort Riley, Kansas during the 1972 event, proving that the 100-mile mountain course could be marched in less than two days. In 1974 Gordy Ainsleigh was the first to run it in under 24 hours. Ainsleigh had finished the Western States Trail Ride in 1971 and 1972 on horseback, but in 1973 his new horse was pulled with lameness at the 29-mile checkpoint. In 1974, with the inspiration and encouragement of Drucilla Barner, the first woman to win the Tevis Cup and Secretary of the Western States Trail Foundation, Gordy joined the horses of the Western States Trail Ride to see if he could complete the course on foot in under 24 hours. Twenty-three hours and forty-two minutes later Gordy arrived in Auburn, proving that a runner could indeed, travel the 100 miles in one day.
In 1975, Ron Kelley ran the Tevis Cup course along with the horses, and completed 97 miles of the course before dropping out. In 1976, Ken "Cowman" Shirk became the next to complete the course along with the horses, with Ainsleigh pacing him the last 25 miles.
Sixteen runners signed up for the first official Western States Endurance Run in 1977, and started along with the horses in the Tevis Cup. Thirteen of the 16 had dropped out or were pulled by the midpoint that year. Of the three remaining runners, only Andy Gonzales finished in the 24-hour time limit set for the horses. The other two, Peter Mattei and Ralph Paffenbarger, finished in 28 hours and 36 minutes, leading to the establishment of the 30-hour bronze buckle time limit for runners. The Run organization later became its own entity: The Western States Endurance Run Foundation.
The following year, 1978, 63 runners competed and 30 runners finished the first Western States Endurance Run. The race was held on a separate date, independent of the Tevis Cup Trail Ride.
As the event grew in notoriety, a lottery system was created in 1981 to allocate the available positions. A limited number of entries will be reserved to the top two men and the top two women finishers of the five Altra Golden Ticket Series races and the top-ten finishers of the preceding Western States race. After the few select entries are awarded, a lottery is then held to fill the field from a pool of qualified applicants. In 2017, a wait list was implemented with replacement runners selected from the wait list to ensure that the 369 allowable starting spots are completely filled.
In 1984, the Granite Chief Wilderness was created under the provisions of the 1964 Wilderness Act, and about four miles of the trail were within the new boundaries. The wilderness designation would normally mean that the Forest Service would not be able to allow organized events in the area. In 1988, however, the Endurance Run was finally given Congressional permission to continue, but with the number of runners limited to 369, the size of the 1984 field.

Results

, an ultra-marathoner from California completed the race a record 25 times, all in under 24 hours, and winning the race five times.
Scott Jurek's 2005 victory was his seventh consecutive win.
Ann Trason won the women's race fourteen times.
In 2008 the race was canceled due to bad air quality and smoke from an unprecedented number of wildfires.
The 2009 winners of the race were Hal Koerner and Anita Ortiz. In 2010, Geoff Roes overtook Anton Krupicka at the Brown's Bar checkpoint with 10.1 miles to go to win the race and set a new course record with 15:07:04. Tracy Garneau won the women's race in 19:01:55. Amy Palmiero-Winters, a transtibial amputee, became the first amputee in history to complete the race, in 27:43:10.
In 2012, Ellie Greenwood bested the seemingly unbreakable course record set by Ann Trason in 1994 by nearly an hour with a new record time of 16:47:19. The same year, Timothy Olson ran a sub 15 hour race and in the process, broke the previous course record that was set by Geoff Roes in 2010.
In 2016, Andrew Miller, 20, became the youngest male winner of the Western States 100 after newcomer Jim Walmsley, the forecasted winner, took a wrong turn approaching the north fork of the American River near mile 95.
For the 2018 year, Jim Walmsley broke the course record and ended a streak of failed attempts with a 14:30:04 finish. Jim was reportedly delayed by a few minutes at 95 miles by a mother bear and cubs on the trail.
In 2019, Jim Walmsley broke his own record from 2018 with a time of 14:09:28.
In 2020, the race is canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Men's Winners
YearWinnerTimeAgeCountry
2020--------
2019Jim Walmsley14:09:2829
2018Jim Walmsley14:30:0428
2017Ryan Sandes16:19:3835
2016Andrew Miller15:39:3620
2015Rob Krar14:48:5938
2014Rob Krar14:53:2237
2013Timothy Olson15:17:2729
2012Timothy Olson14:46:4428
2011Kilian Jornet15:34:2423
2010Geoff Roes15:07:0434
2009Hal Koerner16:24:5533
2008--------
2007Hal Koerner16:12:1631
2006Graham Cooper18:17:2836
2005Scott Jurek16:40:4531
2004Scott Jurek15:36:2730
2003Scott Jurek16:01:1829
2002Scott Jurek16:19:1028
2001Scott Jurek16:38:3027
2000Scott Jurek17:17:2426
1999Scott Jurek17:34:2225
1998Tim Twietmeyer17:51:2039
1997Mike Morton15:40:4125
1996Tim Twietmeyer17:42:0637
1995Tim Twietmeyer18:34:5836
1994Tim Twietmeyer16:51:0135
1993Tom Johnson17:08:3434
1992Tim Twietmeyer16:54:1633
1991Tom Johnson15:54:0532
1990Tom Johnson16:38:5231
1989Mark Brotherton16:53:3932
1988Brian Purcell16:24:0032
1987Herb Tanzer17:41:0635
1986Chuck Jones16:37:4727
1985Jim King16:02:4428
1984Jim King14:54:0027
1983Jim Howard16:07:0029
1982Jim King16:17:0025
1981Jim Howard16:02:3727
1980Mike Catlin18:35:4228
1979Mike Catlin16:11:5627
1978Andy Gonzalez18:50:0023
1977Andy Gonzalez22:57:0022
1976Ken Shirk24:30:0023
1974Gordy Ainsleigh23:42:2026

Women's Winners
YearWinnerTimeAgeCountry
2020--------
2019Clare Gallagher17:23:2427
2018Courtney Dauwalter17:27:0033
2017Cat Bradley19:31:3125
2016Kaci Lickteig17:57:5929
2015Magdalena Boulet19:05:2141
2014Stephanie Howe18:01:4230
2013Pam Smith18:37:2138
2012Ellie Greenwood16:47:1933
2011Ellie Greenwood17:55:2932
2010Tracy Garneau19:01:5541
2009Anita Ortiz18:24:1745
2008--------
2007Nikki Kimball18:12:3836
2006Nikki Kimball19:26:5135
2005Annette Bednosky18:39:0138
2004Nikki Kimball18:43:2533
2003Ann Trason18:36:0342
2002Ann Trason18:16:2641
2001Ann Trason18:33:3440
2000Ann Trason19:44:4239
1999Suzanne Brana21:23:3941
1998Ann Trason18:46:1637
1997Ann Trason19:19:4936
1996Ann Trason18:57:3635
1995Ann Trason18:40:0134
1994Ann Trason17:37:5133
1993Ann Trason19:05:2232
1992Ann Trason18:14:4831
1991Ann Trason18:29:3730
1990Ann Trason18:33:0229
1989Ann Trason18:47:4628
1988Kathy D'Onofrio-Wood18:52:4023
1987Mary Hammes21:23:3727
1986Kathy D'Onofrio-Wood20:58:1621
1985Terri Gerber20:30:0336
1984Judy Milkie-West20:04:0034
1983Bjorg Austrheim-Smith19:11:0040
1982Bjorg Austrheim-Smith18:23:0039
1981Bjorg Austrheim-Smith18:46:0038
1980Sally Edwards22:13:4432
1979Skip Swannack21:56:2737
1978Pat Smythe29:34:0035