2019 Western States 100 Record Finish

June 28, 2019

Jim Walmsley 14:09:28
Jared Hazen 14:26:46

Gordy Ainsleigh had completed the annual Tevis Cup Trail Ride twice; but the next year his horse went lame.  The year after that, Ainsleigh decided to run the 100-mile up-and-down affair along with the horses.  He actually finished in under 24 hours, the time limit set for the horses themselves.  This marked the first time that any human had officially run such a distance.

Eventually, the race caught on, becoming a separate event from the horse competition after five years.  Congress was convinced to 'grandfather in' access to a newly created Granite Chief Wilderness for the four miles of trail within its boundaries.  Now, the event is so popular that prospective entrants who did not finish well in the prior race must both qualify and enter a lottery.

The trail conditions can be brutal — After starting out at possibly near-freezing temperatures, runners must climb more than 18,000 feet and descend nearly 23,000 feet, over snow, mud, and across a river.  After possible enounters with bears or mountain lions, the runners finish up in possible 100-degree heat.  Anyone taking more than about sixteen hours has to run in the dark as well.

Now there is a live podcast covering much of the event.  Having been apprised that the race leader is on a record-setting pace, I opt for the 40-minute drive up to the Auburn High School.  After managing to wangle a parking space in a spot suitable only for a high-clearance vehicle, it is a two-block walk to the stadium.

The football field is torn up; but the track remains

I also came up here in 2010, when Geoffrey Roes set a course record.  At that time, however, there were but a couple hundred spectators around.  Today's crowd surely numbers a thousand or more.

The action begins in about half an hour

Presently the leader and his entourage enter the stadium, and must go through a little loop across the field in order to keep the mileage consistent with prior races.

TBL TBL The action begins in about half an hour

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The actual winning time was 14:09:28

This is a repeat-win for ----.  It would have been a three-peat, except that in 2017 --- lost track of the trail and wasted two miles, finishing second.

Some 18 minutes after the leader, the second-place runner arrives.  Oddly enough, he is the roommate and best friend of the winner!  What are the odds of that?

----- is congratulated and interviewed

It would be fun to watch more runners come in; but the race continues for another fifteen hours yet.  One of the most special parts of the race is the 'Golden Hour', right at the end of the 30-hour time-limit.  In the past, all sorts of heart-warming stuff has occurred in those final moments.  A schedule conflict prevents me from returning tomorrow morning, however.  Maybe next time.

So long

The Western States 100 is not the longest foot race out there, nor is it the most difficult anymore.  But it was the first, and it remains arguably the most prestigious ultra-marathon of them all.