Ann Trason
Encyclopedia
Ann Trason is an American
ultramarathon
runner from Kensington, California
. She has broken twenty world record
s during her career.
Trason's ultra career began when she entered the 1985 American River 50 Miler at age 24 and both won and set a course record (she returned 8 years later and dropped her time an hour to establish the 6:09 course record that still stands).
Trason did not finish her first two times trying to run the Western States 100; in 1987 she dropped out due to knee problems and in 1988, near the finish line, from dehydration. She finished and won it in 1989. She has won Western States 14 times in all, most recently in 2003, and holds the women's division course record of 17:37:51, which she set in 1994.
Her time of 18:06:24 in the Leadville Trail 100, which she ran in 1994, is the women's course record.
Trason appears in Christopher McDougall
's accounts of the Leadville Trail 100
in the 1990s in his 2009 book, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen."
In both 1996 and 1997 Trason performed the "double" of winning the Western States 100 just 12 days after winning the 56-mile Comrades Marathon
in South Africa.
Trason and her husband and training partner Carl Andersen co-directed The Dick Collins Firetrails 50 from 2000 through 2010. Trason set the female course record on the Firetrails 50 the one time she ran it, in 1987.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ultramarathon
Ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
runner from Kensington, California
Kensington, California
Kensington is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area, in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 5,077 at the 2010 census.- Law and government :Kensington is an unincorporated area of Contra...
. She has broken twenty world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
s during her career.
Life
Trason was a top runner in high school, but a knee injury kept her from competing in college.Trason's ultra career began when she entered the 1985 American River 50 Miler at age 24 and both won and set a course record (she returned 8 years later and dropped her time an hour to establish the 6:09 course record that still stands).
Trason did not finish her first two times trying to run the Western States 100; in 1987 she dropped out due to knee problems and in 1988, near the finish line, from dehydration. She finished and won it in 1989. She has won Western States 14 times in all, most recently in 2003, and holds the women's division course record of 17:37:51, which she set in 1994.
Her time of 18:06:24 in the Leadville Trail 100, which she ran in 1994, is the women's course record.
Trason appears in Christopher McDougall
Christopher McDougall
Christopher McDougall is an American author and journalist best known for his 2009 best-selling book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen....
's accounts of the Leadville Trail 100
Leadville Trail 100
Leadville Trail 100 Ultramarathon is an ultramarathon held annually on trails and dirt roads near Leadville, Colorado, through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. First run in 1983, runners in the race climb and descend , with elevations ranging between 9,200-12,620 feet...
in the 1990s in his 2009 book, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen."
In both 1996 and 1997 Trason performed the "double" of winning the Western States 100 just 12 days after winning the 56-mile Comrades Marathon
Comrades Marathon
The Comrades Marathon is an ultramarathon of approximately 90 km run in the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It is the world's largest and oldest ultramarathon race...
in South Africa.
Trason and her husband and training partner Carl Andersen co-directed The Dick Collins Firetrails 50 from 2000 through 2010. Trason set the female course record on the Firetrails 50 the one time she ran it, in 1987.
Course records
- 6:09:08 – American River 50 mile
- 6:13:23 – Comrades MarathonComrades MarathonThe Comrades Marathon is an ultramarathon of approximately 90 km run in the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It is the world's largest and oldest ultramarathon race...
56 mile - 3:59:32 – Cool Canyon Crawl 50K
- 7:31:24 – Firetrails 50 mile (1987)
- 6:13:54 – Hunter Thompson 50 mile
- 18:06:24 – Leadville Trail 100Leadville Trail 100Leadville Trail 100 Ultramarathon is an ultramarathon held annually on trails and dirt roads near Leadville, Colorado, through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. First run in 1983, runners in the race climb and descend , with elevations ranging between 9,200-12,620 feet...
women's record (2nd place overall in 1994) - 8:55:49 – Miwok 100K Trail Race (2001)
- 6:43:00 – Quicksilver 50 mile
- 7:29:36 – Silver State 50 mile
- 22:27:10 – Wasatch Front 100 mile
- 17:37:51 – Western States 100 mile (1994)
- 7:00:47 - World 100K (1995)