Western States Endurance Run
Encyclopedia
The Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100, is a 100-mile (161 km) ultramarathon
that takes place on trails in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains annually 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
. Runners climb a cumulative total of 18,090 feet (5500 m) and descend a total of 22,970 feet (7000 m) on mountain trails before reaching the finish. Because of the length of the race, the race begins at 5 a.m. and continues through the day and into the night. Runners finishing before the 30-hour overall time limit for the race receive a bronze belt buckle
, while runners finishing in under 24 hours receive a silver belt buckle.
The Western States 100 is sponsored by Montrail Corporation
, a California athletic footwear company, and is one of the four 100-mile races that comprise the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning
, which also includes the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run
, the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run
in Utah, and the Leadville Trail 100
in Colorado.
(Tevis Cup) 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, 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. 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 (157 km) of the course before dropping out. In 1976, Ken "Cowman" Shirk
became the second runner 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 (unofficially), 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.
In 1984, the Granite Chief Wilderness was created under the provisions of the 1964 Wilderness Act
, and about four miles (6 km) 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 (and the original Trail Ride) was finally given Congressional permission to continue, but with the number of runners limited to 369, the size of the 1984 field. As the event grew in notoriety, a lottery system was created to allocate the available positions. Each year since, a limited number of entries have been awarded to selected winners of Montrail Ultra Cup Series and to 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. The Forest Service allows race management to use a five-year running average of 369 actual starters, and historically some fifteen percent of lottery winners do not report to the starting line, so some 425 runners are typically notified as being eligible.
completed the race a record 25 times, all in under 24 hours. Scott Jurek
's 2005 victory was his seventh consecutive win. The women's division course record of 17:37:51 was set in 1994 by Ann Trason
, who won the race fourteen times.
In 2008 the run 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.
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...
that takes place on trails in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains annually on the last full weekend of June. The race starts at the base of the Squaw Valley
Squaw Valley, California (Ski Area Valley)
Olympic Valley in the U.S. state of California is an unincorporated community located in Placer County northwest of Tahoe City along Highway 89 on the banks of the Truckee River near Lake Tahoe. It is the home of the Squaw Valley Ski Resort, the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics...
ski resort and finishes at the Placer High School
Placer High School
Placer High School is a public high school located in Auburn, California and is part of the Placer Union High School District. Auburn is located northeast of Sacramento, California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.-History, 1897 to 1906:...
track in Auburn, California
Auburn, California
Auburn is the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population at the 2010 census was 13,330. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history.Auburn is part of the Greater Sacramento area.- History :...
. Runners climb a cumulative total of 18,090 feet (5500 m) and descend a total of 22,970 feet (7000 m) on mountain trails before reaching the finish. Because of the length of the race, the race begins at 5 a.m. and continues through the day and into the night. Runners finishing before the 30-hour overall time limit for the race receive a bronze belt buckle
Belt buckle
A belt buckle is a buckle, a clasp for fastening two ends, as of straps or a belt, in which a device attached to one of the ends is fitted or coupled to the other. The word enters Middle English via Old French and the Latin buccula or "cheek-strap," as for a helmet...
, while runners finishing in under 24 hours receive a silver belt buckle.
The Western States 100 is sponsored by Montrail Corporation
Montrail
Montrail Corporation is headquartered in Richmond, California. The company manufactures and distributes footwear for trail running, hiking, and general long distance running....
, a California athletic footwear company, and is one of the four 100-mile races that comprise the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning
Grand Slam of Ultrarunning
The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning is a set of four of the most prestigious 100 mile races contested in the United States, comprising the Western States 100 in California, the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run in Vermont, the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run in Utah, and the Leadville Trail 100 in...
, which also includes the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run
Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run
The Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run is a 100 mile long ultramarathon held annually in July at Silver Hill Meadow in West Windsor, Vermont. It is one of the four 100 mile races that comprise the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning. It is also the only known ultra race in the USA where entrants run...
, the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run
Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run
The Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run is a 100 mile ultra marathon held annually on the first Friday after Labor Day in the U.S. state of Utah...
in Utah, and 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 Colorado.
History
The Western States Endurance Run was first completed in 1974 by Gordy Ainsleigh. Ainsleigh had finished the Western States Trail RideTevis Cup
The Western States Trail Ride, popularly called The Tevis Cup, is a 100-mile endurance ride. The amateur event has been held annually since 1955....
(Tevis Cup) 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, 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. 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 (157 km) of the course before dropping out. In 1976, Ken "Cowman" Shirk
Ken Shirk
Ken Shirk is an ultramarathon runner who in 1976 was only the second runner to complete the course of the Western States Endurance Run...
became the second runner 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
Ralph Paffenbarger
Ralph S. Paffenbarger, Jr. was an epidemiologist, ultramarathoner, and professor at both Stanford University School of Medicine and Harvard University School of Public Health....
, finished in 28 hours and 36 minutes (unofficially), 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.
In 1984, the Granite Chief Wilderness was created under the provisions of the 1964 Wilderness Act
Wilderness Act
The Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
, and about four miles (6 km) of the trail were within the new boundaries. The wilderness designation would normally mean that the Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
would not be able to allow organized events in the area. In 1988, however, the Endurance Run (and the original Trail Ride) was finally given Congressional permission to continue, but with the number of runners limited to 369, the size of the 1984 field. As the event grew in notoriety, a lottery system was created to allocate the available positions. Each year since, a limited number of entries have been awarded to selected winners of Montrail Ultra Cup Series and to 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. The Forest Service allows race management to use a five-year running average of 369 actual starters, and historically some fifteen percent of lottery winners do not report to the starting line, so some 425 runners are typically notified as being eligible.
Results
Tim TwietmeyerTim Twietmeyer
Tim Twietmeyer is an Auburn, California based ultramarathon runner and an engineering manager at Hewlett Packard, in Roseville, California. Twietmeyer is also an accomplished mountain biker, road cyclist, and retired almost-scratch golfer and swimmer...
completed the race a record 25 times, all in under 24 hours. Scott Jurek
Scott Jurek
Scott Gordon Jurek is an American ultramarathoner. Throughout Jurek's career he has been one of the most dominant ultramarathon runners in the world, winning many of the sport's most prestigious races multiple times, including the Hardrock Hundred , the Badwater Ultramarathon , the Spartathlon ,...
's 2005 victory was his seventh consecutive win. The women's division course record of 17:37:51 was set in 1994 by Ann Trason
Ann Trason
Ann Trason is an American ultramarathon runner from Kensington, California. She has broken twenty world records during her career.-Life:Trason was a top runner in high school, but a knee injury kept her from competing in college....
, who won the race fourteen times.
In 2008 the run was canceled due to bad air quality and smoke from an unprecedented number of wildfires
2008 California wildfires
2008 California wildfires may refer to:*Summer 2008 California wildfires*November 2008 California wildfires**Montecito Tea Fire**Sayre Fire**Freeway Complex Fire**Yorba Linda Firestorms...
.
The 2009 winners of the race were Hal Koerner
Hal Koerner
Hal Koerner is an American distance runner specializing in the ultramarathon. He is the owner of a specialty running store, , located in the mountainous Southern Oregon town of Ashland.-Notable wins:*Canadian Death Race, 2010...
and Anita Ortiz. In 2010, Geoff Roes
Geoff Roes
Geoff Roes is an American ultra-marathon runner.-Career:Roes was raised in Cleveland, New York and excelled in track and cross country at Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square, NY. He competed in cross-country at Syracuse University for one year before becoming injured...
overtook Anton Krupicka
Anton Krupicka
Anton Krupicka is an American ultra-runner. He has won the Leadville 100 twice, the Miwok 100K, the Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler, the Collegiate Peaks 50 Miler, the White River 50 Miler twice , the High Mountain 50k and the Estes Park Marathon...
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
Tracy Garneau
Tracy Garneau is a Canadian ultramarathoner. She was the 2010 UltraRunning Female North American runner of the year.-Running career:Garneau began running at age eleven in her hometown of Vernon, British Columbia. She ran several marathons before running her first ultramarathon in 2004 by competing...
won the women's race in 19:01:55. Amy Palmiero-Winters
Amy Palmiero-Winters
Amy Palmiero-Winters is a below-knee amputee who currently holds eleven world records in various track events. In 2010, she was awarded the James E...
, a transtibial amputee, became the first amputee in history to complete the race, in 27:43:10.
External links
- WS100.com - Official site of the Western States 100
- OnTheRunEvents.com - 'The History of the Western States'
- CoolRunning.com - 'Western States 100's Gordon Ainsleigh: The mountain man of them all'