Western States Endurance Run facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western States Endurance Run |
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Western States Endurance Run logo patch
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| Date | Last weekend of June |
| Location | Squaw Valley, California |
| Event type | Ultramarathon trail run |
| Distance | 100 miles (161 km) |
| Established | 1977 |
| Course records | Men: 14:09:28 (2019) Jim Walmsley Women: 16:47:19 (2012) Ellie Greenwood |
| Official site | www.wser.org |
The Western States Endurance Run, often called the Western States 100, is a super long race. It's 100 miles (161 km) long! This amazing race happens every year in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. Runners tackle tough trails on the last weekend of June.
The race begins at the Squaw Valley ski resort. It ends at the Placer High School track in Auburn, California. The trails are very rugged. Runners often face snow on the highest parts. They also deal with super hot temperatures along the course.
Athletes climb a total of 18,090 feet (5500 m). They then go down 22,970 feet (7000 m) on mountain trails. Because it's so long, the race starts at 5 a.m. and continues all day and night. Runners have 30 hours to finish. If they finish in under 30 hours, they get a cool bronze belt buckle. If they finish in under 24 hours, they earn a silver belt buckle!
The Western States 100 is supported by Altra, a shoe company. It's also one of five 100-mile races that make up the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning. The other races include the Old Dominion 100, the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run, the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run in Utah, and the Leadville Trail 100 in Colorado.
Contents
How the Western States 100 Started
The Western States Endurance Run has a really interesting beginning. It started with a horse race! The Western States Trail Ride is a 100-mile horse endurance race. In 1972, seven soldiers from Fort Riley, Kansas, walked the entire course. They showed that the 100-mile mountain path could be completed in less than two days on foot.
In 1974, a man named Gordy Ainsleigh made history. He was the first person to run the course in under 24 hours. Gordy had ridden horses in the Tevis Cup in 1971 and 1972. But in 1973, his horse got hurt. So, in 1974, he decided to try running it. With encouragement from Drucilla Barner, Gordy joined the horse riders. He wanted to see if he could finish the 100 miles on foot in one day. Twenty-three hours and forty-two minutes later, Gordy reached Auburn. He proved that a runner could indeed travel 100 miles in a single day!
In 1975, Ron Kelley also ran the course with the horses. He completed 97 miles before he had to stop. In 1976, Ken "Cowman" Shirk was the next to finish the course. Gordy Ainsleigh even helped him by running the last 25 miles with him.
The First Official Race
The first official Western States Endurance Run took place in 1977. Sixteen runners signed up. They started alongside the horses in the Tevis Cup. It was a very tough race. Thirteen of the 16 runners had to drop out by the halfway point. Only three runners kept going.
Only one of those three, Andy Gonzales, finished within the 24-hour time limit set for the horses. The other two, Peter Mattei and Ralph Paffenbarger, finished a bit later. They completed the race in 28 hours and 36 minutes. This led to the rule that runners would have a 30-hour time limit to earn a bronze buckle. Later, the Run became its own group, called The Western States Endurance Run Foundation.
In 1978, the race was held on a different day than the horse ride. Sixty-three runners competed that year, and 30 of them finished.
Getting into the Race
As the race became more famous, it got harder to get a spot. In 1981, they started a lottery system. This helps decide who gets to run. A few spots are saved for the top two men and women from five special "Golden Ticket Series" races. Also, the top ten finishers from the previous Western States race get a spot. After these spots are given out, a lottery is held for the rest of the runners. In 2017, they added a waitlist. This makes sure all 369 starting spots are filled.
In 1984, a special protected area called the Granite Chief Wilderness was created. About four miles of the race trail went through this new wilderness. Normally, organized events aren't allowed in wilderness areas. But in 1988, the U.S. Congress gave special permission for the Endurance Run (and the original horse ride) to continue. However, they limited the number of runners to 369, which was the size of the race in 1984.
Amazing Race Results and Winners
Many incredible athletes have run the Western States 100. Here are some of the most famous:
- Tim Twietmeyer, a runner from California, finished the race a record 25 times! All of his finishes were in under 24 hours. He also won the race five times.
- Scott Jurek won the men's race seven times in a row, from 1999 to 2005.
- Ann Trason won the women's race an amazing fourteen times!
Notable Races and Records
- In 2008, the race was canceled. This was due to bad air quality from many wildfires in California.
- In 2010, Geoff Roes set a new course record with a time of 15:07:04. Tracy Garneau won the women's race. Also, Amy Palmiero-Winters, who uses a prosthetic leg, became the first amputee to finish the race.
- In 2012, Ellie Greenwood broke Ann Trason's long-standing women's record. She finished in 16:47:19, nearly an hour faster! That same year, Timothy Olson set a new men's course record with 14:46:44.
- In 2016, Andrew Miller, at 20 years old, became the youngest male winner. This happened after Jim Walmsley, who was expected to win, took a wrong turn near the end.
- In 2018, Jim Walmsley came back and broke the course record with a time of 14:30:04. He was even delayed for a few minutes by a mother bear and her cubs on the trail!
- In 2019, Jim Walmsley broke his own record again! His new record time was 14:09:28.
- The 2020 race was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Men's Winners List
| Year | Winner | Time | Age | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Jim Walmsley | 14:09:28 | 29 |  United States |
| 2018 | Jim Walmsley | 14:30:04 | 28 | United States |
| 2017 | Ryan Sandes | 16:19:38 | 35 |  South Africa |
| 2016 | Andrew Miller | 15:39:36 | 20 | United States |
| 2015 | Rob Krar | 14:48:59 | 38 |  Canada |
| 2014 | Rob Krar | 14:53:22 | 37 | Canada |
| 2013 | Timothy Olson | 15:17:27 | 29 | United States |
| 2012 | Timothy Olson | 14:46:44 | 28 | United States |
| 2011 | Kilian Jornet | 15:34:24 | 23 |  Spain |
| 2010 | Geoff Roes | 15:07:04 | 34 | United States |
| 2009 | Hal Koerner | 16:24:55 | 33 | United States |
| 2008 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2007 | Hal Koerner | 16:12:16 | 31 | United States |
| 2006 | Graham Cooper | 18:17:28 | 36 | United States |
| 2005 | Scott Jurek | 16:40:45 | 31 | United States |
| 2004 | Scott Jurek | 15:36:27 | 30 | United States |
| 2003 | Scott Jurek | 16:01:18 | 29 | United States |
| 2002 | Scott Jurek | 16:19:10 | 28 | United States |
| 2001 | Scott Jurek | 16:38:30 | 27 | United States |
| 2000 | Scott Jurek | 17:17:24 | 26 | United States |
| 1999 | Scott Jurek | 17:34:22 | 25 | United States |
| 1998 | Tim Twietmeyer | 17:51:20 | 39 | United States |
| 1997 | Mike Morton | 15:40:41 | 25 | United States |
| 1996 | Tim Twietmeyer | 17:42:06 | 37 | United States |
| 1995 | Tim Twietmeyer | 18:34:58 | 36 | United States |
| 1994 | Tim Twietmeyer | 16:51:01 | 35 | United States |
| 1993 | Tom Johnson | 17:08:34 | 34 | United States |
| 1992 | Tim Twietmeyer | 16:54:16 | 33 | United States |
| 1991 | Tom Johnson | 15:54:05 | 32 | United States |
| 1990 | Tom Johnson | 16:38:52 | 31 | United States |
| 1989 | Mark Brotherton | 16:53:39 | 32 | United States |
| 1988 | Brian Purcell | 16:24:00 | 32 | United States |
| 1987 | Herb Tanzer | 17:41:06 | 35 | United States |
| 1986 | Chuck Jones | 16:37:47 | 27 | United States |
| 1985 | Jim King | 16:02:44 | 28 | United States |
| 1984 | Jim King | 14:54:00 | 27 | United States |
| 1983 | Jim Howard | 16:07:00 | 29 | United States |
| 1982 | Jim King | 16:17:00 | 25 | United States |
| 1981 | Jim Howard | 16:02:37 | 27 | United States |
| 1980 | Mike Catlin | 18:35:42 | 28 | United States |
| 1979 | Mike Catlin | 16:11:56 | 27 | United States |
| 1978 | Andy Gonzalez | 18:50:00 | 23 | United States |
| 1977 | Andy Gonzalez | 22:57:00 | 22 | United States |
| 1976 | Ken Shirk | 24:30:00 | 23 | United States |
| 1974 | Gordy Ainsleigh | 23:42:20 | 26 | United States |
Women's Winners List
| Year | Winner | Time | Age | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Clare Gallagher | 17:23:24 | 27 | United States |
| 2018 | Courtney Dauwalter | 17:27:00 | 33 | United States |
| 2017 | Cat Bradley | 19:31:31 | 25 | United States |
| 2016 | Kaci Lickteig | 17:57:59 | 29 | United States |
| 2015 | Magdalena Boulet | 19:05:21 | 41 | United States |
| 2014 | Stephanie Howe | 18:01:42 | 30 | United States |
| 2013 | Pam Smith | 18:37:21 | 38 | United States |
| 2012 | Ellie Greenwood | 16:47:19 | 33 |  United Kingdom |
| 2011 | Ellie Greenwood | 17:55:29 | 32 | United Kingdom |
| 2010 | Tracy Garneau | 19:01:55 | 41 | Canada |
| 2009 | Anita Ortiz | 18:24:17 | 45 | United States |
| 2008 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2007 | Nikki Kimball | 18:12:38 | 36 | United States |
| 2006 | Nikki Kimball | 19:26:51 | 35 | United States |
| 2005 | Annette Bednosky | 18:39:01 | 38 | United States |
| 2004 | Nikki Kimball | 18:43:25 | 33 | United States |
| 2003 | Ann Trason | 18:36:03 | 42 | United States |
| 2002 | Ann Trason | 18:16:26 | 41 | United States |
| 2001 | Ann Trason | 18:33:34 | 40 | United States |
| 2000 | Ann Trason | 19:44:42 | 39 | United States |
| 1999 | Suzanne Brana | 21:23:39 | 41 | United States |
| 1998 | Ann Trason | 18:46:16 | 37 | United States |
| 1997 | Ann Trason | 19:19:49 | 36 | United States |
| 1996 | Ann Trason | 18:57:36 | 35 | United States |
| 1995 | Ann Trason | 18:40:01 | 34 | United States |
| 1994 | Ann Trason | 17:37:51 | 33 | United States |
| 1993 | Ann Trason | 19:05:22 | 32 | United States |
| 1992 | Ann Trason | 18:14:48 | 31 | United States |
| 1991 | Ann Trason | 18:29:37 | 30 | United States |
| 1990 | Ann Trason | 18:33:02 | 29 | United States |
| 1989 | Ann Trason | 18:47:46 | 28 | United States |
| 1988 | Kathy D'Onofrio-Wood | 18:52:40 | 23 | United States |
| 1987 | Mary Hammes | 21:23:37 | 27 | United States |
| 1986 | Kathy D'Onofrio-Wood | 20:58:16 | 21 | United States |
| 1985 | Terri Gerber | 20:30:03 | 36 | United States |
| 1984 | Judy Milkie-West | 20:04:00 | 34 | United States |
| 1983 | Bjorg Austrheim-Smith | 19:11:00 | 40 | United States |
| 1982 | Bjorg Austrheim-Smith | 18:23:00 | 39 | United States |
| 1981 | Bjorg Austrheim-Smith | 18:46:00 | 38 | United States |
| 1980 | Sally Edwards | 22:13:44 | 32 | United States |
| 1979 | Skip Swannack | 21:56:27 | 37 | United States |
| 1978 | Pat Smythe | 29:34:00 | 35 | United States |
