2024 Western States 100 Women’s Preview

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Since Pat Smythe’s trailblazing win in 1978, 24 distinctive ladies have gained the Western States 100 Endurance Run. And but, the identify of arguably second-best performer of all time is nowhere to be discovered on that hallowed listing of champions.

That identify is Katie Schide, who stopped the clock in 16 hours, 43 minutes, and 45 seconds final 12 months—practically 13 hours sooner than Smythe’s win in 29:34, and 4 minutes underneath Ellie Greenwood’s course report of 16:47:19 from 2012.

The one downside? Courtney Dauwalter ran even sooner, profitable the 2023 race in an unthinkable 15:29:33.

Schide, a local of Maine who has lived in France for eight years, will probably be again in Palisades Tahoe on June 29 for an additional crack at America’s most iconic 100-mile race. She gained’t should cope with Dauwalter this time. However much more importantly, Schide—who etched her identify in ultrarunning historical past when she gained the Extremely-Path du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in 2022—is just on one other stage this 12 months.

After a decisive win on the 102-mile Diagonale des Fous in October on Réunion Island within the Indian Ocean, Schide and her head coach Jason Koop expanded the staff to incorporate a power coach, a sports activities psychologist, and a nutritionist. That change has supplied the marginal beneficial properties so laborious to come back by on the highest stage, Koop says. Schide has been working farther and sooner than ever throughout her pre-States coaching camp out west. She will not be the defending champ, however she is most definitively the one to beat.

Whereas on paper it appears like Schide versus one of the best of the remainder, by no means underestimate the grit of ultrarunner ladies. The 12 months 2024 is the 12 months of the mothers, and the ladies’s subject boasts six of one of the best. There’s additionally a handful of States top-10 vets who appear to solely enhance right here yearly, a handful of very quick ladies making their 100-mile debuts, and a minimum of six elite ladies over age 40 pushing the boundaries of what’s doable on this sport.

Will the laborious work of the massive contingent of girls (lots of whom are European) who’ve spent the final six weeks or so prepping for the insufferable warmth and quad-smashing descents in and across the Grand Canyon repay? Who’re the darkish horse contenders who don’t put up hero coaching on Strava however properly haven’t overcooked themselves earlier than the large day within the canyon convection oven? Tune in beneath.

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High Girls

With six of the highest 10 ladies from final 12 months returning, plus a robust lineup from an expanded Golden Ticket subject, the ladies’s subject is as deep as ever. However all eyes will probably be on Katie Schide. After her runner-up efficiency underneath course-record time right here final 12 months, the Mainer-turned-French-expat demonstrated her immense versatility together with her runner-up exhibiting at OCC, the 50K championship on the UTMB Finals, earlier than her win at Diagonale des Fous.

She didn’t lose a beat after a winter of ski mountaineering racing in Europe, profitable the Vertical Kilometer at Transgrancanaria on February 12 in a course report time of 47:31. On April 27 she  lowkey threw down one of the vital spectacular performances of the 12 months together with her first place (sixth general) end on the Canyons 100K, the ultimate Golden Ticket race run on the again two thirds of the States course. Whereas internet downhill, that 64-mile race nonetheless packed 12,500 toes of climbing, and Schide completed in 9:10:10—a median of 8:34 minute per mile tempo (7:21 grade adjusted tempo, in keeping with Strava).

In case Canyons wasn’t adequate proof of her health, Schide has since been clocking monster weeks round Flagstaff, Arizona, together with many journeys to nature’s oven (the Grand Canyon), the place she’s been placing in 130 mile weeks with 20,000 toes of climbing for about 20 hours of transferring time every week. It’s a reproduction of her buildup from final 12 months, simply on steroids. If she will keep wholesome and contemporary till June 29, it’s her race for the taking.

RELATED: Rod Farvard Shocks, Katie Schide Shines at Canyons by UTMB

Fellow 2023 podium finisher Eszter Csillag additionally returns in hopes of enhancing on her third-place end from final 12 months. Like Schide, the Hungarian mom of two, who lives in Hong Kong, has been stateside for a lot of the spring placing in miles (and warmth coaching) in Arizona and on the Western States course. Whereas she hasn’t raced in any respect this 12 months, her coaching suggests she’s simply as match—if not fitter—than when she clocked the fourth-fastest ladies’s time ever of 17:07:55 final 12 months.

Csillag has been logging fairly a couple of miles with fellow high 10 returners Emily Hawgood (fifth) and Ida Nilsson (seventh), the previous of whom lives in Auburn and the latter of whom has joined the European Arizona-California tour this spring. Hawgood adopted up her third top-10 States efficiency final 12 months with second at CCC, the 100K championship on the UTMB Finals. After a string of shorter race wins in California this winter, all indicators point out her footspeed is raring to go. Nilson has solely raced as soon as since States (the Ultravasan 90K in her native Sweden, which she gained) earlier than DNSing at UTMB. However at age 42, the extremely adorned former collegiate and professional runner has confirmed she is aware of the best way to present up when it issues most.

Priscilla Forgie (eighth) and Leah Yinglang (ninth) spherical out the top-10 returners and have confirmed they’ve what it takes to make it again into the highest 10 once more. Forgie stormed onto the worldwide scene final 12 months together with her second-place end on the Canyons 100K to earn her Golden Ticket into the race. She’s since positioned twelfth at CCC and third on the highly-competitive Chuckanut 50K in March.

After working 400 miles in six days at Lululemon’s FURTHER occasion in March, Yinglang gained the Quad Rock 50-miler in Fort Collins, Colorado, seemingly proving she’s no worse for the wear and tear. Like Hawgood, Yinglang is the queen of consistency at States, inserting sixth, ninth, and ninth in her three showings right here. Yinglang can also be recognized for her killer back-half racing, the place after a conservative begin she works her means via the sphere. Whereas that tactic has locked in her top-10 spot every time she’s toed the road, this race has merely gotten too quick for it to be sufficient to vie for the win. Will she swing for the fences with a extra aggressive combat for a podium spot?

Yngvild Kaspersen of Norway and Emily Schmitz, one other American dwelling in France, each earned Golden Tickets at CCC final August. A standout on the shorter distance path scene for years, Kaspersen lastly nailed the 100K distance on the 2023 CCC, which she gained. States will probably be her first 100-mile race, in addition to an standard foray for the Norwegian into the warmth. However she, too, has been on the European Arizona coaching program for the previous month or so and seems nicely seasoned for the canyons’ wrath. Schmitz earned the second CCC Golden Ticket together with her fifth-place end after it handed down via Hawgood, after which Helen Miro Faukner from the U.S., and at last Hau Ha Thi from Vietnam, who each declined it. She, too, has been coaching within the U.S. this spring, though out of the Arizona fray in Salt Lake Metropolis. She gained her tuneup on the Scout Mountain 23-miler on June 1, offering she’s received the leg pace for State’s buttery trails over the again half of the race.

Heather Jackson is again after making her debut at States final 12 months, which led to a DNF. The extremely adorned lengthy course triathlete and gravel bicycle owner, who not too long ago took fifth on the prestigious Unbound 200-mile gravel bike race in Kansas, re-qualified by profitable the Javelina 100-miler in October. Jackson has confirmed herself on the ultimate part of the States terrain over the 50K distance, profitable the Canyons 50K in 2023. However to this point, the one 100-miler she’s nailed is Javelina, a singular sizzling, flat, non-technical looped course. Jackson went for it at Black Canyons in February, however she says she mismanaged her fueling, bonked epically, and crawled it in during the last 20 miles for a thirteenth place end. Since Unbound on June 1, she’s been placing in high-volume mileage on each the States course and round one in every of her dwelling bases in Phoenix so she must be primed for the warmth. However has she seasoned her quads sufficient for the descents? Can she make it via the extra technical excessive nation with out dropping an excessive amount of time to the likes of Schide, Hawgood, and Kaspersen?

Somebody who completely nailed their race at Black Canyons is Rachel Drake. She gained in commanding style to safe her first Golden Ticket. Drake has confirmed to be among the finest 50K runners on the planet, most not too long ago taking sixth at OCC final summer time lower than a 12 months postpartum together with her first youngster, son Lewis. Drake not too long ago moved together with her husband Tyler Inexperienced (who has completed second, fourth, and second on the final three Western States) and Lewis to Salt Lake Metropolis, the place Drake is beginning her medical residency in anesthesia. Whereas she doesn’t put within the enormous days of somebody like Schide, don’t let that idiot you. As 2019 Western States champ Clare Gallagher says, it’s not about how match you’re. (Though there’s zero doubt Drake may be very match.) It’s about how prepared you’re mentally to go to the nicely. Drake has unbelievable leg pace, a killer intuition, and the tenacity  to push when it will get robust. To not point out, crushing this race runs within the household.

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Different Girls to Watch

There are such a lot of quick, match ladies toeing the road, it’s inconceivable to do all of them justice! After taking fourth at UTMB Mont Blanc final 12 months with a memorable (and maybe controversial) end line proposal from her accomplice, Fu-Zhao Xiang is making her States debut because of a sponsor bib from Hoka. (Sure, she stated “sure.”) Whereas she’s recognized for excelling at mountainous tons of, Xiang’s additionally proved her mettle over the 50K distance—together with with a fourth-place on the Damaged Arrow 46K final 12 months. She’s been coaching on the States course for the final month.

Lin Chen and Anna Li, each of China, went 1-2 at Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB 100K on December 8—proving they will shine in heinously sizzling and humid situations. This will probably be their first time racing within the U.S., and within the case of Chin, her first time outdoors of Asia. (Li ran CCC final 12 months, the place she took thirty fourth.)

Coloradans Becca Windell and Lauren Puretz each ran exceedingly sturdy races at Black Canyons to complete second and third and earn Golden Tickets. Windell gained the Bear 100 final fall, however most not too long ago had a tricky day on the Quad Rock 25 miler in Might, the place she completed twenty fifth. Puretz, who’s a gynecologist and mother of two, has crushed the quick course path scene for years, and simply missed a Golden Ticket final October with a fourth-place end on the Javelina Jundred 100 miler. Since securing her Golden Ticket in February, she took third on the extremely aggressive Gorge Waterfalls 50K and gained two sub-ultra distance path races, suggesting she’s in sharp kind.

Anna Louden and Careth Arnold (extra on her beneath) did, as nicely, at Canyons. They face a decent turnaround, however are blessed with States falling on about as late of a date as doable this 12 months. Plus, Adam Peterman earned a Golden Ticket at Canyons in 2022 and gained States simply eight weeks later.

Ragna Debats has been known as out in race previews so usually for therefore a few years, her identify is like consolation meals. Due to her second place at Javelina, the Catalonian may also be toeing the road. In contrast to practically all of her elite European counterparts, she’s chosen to do her construct at dwelling. Does the 45 12 months outdated nonetheless have it?

Lotti Brinks gained the Grindstone by UTMB 100K, which served as a Golden Ticket race in Virginia final September, to earn her spot into the large dance. She’s gained her final 5 races all throughout the final six months, proving she’s sturdy on all varieties of terrain. She’ll be joined by her sister-in-law, Arnold, who earned the ultimate Golden Ticket after it rolled right down to her fourth-place end at Canyons. A mother of two, Arnold broke onto the scene final 12 months when she took third on the Bandera 100K (then a Golden Ticket race). She ran her means into this race solely seven months postpartum, and her trajectory solely appears to be going up.

Anna Louden additionally gained a Golden Ticket at Canyons by ending third, redeeming herself from lacking a ticket by one spot on the identical race the 12 months earlier than. Whereas States will probably be her first 100 miler, Louden completed seventh on the World 100K highway working championships in 2022.

Can Kaci Lickteig, the 2016 Western States champ who’s going for her tenth end, run her means again into the highest 10? How will 200-mile stalwart Sally McRae, who received a sponsor bib, fare? Catch all of the motion beginning at 5 A.M. on Saturday morning on the race’s Youtube channel.

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