It’s arduous to imagine that it’s been 10 years since I final ran the Western States 100. In June of 2014, I ran the race for my tenth and remaining time.
I wrote a race report about it and in addition did an intensive interview with Bryon Powell to doc the day. Since that point, I’ve returned to the occasion yearly to volunteer, crew, tempo, cheerlead, and simply usually be part of the annual spectacle that’s Western States.
As we’re on the eve of the 2024 working of the race, I assumed it will be enjoyable to look again on my high 5 Western States recollections of those previous 10 years and rely them down from fifth to first.
5. Diana Fitzpatrick Ending in Underneath 24 Hours at Age 60 in 2018
There may be maybe no ultramarathon that maintains the meticulous information that Western States does. And, for a race that has been held for 50 years, there are lots of historic performances which have gone down on the path between the beginning line in Olympic Valley and the end line in Auburn, California.
In 2018, then-60-year-old Californian Diana Fitzpatrick grew to become the primary lady over 60 to ever run Western States in below 24 hours. Her time of 23:52 not solely earned her a coveted sterling silver belt buckle but additionally positioned her in a exceptional twenty third place total within the ladies’s race.
We additionally observe Fitzpatrick’s devoted service to the group. She has served on the Western States 100 Board of Trustees since 2012 and has been its president since 2019.
Diana Fitzpatrick ending Western States in 2017, the yr earlier than her age-group record-setting run. Photograph courtesy of Diana Fitzpatrick.
4. Steven Moore Breaking the Males’s 50-And-Over Age Group Document in 2019
In 1988, then-50-year-old Doug Latimer grew to become the primary particular person in Western States historical past to finish the race 10 occasions, and he did so in below 24 hours every time. This earned him the now-famous 10-Day Buckle. In that 1988 race, Latimer additionally set a 50-and-over course report of 18:43:58 that assumed an nearly legendary Holy Grail-type standing over time.
Coming into the 2019 race, it was the longest-standing age-group report on the race by an extended shot. That yr, Texan Steven Moore set his sights on the report, and with cautious preparation and flawless race-day execution, he took down Latimer’s 41-year-old report with a time of 18:14:57. It was a sight to behold as Moore circled that observe and triumphantly crossed the end line.
Then-51-year-old Steven Moore setting the boys’s 50-to-59 Western States 100 age group report in 2019. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
3. Kaci Lickteig and Stephanie Case’s Boat Journey in 2017
In 2017, I used to be volunteering on the Rucky Chucky River Crossing when 2016 ladies’s winner Kaci Lickteig got here into the help station and promptly slumped in a chair. From nearly everybody’s perspective, it appeared like she was planning on dropping out of the race. She appeared drained, chilly, and had not one of the sparkle in her eye that we’ve got all come to count on from her.
As luck would have it, Lickteig’s coach, Jason Koop, was there and commenced speaking to her. Her long-time pacer Miguel Ordorica joined the dialog, and slowly, Lickteig’s smile returned. When Stephanie Case, a fellow competitor, sat down subsequent to Lickteig and commenced digging right into a pile of McDonald’s french fries, Lickteig was intrigued.
As Case stood to go away, she mentioned loudly, “C’mon Kaci, come for a ship experience with me!” At that second, Lickteig stood up and stumbled all the way down to the river to cross within the raft with Case. A number of hours later, in a time of 24:02, she crossed the end line.
This yr, Lickteig goes for her tenth end.
Stephanie Case and Kaci Lickteig after ending in 2017. Photograph: Larry Gassan
2. Clare Gallagher and Brittany Peterson’s Race for the Win in 2019
There have been many dramatic showdowns over time at Western States, however none extra dramatic than the 2019 ladies’s race between Clare Gallagher and Brittany Peterson. At mile 78 that yr, early chief Courtney Dauwalter was pressured to desert the race resulting from harm. Gallagher and Peterson, who have been in second and third place on the time, have been instantly thrust into the highest two positions.
From there, they battled stride for stride for the following 15 miles, arriving on the Pointed Rocks support station along with simply 5.5 miles to go. On the downhill path from the help station to No Fingers Bridge, Gallagher opened a small lead on Peterson that she would by no means relinquish.
After practically 5 hours of working shoulder to shoulder, Gallagher prevailed over Peterson by 11 minutes. Her break up time from Pointed Rocks to the end of 51 minutes stays the quickest time ever run by a lady over that stretch and sits solely three minutes behind Patrick Reagan’s males’s report break up.
Clare Gallagher (left) and Brittany Peterson after going one-two on the 2019 Western States 100.
1. Gunhild Swanson Ending with Six Seconds To Spare On the 30-Hour Cutoff in 2015
The ultimate hour of Western States, dubbed the Golden Hour, has been a time of excessive nervousness and drama over time. In 2015, it was off the charts. I used to be standing on the observe with about quarter-hour left on the clock when a murmur rose within the crowd. Then-70-year-old Washingtonian Gunhild Swanson had arrived at Robie Level and had quarter-hour to cowl 1.3 miles.
Unbeknownst to these of us within the crowd, males’s race winner Rob Krar had wandered out to Robie Level and was now working with Swanson, urging her on in flip flops. When Swanson lastly entered the observe, she had simply over 70 seconds to run the ultimate 250 meters to the end.
With a crowd of lots of urging her on, Swanson made it throughout the road in 29:59:54. To this present day, it’s the most extraordinary sporting second I’ve witnessed.
Gunhild Swanson after ending the 2015 Western States 100 in 29:59:54, six seconds earlier than the race cutoff at 70 years of age. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
I’m wondering what recollections await in 2024?
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
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What’s your favourite Western States 100 reminiscence?
Who do you suppose will put in probably the most memorable efficiency this yr?
