Far too often, we look at champions as if they are made from a sinewy type of steel. When they win, it is because they are far different than any of us – more talented, mentally tougher and physically stronger, filled...
Tag: Western States 100
Far too often, we look at champions as if they are made from a sinewy type of steel. When they win, it is because they are far different than any of us – more talented, mentally tougher and physically stronger, filled...
Beth Pascall crossed the finish line of the 2021 Western States Endurance Run in 17:10:42, placing first woman and seventh overall. Her time was the second-fastest women’s finish in Western States history. Le...
ABC’s Wide World of Sports crushed its weekend time slot for 37 years on network television from 1961 to 1998. The premise was simple: people would love to watch sports coverage that went beyond standard baseball, footba...
If your venture into ultrarunning has you dreaming of running Western States one day, I hope you’ve had the chance to be there in person to spectate, crew or pace. While I have run it 12 times, I have had the pleasure of...
The sense of accomplishment and satisfaction upon completing your first 100-mile endurance run is very special. It’s usually the culmination of months or years of training, and preparation to conquer challenges that most...
Even if it was cool by Western States standards, the compelling severity of what lay before him was on the mind of Jim Walmsley as he walked slowly to the start of his fourth Western States Endurance Run.Talk in the days...
With its hot temperatures and a fast pace, the bright spotlight of Western States can really showcase athletes while also being an Achilles heel for others, especially when it comes to nutrition. I asked a collection of...
Western States is cult-like in how it completely sucks you in and takes over your life. It is with you every day during the six-month training process and then strips you down to your soul over the 100-mile journey on ra...
Diana Fitzpatrick has run many races, including qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials three times, finishing among the top 10 women twice at the Western States Endurance Run, and outright winning the le...
At mile 99 I kept glancing at my watch. I heard myself whimper, “Am I going to make it?” The sun was radiating fire so hot that I swear I could hear my skin sizzling. I was so tired that my eyes were begging for a moment...
The small wood table of broken dreams sits not far from the 78-mile checkpoint on the course of the Western States Endurance Run. There is a step-over for horses at a pole gate nearby, and as you pass by the quiet of...
Welcome to the Three-Dot Lounge, where we annually regale you with Western States deep thoughts, cheap shots and bon mots… First and foremost in everyone’s mind every year is the weather. Heat is what makes Western State...
Front-runner Jim Walmsley, his lean body strip-mined of all excess after six months of incredibly focused training, and already on course record pace, transitioned from the snow at 8,200 feet to the dirt single track lea...
Bob Shebest will be the first to tell you that he’s always on the lookout for inspirational quotes to help fuel his training and racing…and his life. Yet there is more to Shebest’s appreciation of memorable lines than...
With each passing year, it’s a race we know we shouldn’t be running. But often, against our better judgment, knowing full well the runner we were last year, or 10 years ago, or 20 years ago could be far different fro...
Traditionally the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run is held on the last weekend of June, summertime in the Northern Hemisphere. The race is notorious for its brutally hot canyons at the midpoint and the dry dusty con...
Together, over a surprisingly frenzied weekend in late June, three runners came to represent the ultimate triumph of dreams that can be realized or be dashed at the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. There was the...
A defiant growl… A sigh, tinged with momentary and fleeting disappointment… A piece of paper that had taken months to write upon… A little boy’s love of his mother… A pair of flip-flops that took their owner...
Every sport has its majors: world-class competitions that crown champions. Most of these events travel to different locations each year, highlighting either the home team or a special venue. But for a few athletic pursui...