Western States 100: Walmsley Wins a Fourth Time While Schide Rocks the Women’s Field
For hours,Katie Schide(pre-raceandpost-raceinterviews) chased ghosts. For hours,Jim Walmsley(pre-raceandpost-raceinterviews) andRodFarvard(post-race interview) chased each other. And in the end, after 100 courageous, gutsy miles at one of the world’s most iconic ultramarathons, it was Schide and Walmsley who won a fast, dramatic 2024Western States 100.
Schide, an American who lives in France, was on pace to break the course record until late in the race, while Americans Walmsley and Farvard battled throughout most of the second half of the race, alternating the lead as late as mile 85.
Schide’s winning time was 15:46:57, just over 17 minutes behindCourtney Dauwalter’s2023 course record, almost an hour faster than her own time last year, and the second fastest women’s time ever. Walmsley, meanwhile, won his fourth Western States in 14:13:45, the second fastest time ever — only behind his own record of 14:09:28 that heset in 2019.
Second and third in the men’s race came down to an epic sprint finish on the track between Farvard andHayden Hawks(pre-raceandpost-raceinterviews), who finished in 14:24:15 and 14:24:31, respectively.
In the women’s race for the podium,Fu-Zhao Xiang(pre-raceandpost-raceinterviews) finished second in 16:20:03, andEszter Csillag(pre-raceandpost-raceinterviews) took third for the second time in a row, in 16:42:17.
Both races featured one of the deepest and most competitive fields in race history, with the men’s top five all coming in faster than last year’s winning time, and the women’s top 10 finishing just under 40 minutes faster than last year’s incredibly competitive top 10.
At 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 29, they were all among the 375 runners who began the historic route from Olympic Valley to Auburn, California, traversing 100.2 miles of trail with 18,000 feet of elevation gain and 22,000 feet of loss. After last year’s cool temperatures, the weather at this year’s race was a bit warmer, albeit with a notable lack of snow in the high country. The high temperature in Auburn was in the low 90s Fahrenheit.
A special thanks toHOKAfor making our coverage of the Western States 100 possible!
2024 Western States 100 Men’s Race
In his return to the race that propelled him to the heights of global trail running and his first ultra on American soil in three years,Jim Walmsley(pre-race interview) demonstrated why he is, once again, the king of Western States. Before the race, Walmsley exuded a calmness that perhaps eluded him during his first attempts, when he attacked it with an obsessive intensity that led him to famously take a wrong turn and then dropping out in back-to-back years.
“We’ll just roll with what plays out and just kind of see what happens in the race,” he said in hispre-race interview. There’s a marked difference when compared to his remarks from hisinterviewbefore the 2016 race.
What happened in the race was this: In his fourth Western States,Rod Farvard(post-race interview) had the race of his life to push Walmsley like he’d never been pushed before in his long history with the event.
Farvard — a 28-year-old from Mammoth Lakes, California, who has improved his finish each year at the race, from a DNF in 2021 to 41st place in 2022 to 11th place last year — put himself in a strong position from the start, leading a large pack of runners that included Walmsley at the top of the Escarpment, the 2,500-foot climb in the first four miles of the race. For the next 45-plus miles, Farvard remained in the top 10, part of a chase pack of AmericanHayden Hawks(pre-raceandpost-raceinterviews), KiwiDan Jones(pre-race interview), and Chinese runnerGuo-Min Deng, among others.
At the Robinson Flat aid station at mile 30 — the symbolic end of the runners’ time in the high country, which features an average elevation of around 7,000 feet — Walmsley, who started the race conspicuously wearing all black, came through in 4:24 looking fast and smooth, now wearing an ice-soaked white shirt. Jones,the 2024 Tarawera 102k championand fifth-place finisher in his Western States debut last year, and Hawks,who set the course record at February’s Black Canyons 100kafter dropping out of last year’s Western States, followed about 90 seconds later. The two runners, frequent training partners, ran together frequently throughout the day, with Hawks often foregoing ice at aid stations.
After the trio of Walmsley, Hawks, and Jones went through Last Chance at mile 43 together, Walmsley put nearly two minutes on them up the climb to Devil’s Thumb. “I was with everybody at the bottom,” he said, according to the race’s official livestream.
About halfway through, at mile 49.5, the order remained the same: Walmsley in the lead with an elapsed time of 6:58, followed by Jones one minute back, Hawks two minutes back, and Farvard just over two and a half minutes back. The rest of the top 10 were last year’s 17th-place finisherDakota Jones;2024 Transvulcania UltramarathonchampionJon Albon(pre-race interview), who is from the U.K. but lives in Norway; 2023 fourth-place finisherJia-Sheng Shen(China) (pre-race interview);2023 Canyons 100kchampionCole Watson; Western States specialistTyler Green(pre-race interview); andJupiter Carera(Mexico).
Then began a thrilling, chaotic second half of the race — featuring a gripping back-and-forth between Walmsley and Farvard, a wildfire near the course, a two-man river crossing, and a sprint finish on the track.
It all started when Walmsley entered Michigan Bluff at mile 55, again looking calm and in control, changing shirts and getting doused with ice. Farvard came in just behind him and left the aid station first, leading the race for the first time since the first climb up the Escarpment. The same routine took place seven miles later at Foresthill: Walmsley entering first, Farvard leaving first.
For the next 18 miles, the two runners alternated in the lead. By mile 78, they were so close that they were crossing the American River at the same time. Their battle underscored the overall depth of the field at this year’s race: At mile 80, the top five men were within 16 minutes of one another.
Around then, the 15-acre Creek Fire, which started not long before, was visible from the final quarter of the course and crews were temporarily not permitted to travel to the Green Gate aid station at mile 80 because the route to it passed close to the fire. Eventually, a reroute was established for crews to get to Green Gate and, later, after the wildfire was controlled, the regular route was reopened.
At Green Gate, Farvard came through in the lead, with Walmsley four minutes back and looking like he was hurting. It was then, perhaps, that the thought entered people’s minds: Could Farvard really take down the champ?
But Jim Walmsley is Jim Walmsley for a reason, and he again proved why he is among the world’s best. Against the ropes, facing one of his first real challenges in the race that shaped him, he delivered, entering the next aid station, Auburn Lake Trails at mile 85, more than a minute earlier than Farvard. He had made up five minutes in five miles.
Walmsley never trailed again, increasing his lead to 11 minutes by the Pointed Rocks aid station at mile 94 and then picking up his crew, including his wife,Jess Brazeau, at Robie Point to run the final mile with him. He entered the track at Placer High School to loud cheers, his loping stride still looking smooth, stopping a few steps short of the tape to wave to the crowd and raise his arms in triumph. He had done it again.
Behind him, Farvard was fading but determined to cap an extraordinary race with a second-place finish. Hawks, who had made up five minutes on Farvard in the couple miles between Pointed Rocks and Robie Point, was on the hunt, and by the time he stepped on the track, Farvard was within sight.
It was then that fans were treated to one of the most unique sights in all of ultrarunning: After 100 miles of racing, two men were sprinting against each other on a track. In the end, Farvard’s lead held, and he finished 16 seconds ahead of Hawks. He collapsed at the finish line — a fitting end to an epic performance.
Dan Jones ended a strong race with a fourth-place finish in 14:32:29, withCaleb Olsoncapping an impressive second half of the race — from 11th at mile 53 to fifth in 14:40:12 at the finish. All five men ran a time that would have won the race last year.
Behind Olson came Jon Albon, running 14:57:01 in his 100-mile running-race debut, followed by the surgical Tyler Green, who finished in seventh for his fourth straight top 10 finish at the race. Green’s time of 15:05:39 also marked a new men’s masters course record, breaking the 2013Mike Mortonrecord of 15:45:21.
Rounding out the top 10 were Jia-Sheng Shen in eighth with a time of 15:09:49,Jonathan Reain ninth who methodically moved his way up during the last 60 miles to finish in 15:13:10; andChris Myersin 10th in 15:18:25.
2024 Western States 100 Women’s Race
Through the high country, into and out of the canyons, and along the river of the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race,Katie Schide(pre-raceandpost-raceinterviews) raced only the ghosts of the clock and history. Smiling throughout, she seemed unaffected by the solitude and the enormity of the possibility that lay before her: to attempt to break the course record of one of the world’s most iconic trail races.
Schide, an American who lives in France, came into the race as the clear favorite, and for good reason: She finished second last year, breakingEllie Greenwood’spreviously untouchable 2012 course record by more than three minutes and losing to onlyCourtney Dauwalter, who broke Greenwood’s record by an astounding 78 minutes on her way to a historic Western States-Hardrock 100-UTMB triple win. Schide, winner of the 2022 UTMB and 2023 Diagonale des Fous 100 Mile, spent the last two-and-a-half months in Flagstaff, Arizona, training for Western States, winning this year’s Canyons 100k in an impressive tune-up and putting ina monster training block.
In her pre-race interview, Schide said that she had thought about ways to improve her race from last year, which perhaps should have been the first warning to her competition. The second, then, was her immediate separation from the women’s chase pack: She summited the Escarpment, a 2,500-foot climb during the first four miles, in first place and never looked back. By the first aid station — Lyon Ridge at 10 miles — she was already 12 minutes under course record pace, and by Robinson Flat at mile 30, she was 21 minutes ahead of second-placeEmily Hawgood(pre-race interview), from Zimbabwe but living in the U.S.
The lead only ballooned from there. By Dusty Corners at mile 38, Schide was an incredible 26 minutes under course record pace, and though she lost a few minutes from that pace by the time she climbed up to Michigan Bluff at mile 55, her smile had not waned even slightly. She smoothly entered the iconic aid station, doused herself with ice, changed shirts, and was soon on her way. She never sat down.
Twenty-seven minutes behind her was Hawgood, looking to build on back-to-back fifth-place finishes.Eszter Csillag(pre-raceandpost-raceinterviews), a Hungarian who lives in Hong Kong, followed soon after, in the same third spot she finished in last year.
After them ran a dense pack of women: Only 16 minutes separated Hawgood in second fromLotti Brinksin 11th.
At the halfway point, the top 10 were Schide, 33 minutes up in an elapsed time of 7:26; Csillag; Hawgood; Chinese runnerFu-Zhao Xiang(pre-raceandpost-raceinterviews), the fourth-place finisher at last year’s UTMB;Lin Chen(China); AmericanHeather Jackson, a versatile former triathlete who recently finished fifth at a competitive 200-mile gravel bike race; ultrarunning veteranIda Nilsson(pre-race interview), a Swede living in Norway;Becca Windell, second in this year’s Black Canyon 100k;2023 CCCwinnerYngvild Kaspersen(Norway); andRachel Drake, running her 100-mile debut.
Schide, easily identifiable in her pink shirt, maintained her large lead throughout the second half of the race, remaining calm, controlled, and upbeat throughout the tough canyon miles. By Foresthill at mile 62, she was 19 minutes ahead of course record pace and 48 minutes ahead of the second-place Xiang. Schide’s stride still looked smooth as she waved to fans and even high-fived a cameraman.
Schide’s aggressive pace eventually slowed — by Green Gate at mile 80, her lead on the course record had dissipated — but her spirits did not. After a quick sponge bath at Auburn Lake Trails aid station at mile 85, she fell behind course-record pace for the first time all day, only 15 miles remained until the finish.
Schide entered the track a couple of hours later, running with her crew and no headlamp. She would finish before dark. She stopped for a hug on the final straightaway and lifted the tape with, of course, a smile.
Xiang had methodically pulled away from Hawgood and Csillag during an incredibly strong second half to win the battle for second. Fu-Zhao Xiang finished in 16:20:03 for the third fastest time in race history. Chen, who dropped out at mile 78, was one of the few elite runners who had a DNF on this day, which was categorized by a lack of attrition in both the women’s and men’s elite races.
Eszter Csillag came in about 22 minutes behind Xiang in 16:42:17 for her second consecutive third-place finish, a 30-minute improvement from last year — a statistic that perhaps exemplifies the speed of this year’s race better than any other.
The battle for fourth and fifth was nearly as close as Farvard and Hawks’s race for second in the men’s race a couple of hours earlier.
At Pointed Rocks at mile 94, Hawgood led by barely two minutes, running hard and straight through the aid station. Kaspersen, meanwhile, was drinking co*ke and made up almost a minute by Robie Point.
Emily Hawgood’s lead ultimately held, and she finished fourth in 16:48:43 to improve her finish from prior years by one spot. Yngvild Kaspersen was less than two minutes back in 16:50:39. Ida Nilsson capped a strong day to finish sixth in 16:56:52 and breakRagna Debats’smasters course record by almost 45 minutes. That means the top six women all finished in under 17 hours in a race that had only ever had three women finish under that mark — and two of them, Dauwalter and Schide, were last year.
The rest of the top 10 were Heather Jackson in seventh in 17:16:43, and, in close succession, Rachel Drake in 17:28:35,Priscilla Forgie(Canada) in 17:30:24, andLeah Yinglingin 17:33:54.
The top 10 women were all faster than the 12th-fastest time in race history going into the day.
(07/12/2024) Views: 93 ⚡AMP
by Robbie Harms
Eilish McColgan makes the London Marathon a priority
Eilish McColgan believes her athletics future lies in marathon operating as she prepares to make her debut within the occasion at London.
McColgan loved a ground-breaking 2022 on the monitor, profitable her first main title within the 10,000 metres on the Commonwealth Games in August.
The 31-year-old Scot additionally completed second within the 5,000m in Birmingham earlier than including 10,000m silver and 5,000m bronze medals on the European Championships a couple of weeks later.
But McColgan is now very a lot targeted on the marathon and says she may even compete within the occasion on the 2023 World Championships in Budapest “if it goes seriously well” in London.
“I’d like to think it (my future) is the marathon,” stated McColgan as she confirmed her entry for the London race on April 23.
“My mindset is certainly that London is step one to doing extra highway racing and extra marathons.
“I don’t suppose I’ll go completely away from the monitor and I nonetheless need to be aggressive over 10,000 metres.
"My mindset is certainly that London is step one to doing extra highway racing and extra marathons," says Eilish McColgan.
“But the priority is definitely the marathon, although that might change if I’m no use at it.
“That’s the sort of way my mum planned it. One day we’d move up, it’s just happened maybe a couple of years later than we’d originally scheduled.”
McColgan’s mom Liz gained the girl’s elite race on the London Marathon in 1996 and it’s a race that she has a powerful affinity with.
She says when her mom was racing down The Mall she was typically “eating all the buffet food at the hospitality tents” and “watching on a tiny TV screen”.
“I just remember a buzz around the whole city and a busy place to be in,” stated McColgan.
“I’ve seen those images of my mum finishing the final 200 metres in front of Buckingham Palace. It’s an image I’ve created in my head from the pictures.
“My mum didn’t speak too much about running, but that was something she spoke about.
“It’s such an iconic race, even people who haven’t got an interest in running know about the London Marathon. It’s definitely a bucket-list race for me.”
McColgan had deliberate to run the 2022 London Marathon final October earlier than being pressured to withdraw as a consequence of a medical difficulty.
The downside was recognized as rebound hypoglycemia, a typical incidence amongst endurance athletes which results in lowered blood sugar ranges and never sufficient glucose within the blood to satisfy the physique’s wants.
But thorough testing seems to have resolved the fuelling difficulty, with McColgan saying she has already felt the advantages of a brand new carbohydrate drink.
“They said there were a few things different to what they’ve seen in other athletes,” stated McColgan, who underwent a 90-minute treadmill take a look at at Leeds Beckett University final week.
“But they think this carbohydrate drink will be the best solution going towards London, and I didn’t have the same crashes I was experiencing previously.
“I felt a lot more confident about it. When I was running I didn’t have that same low and heaviness and tiredness.
“I had a mask on and there were wires everywhere. It was really uncomfortable, so it better be worth it for the amount of discomfort you’re in for that long.”
McColgan will construct in the direction of the 2023 season at excessive altitude in Colorado Springs over the following few weeks and plans to run a half-marathon in March earlier than London.
On making a potential championship marathon debut as early as this August, she stated: “It’s really difficult to know without the hindsight of doing a marathon or recovering from one.
“I’m very wary with this being my first one, so I don’t want to definitely set my sights on the Budapest marathon.
“Realistically, it’s probably too soon. I’d be asking a lot of myself to do London and back it up with another one in close succession.
“But I’ve seen people do it before, and maybe I’ll be swayed if it goes seriously well.
“Deep down, I believe the right decision would be to do London, see how it goes, and then potentially do the 10k in Budapest before building towards another marathon.”
(01/31/2023) Views: 720 ⚡AMP
by Mirza Shehnaz
Get Ready to Run with Marathon Legends
Run with Abbott World Marathon Major Legends!
The AbbottWMMGlobal Run Clubtoday launchedLegends Week– a new free virtual Challenge taking place from August 15-19.
Runners must complete one challenge a day, for five days, to earn their Legends Week virtual badge and enter aprize drawfor a special signed gift from five incredible athletes.
Each daily workout has been chosen by one of the legends to offer a mix of distances and training styles for everyone to enjoy.Edna Kiplagat, the Kenyan superstar who is a former World Champion, three-time AbbottWMM Series Champion and a Six Star finisher. She loves to add some speed and repetitions into her weekly routine and kicks things off with4 x 1-milerepeats.Deena Kastor, a former American record holder and Olympic Bronze medalist for the marathon but also a5kmchampion too! She set the 5km world record on the road at Carlsbad in 2002 (14:54) and she still enjoys racing them today.
Multiple Major winnerDaniel Romanchukis a master of many distances. Representing the United States, he claimed the gold medal and a new World Record at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in the T54 400m in 45:72, coming from behind to win by 0.1 second!His workout is4 x 400mon the track or road.
British wheelchair racerJohnboy Smiththe newly-minted 2022 Commonwealth Games Marathon champion, is also a Six Star finisher! Smith, who took second place in the 2017 New York City Marathon, completed his Six Star journey in Tokyo earlier this year. His challenge is asix-milerun to celebrate this success.
Japanese marathon legendYuki Kawauchiwho ran his final mile of that grueling 2018 Boston Marathon in 5:12! He survived rain, wind, and hail to take the finisher tape on Boylston Street for the Boston Marathon victory. We are closing the week with a1-milechallenge to celebrate and appreciate that amazing feat.
This is a fun and free challenge to motivate runners before we move into a busy fall calendar with four Abbott World Marathon Majors in close succession. A chance to mix things up, test your limits and enjoy a break from the norm!
Participants can walk or run your way through these workouts:
Monday 15 Aug: 4 x 1-mile with Edna Kiplagat
Tuesday 16 Aug: 5km with Deena Kastor
Wednesday 17 Aug: 4 x 400m with Daniel Romanchuk
Thursday 18 Aug: 6 miles with Johnboy Smith
Friday 19 Aug: 1-mile with Yuki Kawauchi
(08/02/2022) Views: 938 ⚡AMP
