Known for being one of the most difficult organized running events in the country—and the oldest 100-mile trail race in the world—the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run is a worthy challenge for any runner ambitious enough to take it on.

What You Need to Know About the Sydney Marathon coronavirus pandemic, the historic race returns in 2021 with a stacked field. On the men’s side, that includes reigning two-time champion Jim Walmsley, Hayden Hawks, Tim Tollefson, Jared Hazen, Stephen Kersh, Jeff Browning, Eric Senseman, and Patrick Reagan.

For the women, we have a 2019 rematch between top two finishers Clare Gallagher (the 2019 winner) and Brittany Peterson. Giving them a run for the top spot will likely be Magda Boulet, Nicole Bitter, Beth Pascall, Addie Bracy, Camille Herron, Best Running Shoes 2025.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2021 race, its entry process, and what to expect from the course.

How to Watch the Western States Endurance Run

The 2021 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run will be held on Saturday, June 26, and runners will have until Sunday, June 27 to finish.

The primary way to follow along is via the race’s YouTube livestream, which will operate for the entirety of the race. You can find that here and below.

There are a few other ways to follow along with the race, race director Craig Thornley told Runner’s World.

  • Use Google Assistant on devices like Google Home (“Hey Google, ask Western States where is runner number 100?”) or Amazon Alexa (“Alexa, enable Western States”) for runner tracking information in real time.
  • Find official splits and runner tacking at ultralive.net.
  • Watch a continuous live feed of the finish on the Western States Endurance Run’s Facebook page.
  • Watch the live broadcast on the Western States YouTube channel.

How many people run the Western States Endurance Run?

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back year 1986 saw the highest number of entrants in Western States history, when 415 runners gathered at the starting line. This year, a total of 320 runners Ellie Greenwood Banff, AB, Canada 17:55:29.

History of the Western States Endurance Run

Before it was the Western States Endurance Run, it was the “Tevis Cup Ride,” an annual trek on horseback covering the 100-mile distance of the Western States Trail in one day. In 1974, nearly twenty years after the ride’s 1955 start, Gordy Ainsleigh decided to attempt the distance sans horse and ran the entire trail in 23 hours and 42 minutes. The first official Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run took place on July 30, 1977 with a grand total of 14 participants. And only three made it to the finish.

With the exception of 2008, DAA Industry Opt Out and high levels of smoke made running in the area impossible, the run has been held every year.

(is a worthy challenge for any runner ambitious enough to take it on of the WS100 on the race website.)

Western States 100 Winners and Awards

There is no prize purse for the winners of the Western States 100—rather, the first male and female runner to complete the race in under 24 hours will be awarded the Wendell Robie Cup, which is a perpetual trophy with the winners’ names engraved upon it. Each victor also receives their own Western States bronze cougar sculpture.

Everyone who completes the race within 24 hours will take home a beautiful hand-made silver belt buckle as a reward for accomplishing the strenuous feat. Runners with a finishing time that exceeds 24 hours but falls under the 30-hour cutoff will receive bronze Western States Endurance Run belt buckles. All official finishers (those who complete the race within 30 hours) receive a finisher’s medallion.

Tim Twietmeyer is noted as being a race “legend” for his five victories, 25 times completing the course in less than 24 hours, and 15 consecutive top-five finishes. On the women’s side, Ann Trason has finished first 14 times. Most recently, Walmsley won the men’s division last year and broke the course record set by Timothy Olson in 2012, while Dauwalter was the 2018 first-place female and ran the second-fastest women’s time in the race’s history.

Men’s Open Division (Past 10 years)

  • 2019: Jim Walmsley (Flagstaff, AZ) 14:09:28
  • 2018: Jim Walmsley (Flagstaff, AZ) 14:30:04
  • 2017: Ryan Sandes (Cape Town, ZAF) 16:19:37
  • 2016: Andrew Miller (Corvallis, OR) 15:39
  • 2015: Rob Krar (Flagstaff, AZ) 14:48:59
  • 2014: Rob Krar (Flagstaff, AZ) 14:53:22
  • 2013: Timothy Olson (Ashland, OR) 15:17:27
  • 2012: Timothy Olson (Ashland, OR) 14:46:44
  • 2011: Kilian Jornet (Puigcerda, Spain) 15:34:24
  • 2010: Geoff Roes (Douglas, AK) 15:07:04
  • 2009: Hal Koerner (Ashland, OR) 16:24:55

Women’s Open Division (Past 10 years)

  • 2019: Clare Gallagher (Boulder, CO) 17:23:25
  • 2018: Courtney Dauwalter (Golden, CO) 17:27:00
  • 2017: Cat Bradley (Boulder, CO) 19:31:30
  • 2016: Kaci Lickteig (Omaha, NE) 17:57:59
  • 2015: Magdalena Boulet (Oakland, CA) 19:05:21
  • 2014: Stephanie Howe (Bend, OR) 18:01:42
  • 2013: Pam Smith (Salem, OR) 18:37:21
  • 2012: Ellie Greenwood (Banff, AB, Canada) 16:47:19
  • 2011: Ellie Greenwood (Banff, AB, Canada) 17:55:29
  • 2010: Tracy Garneau (Vernon, BC) 19:01:55
  • 2009: Anita Ortiz (Eagle, CO) 18:24:17

What is the course like?

The course follows the middle section of the Western States Trail, the entirety of which extends from Salt Lake City to Sacramento, California. From the starting point in Squaw Valley, runners ascend from the valley floor (6,200 feet in elevation) to Emigrant Pass (8,750 feet in elevation)—a climb of 2,550 vertical feet within the first five miles of the race.

The course runs west from Emigrant Pass with another 15,540 feet of climbing, and a total descent of 22,970 feet. Runners cross the finish line after a partial loop around a track in Auburn, a small town in California. There are a total of 21 aid stations along the trail for runners to refuel and rehydrate. (Western States Endurance Run is now a cupless race and requires that participants bring their own reusable drinking vessels.)

How to register for the race

In order to be eligible to compete in the historic 100-miler, hopeful participants must meet the qualifying standard in one of a number of qualifying races (all listed on the race website). Runners can then can apply online during a week-long registration window in November of the year prior and are selected via lottery the first week of December.

A number of automatic entrants, among which include the top ten male and top ten female finishers from the previous year’s race, are permitted to register before the general lottery.

How to train for the race

Considering the amount of intense climbs and descents required on the course, hill training is a must. The race recommends that athletes add longer runs (between eight to ten hours, or 50 miles) into their training program once every month and mimic the race-day experience by changing clothes and fueling up during these long runs.

To best prepare for both the physical and mental demands of this challenging course, runners are wise to plan training runs on the trail whenever possible, familiarizing themselves particularly with the areas that may be run at night when visibility is low. Always tell someone when and where you will be running, as much of the trail winds through remote, highly technical terrain that is only accessible by foot, horse, or helicopter.

Headshot of Paige Triola
Paige Triola
Contributing Writer

Paige Triola is a freelance writer based in Boulder, Colorado, who covers a range of topics in the athletic and outdoor recreation sphere. She spends much of her time cruising the trails on foot or by bike, testing out the newest gear designed for playing outside. Paige has written articles and product roundups for a variety of publications including Runner’s World, Bicycling Magazine, Gear Junkie, and Trail Runner Magazine.