We’re so fortunate to be in this age of growing media interest in trail and ultra running, and there are (I’m not joking!) hundreds of podcasts, videos, and articles sharing wonderful Western States content before, during, and after the race. That said, understandably, the majority of the content, especially post-race, centers around the top ten men and women, or about 5% of the field. It’s about time to shed some light on the remaining 95% who stand on the same startline in Olympic Valley with inspiring backstories and journeys to getting there. So here are seven overlooked storylines also worth taking note of.
A Decade of States
As profiled in the article “Tenth Times’ A Charm”, three runners attempted to complete their tenth Western States, earning themselves a rarefied 1000-mile buckle. And spoiler alert, it was mission accomplished for the trio of Kaci Lickteig, Ken Ward, and Philip Sanderson, finishing in 20:45:21, 29:30:38, and 23:18:11 respectively. Notably, Kaci finished 18th female, Ken was the oldest finisher at age 67, and Philip got the job done! They came, they saw, they conquered, and they left Auburn with their extra special hardware, as well as places in the history books as the 84th, 85th, and 86th to complete Western States 10 or more times!
Age is Just a Number
The aforementioned Ken Ward took the honor of being this year’s oldest finisher in a time of 29:30:38 at age 67. Unfortunately, 77-year old Eric Spector, who was honored in the pre-race briefing along with the elite men’s field, was hoping to make history as Western States’ oldest finisher. Unfortunately, the local from Greenbrae, CA was timed out at Robinson Flat, mile 30.3, and so did not finish.
This year’s youngest starter, Western States debutant Madeline Wighart, held strong from Olympic Valley to the Placer High School track, becoming 2024’s youngest finisher at 23 years old. The young Canadian from Ancaster, Ontario, ran an impressive race to finish 24th female in 23:39:04, nabbing herself a coveted silver belt buckle for finishing under 24 hours.
Madeline may be only 23, but she’s already building a strong ultrarunning resume, including taking third at the 2023 Leadville 100, ninth and eleventh place finishes at the JFK 50 miler, and a second-place finish at Quebec Mega-Trail’s 110K in 2022. I’m not a betting woman, but if I was, I’d be buying stock in Madeline now before it rises exponentially.
Checking in on Silver Legend Entrant Betsy Kalmeyer
Following up on Western States’ 2024 Silver Legend runner Betsy Kalmeyer, who we profiled in this article “A Race For The Ages”, sadly June 29th was not her day. After making it almost to the halfway point on the course, Betsy Kalmeyer was timed out at mile 47.8 – Devil’s Thumb, another casualty of the hot conditions and challenging course. With almost 40 years of ultrarunning experience, including five Hardrock 100 victories, I don’t doubt Betsy will want to return to Olympic Valley and go the full 100.2 mile distance to Auburn.
Heartbreak for Visually Impaired Runner Will Barken
Coached by Freetrail Editor-in-Chief and Western States’ broadcaster-de-jour Corrine Malcolm, Will Barken was attempting to become the first visually impaired runner to complete Western States. The Mill Valley local knew what he was up against when he stood on the startline in Olympic Valley. After a strong first 50 miles, Will was well on his way to a 29-hour finish time. Unfortunately, as is often the case with long ultras, the second half didn’t go quite as smooth, and when his finance joined to pace him around mile 80, he was chasing cutoffs. Undeterred, Will showed incredible grit and resilience troubleshooting as he went. Picking up the pace from averaging 18:00/mile to under 10:00/mile, Will dropped his finance on the way up to Robie Point as he sprinted towards Placer High School track. Having given his all, Will crossed the finish line in 30:00:33, missing the 30 hour cutoff by a mere 34 seconds.
With 375 runners squeezed into the starting area in Olympic Valley, if finish time was based on chip time rather than gun time, more than likely Will would have finished safely under 30 hours. Sadly the timing is how it is, and while Will went home buckle-less, he is no less of a Western States finisher, garnering the support of thousands along the way.
The Magic of Golden Hour
In recent years, thanks in part to a 2019 documentary alongside rising media coverage, the last hour before the race’s 30-hour cutoff, known as the Golden Hour, has gained attention and recognition. Believe it or not, almost 25% of runners at this year’s Western States crossed the line within this sacred hour, finishing in a time between 29 and 30 hours. Atypically for back-of-the-pack runners, spectators and earlier finishers alike flock to Placer High School track to cheer on the final finishers, showcasing the magic of the running community and the teams behind each runner’s success.
Every runner embarking on the arduous 100.2 mile journey from Olympic Valley to Auburn will be tested along the way, requiring them to display incredible grit and mental and physical strength. Yet there is nothing quite like seeing the final finishers summon every ounce of energy and determination to make it across the finish line under the cutoff. It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking to witness runners at the limits of their potential, families and crew in tow, staggering around the Placer High School track to realize their ultimate ultra running dream. Many of these athletes have been in the lottery for years, repeatedly trying to get an entry into this historic race. Even fewer will get to run this race more than once, and the final finishers’ show of perseverance and emotion is a powerful reminder to make the most of the opportunities given.
An Ode to The Final Finishers
65 year old Iris Cooper was the last official runner across the finish line at Placer High School in 29:56:10. With 3 minutes and 50 seconds to spare, Iris was able to soak up the support of the Golden Hour, before walking away from her first Western States with a heralded bronze buckle.
The eight runners who crossed the finish line in the seconds and minutes after the 30 hour cutoff deserve a special shout out here too: while they would walk away from Placer High School without a belt buckle, they are nonetheless finishers of the historic 100.2 mile Western States Endurance Run. Kudos to Western States for acknowledging them across their media channels, stating that “buckle or no buckle, you still completed every step of that race course, and we applaud you for your efforts and your tenacity.”
Why We’re Here For The Women’s Race
The lead up to the 2024 Western States saw a group collaboration between the Pro Trail Runners Association, members of the media, and with support from HOKA and Trail Society launched the “Here For The Women’s Race” initiative to give more visibility to the women in trail running through media and storytelling. Anyone tuning into Western States’ coverage will have seen the iconic red and white “Here For The Women’s Race” t-shirts which sold out quickly before the race had even started. Stickers and face tattoos were also on sale, with all profits going to the brand new Women’s Trailrunning Fund. The t-shirts were such a hit that handmade replicas were spotted around the race village and on course. It’s worth noting that genuine “Here For The Women’s Race” t-shirts are not on sale online yet, any you see popping up are copies and not part of the women’s trail running initiative. Hold tight because rumor has it that official shirts and other merch will be available soon!
This year’s race saw 98 female starters compared to 277 male, and while women made up a mere 27% of the field, this is an all time high for Western States. Unfortunately, only 63% of women finished, compared to 81% of men. The reasons for this are largely due to cut off times, with a higher proportion of women being timed out than men. As the number of women on the startline continues to rise and the field strengthens, hopefully the gender disparity in finishers will reduce.
At the elite end, arguably the women’s race was more competitive than the men’s, with the top fifteen runners – minus Katie Schide in first – in constant flux right up to the final miles, battling for a coveted top ten finish.
From first to last, to those who faced time cutoffs, and everyone in between, every runner has a story worth telling. Western States is a beautiful display of human potential, runners pushing up against their mental and physical limits, and seeing how much they’re truly capable of. The race showcases the running community at its finest: thousands of volunteers, media personnel, support crew and pacers, friends and families, spectators of all ages and more, unite in support of the 375 athletes setting out on the 100.2 journey from Olympic Valley to Auburn. No matter your level of involvement, it’s hard to imagine anyone walking away from Western States uninspired and regretting being a part of one of the best weekends in trail and ultrarunning!