Western States Endurance Run (WSER) is steeped in ultra running history, and in 2023 celebrated its 50th edition on June 24. Every year is a journey for the nearly 400 runners who participate in the 100-mile race with smiles at the start in Palisades Tahoe, CA, often laced with heartbreak during valiant efforts to make it to the Placer High School track in Auburn, CA.
Through treacherous snow at the top of the Escarpment to blistering heat in the Canyons, this “downhill” course still boasts an elevation gain of 18,000+ feet. Some will finish, others will not. ATRA team members Andy Wacker and Peter Maksimow will take you on a journey as they share a few stories from this year’s race along with photos and videos.
Record-setting performance
Is it just us or are women just made for endurance? Women have placed in the top-ten, three times in the last ten runnings of Western States Endurance Run! In 2013, Pam Smith placed ninth. In 2021, Beth Pascall placed seventh overall with Ruth Croft finishing close behind her in ninth.
This year Courtney Dauwalter placed sixth overall, challenging the top men in the race along the way. Both Courtney and second-place finisher, Katie Schide, went under the women’s course record, running 15:29:33 and 16:43:45 respectively. Ellie Greenwood was the previous record holder in a time of 16:47, set in 2012.
Dauwalter’s time is even more impressive when you consider that she ran five minutes faster than Kilian Jornet’s 2011 winning time…and faster than both of Hal Koerner’s wins in 2008 and 2009…and faster than Scott Jurek’s winning times, all seven of them from 1999-2005! That is just a few of the best male ultra runners in the world that she bettered.
Dauwalter smiled and waved to fans spreading her infectious joy for trail running throughout the race. As she entered the Placer High school track, the crowd erupted!
Dauwalter’s victory is her second win at Western States following a win in 2018.
Chinese runners take on Western States
Ultramarathon coach Jason Koop helped crew Chinese runner, Jiasheng Shen, to a 4th place finish at this year’s edition of WSER in 15:19:42. We asked Koop about the emergence of elite Chinese runners at Western States, “China is a country with a rich athletic history, there is a lot of talent out there we don’t know about.” Shen is an example of that talent, boasting a 2019 Hong Kong 100 win.”
Koop continues, “The problem is that it is so incredibly hard to get out of the country. It’s a heavy lift from a cultural standpoint.”
Language barriers, crossing time-zones, and vastly different food and culture face athletes who fly from Asia across the world to race in the U.S. Additionally, logistics are hard. Shen’s wife helped at aid stations while simultaneously watching their two-year-old son. Compare that to U.S. athletes, many of whom can train on the course and also have many friends and family join them on race day for support.
All smiles at the finish line of Western States Endurance Run. Photo: Peter Maksimow
This year was the first time golden ticket race winners joined from Asia. Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB 100 brought in Jiaju Zhao and Canhua Luo. Jiaju Zhao led the race up the escarpment and through mile 24.4, Duncan Canyon aid station. Zhao ended up dropping out. Canhua Luo placed nineteenth among the men’s field, 23rd overall.
Koop hopes Shen’s performance will be a catalyst for other Chinese runners to run Western in the future, “It’s good for the sport. It shows how diverse the worldwide community actually is.”
A Bittersweet Finish
Lucy Bartholomew is a professional trail runner for Salomon. She started racing ultras at age 15 and cites her dad as her biggest influence and inspiration. In 2018, at the age of 22, she placed 3rd at Western States and her dad was there to crew and cheer her on to the finish line.
We asked Lucy about her dad Ash’s journey to Western, “Dad had been trying to get into WSER for 10 years, so the race has meant a lot to him with qualifying each year and then the let down of not getting in and then the rally to go around the process again.”
This year Ash Bartholomew finally did get an entry to Western. This time it was Lucy cheering for her dad.
Lucy Bartholomew points at the custom shirt “Lucy’s dad WSER 23” on her brother. Photo: Andy Wacker
Lucy said, “When he did get in last year I witnessed him dedicate so much strength and consistency in his training. He showed up everyday and respected his 61- year-old body but also shot his shot with training.”
With just a few miles to go, and the cutoff approaching, Ash was struggling. In the last mile, Lucy, friends and fans came to cheer on Ash to the finish. In the end he barely missed the cutoff finishing in 30:02:20, just over two minutes late.
Lucy said, “To see him in such pain, working so hard and missing the cut off, but making the distance was heartbreaking and inspiring. The way the community joined him for that last mile, the stadium erupted and the messages since have been so beautiful. I know this is really hard for him, but I know he’s inspired more than just me out there, and I’m so proud to be his daughter!”
Montgomery wins non-binary category, places 8th overall
This year marked the inaugural year of the non-binary category at WSER. LGBTQ+ champion and Altra-sponsored athlete, Ryan Montgomery, not only placed first, but also placed in the top 10 overall (7th amongst men, 8th overall). But, that was where the conundrum began.
Montgomery explains, “It is an interesting time for me and WSER, since I think I was the first NB person to place within the top 10 overall. But, technically I was not top-10 men. Does that mean I am M7 next year? I hope not. NB7? I mean, that doesn’t make sense either since I wasn’t the 7th non-binary runner.”
Montgomery has traditionally competed in the men’s category, that is until recently. They said, “Aside from WSER, I have run several races in the NB category, including Austin Rattler 50K last November, Paramount Ranch 50k last December, and Quadrock 50 last May. However, not all races have the NB category, such as Tarawera 100k and Bandera 100k which I both ran this year, too.”
This evolution has come from some soul searching and an increased interaction with peers in the LBGTQ+ community, most notably through his community initiative, Out Trails. Montgomery says, “2022 was a transformative year for me, where my queer community expanded immensely. I learned a lot from various queer mentors. And during this time, I learned that for myself, racing in the male category does not fully capture who I am and how I want to express myself, which is why I have opted for non-binary categories, when available.”
Ryan Montgomery at the finish of Western States Endurance Run. Photo: Peter Maksimow
When asked about the decision to run in the non-binary category as opposed to the men’s category, Montgomery said, “Personally, I love the term non-binary because it captures my gender expression—sometimes I feel more masculine and other times very feminine. Non-binary allows me to put on a variety of expressive gender hats that are constantly fluid. ‘Male’ isn’t inclusive of that expression.”
This fluidity is accurately expressed on his instagram profile, as he uses the pronouns “he/they.” Besides Montgomery, Riley Brady was another NB athlete to compete in the non-binary category, placing a very respectable 43rd in 20:59:02.
Anna Mae Flynn, Montgomery’s crew chief and coach, was hopeful with the inclusion of the non-binary category, saying, “WSER is in a unique position to be an example of how race organizers can be more inclusive by making their race a safe space for non-binary identifying athletes.”
She goes on to ruminate over the future of the category, “I don’t have all of the answers for how WSER can improve upon this category, but I think it’s important that we don’t just stop with creating this gender category. How can we truly make these athletes feel whole, and valued for who they are? I think it’s reasonable to offer some sort of podium for this category, not only at WSER, but also at golden ticket races. For example maybe it’s ‘top-10 non-binary in WSER get an auto re-entry’, or maybe ‘it’s top-3’( depending on percentage of participants or some other standard). In addition, the golden ticket races would have a podium for non- binary racers, allocating the top 1 or 2 non binary athletes auto entry into that year’s WSER.”
Montgomery is pleased with the effort of inclusion, stating, “As you can tell, there is a lot of work to do until we are included, at least for the queer community. I feel like this year’s WSER performance for me, representing the NB and queer community, is going to facilitate that conversation.”
Potential oldest finisher starts race, doesn’t finish
We caught up with accomplished runner and 75-year-old, Gene Dykes. In December 2018, Dykes became the fastest man 70 and older to ever race a marathon, clocking 2:54:23 at the Jacksonville Marathon.
Dykes started the race with the intent to be the oldest finisher at Western States, ultimately making it to mile 70.7, before dropping out.
On course with Gene Dykes. Photo: Peter Maksimow
Said Dykes, “I am, of course, very disappointed that I was unable to complete the race, primarily because I feel like I let down the fine folks at my sponsor, Stoked Oats, who spent a lot of time and money getting me into the race and promoting my goal of becoming the oldest ever finisher. At some point, however, I’ll mainly remember the race for its outstanding organization, the wonderful course, and the thrill of participation.”
This was Dykes first Western States. We asked him what does one need to be the first 75+ year old finisher?
“I certainly don’t feel that success for a 75-year-old is out of the question. I’m more of a road runner than an ultra trail runner, and I think I would have succeeded had I not been dealing with a case of blood cancer. So, whether or not a masters runner is a road or a trail specialist, completing Western States is a realistic goal. It takes an average of six years to gain an entry in the lottery, though, so it takes a lot of advanced planning, including running a qualifying 100 miler every year. That journey is a lot of fun!”
Part of that journey for Dykes was a finish at the Javelina Jundred 100 mile race in October 2022.
We asked Dykes what’s next for him on his race calendar. He plans to race the USATF Masters Outdoors National Championships, Hood To Coast Relay and the Berlin, Chicago and Kiawah Marathons.
If that weren’t enough, Dykes replied, “I thought I was done with ultras for the year, but I’d really hate to have a year pass without completing a 100-miler, so I’ve decided to enter the Wyoming Range 100 in early August.”
Complete results from this year’s race can be found here. See you at States in 2024 for the 51st running on June 29.
