The 52nd Western States Endurance Run brought the heat in more ways than one.
With temperatures soaring into the 30s Celsius (80s and 90s Fahrenheit) and humidity hanging over the canyons of California’s Sierra Nevada, it was a brutal year for the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race.
But that didn’t stop two Americans, Caleb Olson and Abby Hall, from delivering the performances of their lives on the rugged course from Olympic Valley to Auburn.
Olson, 29, ran solo for the final 45 miles to win the men’s race in 14:11:25, the second-fastest time ever at Western States. Hall, 34, seized her second chance after a last-minute Golden Ticket entry and turned it into a wire-to-wire victory in 16:37:16, good for the fourth fastest all-time in the women’s race.
Olson Runs Second-Fastest Time in Race History
Coming into the race, Olson was already on the radar. He was the fastest debutant at Western States last year, and earlier this season won the 126km Classic race at Transgrancanaria. On Saturday, he made another leap, gapping the field through the canyons before arriving alone into Michigan Bluff at mile 55.
From there, it was all him.
“There was a lot of back and forth, it was so much fun running together,” Olson said in a post-race interview of his early battle with eventual runner-up Chris Myers.
“When we started running together he said, ‘dude, run your own race and feel free to drop me – I’m going to drop you if I get the chance. But we’re also stronger together so let’s ride this as long as we’re feeling good’”
“And we kind of worked together and had so much fun. We were just feeling good and we had a nice little pack but some of those just dropped off the back and then it was me and Chris. I don’t think there was much intention in that, it’s just how it worked out.”
By mile 80, he was still ahead of course record pace, but the toll of the day was catching up.
“I was not sure how the day would go and I set a really high goal for myself in that I thought it was probably going to take a course record to win today so I thought if I’m going to go for that then a sub-14 would be pretty cool too,” Olson said.
“And I was up on that split to mile 80 but then I started paying for it. Turns out sub-14 is really fast – and Jim’s record is really fast. I eventually thought it wasn’t going to happen and I just had to have a nice, enjoyable experience!”
He crossed the finish line at Placer High School to cheers and to his wife, Morgan, and their seven-week-old son, Marshall.
“I wasn’t even sure I’d make it to the start line as with having a newborn I didn’t know how much it would change training and impact recovery and I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to pull it off,” he said.
“But Morgan’s really stepped up and covered tons of night shifts so that I could get a good night’s sleep. It’s been amazing and it was just so rewarding to get to the finish line and share it with them.”
Olson’s win came in a field that included 2011 champ Kilian Jornet, back for the first time in 14 years. Jornet placed third in 14:19:22 behind Myers (14:17:39), in one of the tightest podium finishes the race has seen.
Hall Wins After Late Golden Ticket Roll-Down
In the women’s race, Hall’s win wasn’t just dominant, it was redemptive.
A two-time CCC podium finisher, Hall has battled injury for much of the past two years. She won the Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko 100km last December, but a Golden Ticket to Western States still eluded her.
She finished fifth at the Black Canyon Ultras in February, just outside the auto-qualifying spots. But in a twist of fate, she got a call a few weeks later.
“One of the golden tickets 🎫 from @blackcanyonultras has rolled down to me, and I’m thrilled to say I’ve officially accepted and am registered for 2025 @wser! 🥳,” she posted on Instagram in March.
Hall led the women’s race from the first checkpoint at Escarpment and never gave the position back after taking control again near mile 60. With 10 miles to go at Quarry Road, she was still 10 minutes clear of Fu-Zhao Xiang—and stayed that way through to the finish.
Xiang repeated her runner-up finish from 2024 in 16:47:09, while Canada’s Marianne Hogan, third in 2022, repeated that result with a 16:50:58 finish.
Hall, whose only other Western States attempt was in 2021 (when she finished 14th), was also the 11th overall finisher in the race.
Deep Fields, Hot Weather, and a Few Missing Favorites
Conditions were hot and dry, with forecasts topping 30°C in Auburn and brutal midday heat through the exposed canyon sections. The course itself remains one of the toughest on the calendar: 100.2 miles, over 18,000 feet of climbing, and nearly 23,000 feet of descent.
Runners also had to cross the Middle Fork of the American River by foot at mile 78, clutching a guide rope.
Neither defending champion returned this year. Jim Walmsley and Katie Schide both sat out, and course record holder Courtney Dauwalter opted to race Lavaredo in Italy the day before. That left room for new narratives, and Olson and Hall stepped into those gaps with authority.
Western States is where legends are made, but this year, it was also where fresh ones began.
2025 Western States 100 Results
Men
- Caleb Olson (USA) – 14:11:25
- Chris Myers (USA) – 14:17:39
- Kilian Jornet (ESP) – 14:19:22
- Jeff Mogavero (USA) – 14:30:11
- Dan Jones (NZL) – 14:36:17
Women
- Abby Hall (USA) – 16:37:16
- Fu-Zhao Xiang (CHN) – 16:47:09
- Marianne Hogan (CAN) – 16:50:58
- Ida Nilsson (SWE) – 17:00:48
- Fiona Pascall (GBR) – 17:21:52
