Everything You Need To Know About The 2024 Western States 100

This weekend, the stars of ultra trail running will gather in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the sunshine state of California for the world’s oldest 100-mile race: The Western States 100.

The race has become known as one of the most challenging tests of endurance in the sport with nearly 30,000 feet of elevation gain to be covered within the 30-hour time limit.

When And How To Watch Western States 100

The race starts bright and early at 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 29th, 2024 at the base of Palisades Tahoe, and finish 30 hours later on Sunday, June 30th, 2024. Starting at 6,000 feet above sea level, the air will be thin from the start, and the temperatures can reach as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. 

If you’re keen to follow the athletes, you can catch all the action live on the Western States 100 Youtube. While the livestream is typically great, the service in the rural areas can be dodgy. However, you can also use the live tracker to follow your favorite athletes and keep up to date with important updates on X.

• Link to Western States 100 Youtube.
• Link to Western States 100 Live Tracker.
• Link to Western States 100 X.

What Is The Western States 100 Course?

The race traces the Western States Trail from Palisades Tahoe in Olympic Valley to Auburn. This trail was used by 20th-century horsemen, 1850s gold and silver miners, and Indigenous communities like the Nisenan and Washoe for millennia. 

Despite being net downhill, the course includes 18,000 feet of elevation gain, with the 23,000 feet of descent testing runners’ endurance before they even reach Auburn.

Starting at the crack of dawn at Palisades Tahoe at 6,000 feet above sea level, runners immediately face a 2,550-foot climb over the first 4.5 miles, reaching Emigrant Pass just in time for sunrise.

The next 25 miles on singletrack through the high country are the most technical, winding through the Granite Chief Wilderness. This section often features significant snow, though this year the course will be snow-free.

At Robinson Flat (mile 30.3), the high country gives way to the infamous canyons. Temperatures can reach 100 degrees on the exposed fire roads and singletrack, making heat management crucial, especially at Michigan Bluff (mile 55.7) and Forest Hill (mile 62) aid stations. Here, ice vests, bandanas, and other cooling methods are essential.

Runners can pick up pacers at Forest Hill, where they will tackle the next 16 miles, mostly downhill, to the Rocky Chucky aid station (mile 78) and the American River crossing. Depending on water levels, runners may wade through hip-deep water or take a brief raft ride.

After crossing the river, a two-mile climb leads to Green Gate (mile 79.8), marking the start of the most runnable section. The course continues on rolling singletrack and fire roads until No Hands Bridge (mile 97), followed by a final climb to Robie Point (mile 99). The race concludes with a mile downhill to the Placer High School track, where runners complete the last 250 meters on the track to the finish line.

What’s The Weather Going To Be Like?

The name ‘Sunshine State’ will ring true this weekend.

Saturday afternoon will be the hottest period of the race, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

The afternoons and evenings won’t be too much cooler wither. Saturday morning, when the runners take off, will be around 72 degrees Fahrenheit, while the evening will be around 82.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Overnight, runners can expect some reprieve from the heat, with temperatures of around 64.5 degrees Farenheit.

Sunday morning will heat up again, with temperatures of around 73.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

The forecast is not currently indicating any rain, storms, or strong winds, which is a good thing for athletes as course times rely heavily on weather conditions on the day.

Is There Prize Money?

Wester States 100 is operated by a non-profit organization and race director Craig Thornley says that offering prize money goes against the mission of the race.

Instead of prize money, the race offers iconic belt buckles for all participants in addition to the coveted Wendell Robi Cup and Western States Cougar Trophy, and other awards for certain results.

Here’s a list of the awards available at Western States 100:

1. The first official male and female runner to cross the finish line within 24 hours will be the winner of the Wendell Robie Cup, a perpetual trophy on which the victor’s name will be engraved.
2. The first male and female finishers will each be awarded the bronze Western States Cougar Trophy.
3. Additional age-group awards will be given to the top three men and women in the following categories: 39 and under; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69, and 70 and over.
4. All finishers in under 24:00:00 hours will receive the hand-made silver Western States Endurance Run belt buckle.
5. All finishers who finish in a time of 24:00:00 but under 30 hours will receive the hand-made bronze Western States Endurance Run belt buckle to commemorate their achievement.
6. All official finishers will receive an attractive finisher’s medallion.
7. The oldest male and female finishers will receive special awards presented by Dr. Walter and Ruth Ann Bortz.

Out of all the awards available, the silver buckle is likely one of the most iconic in the world of ultrarunning.

“The Silver Buckle is perhaps the most coveted award in ultrarunning. With roots going back to the award given out to finishers of the Tevis Ride, the belt buckle has now become the standard for 100 mile races in the US. Some shorter races even award buckles to finishers. The Western States Silver Buckle has been hand crafted by the family run business Comstock Heritage in Carson City, NV since the beginning. Below is a picture of the buckle given to the winner. All sub-24 hour finishers receive a similar buckle. Note that because these are handcrafted, no two buckles will look exactly alike.”

Who To Watch?

Jim Walmsley

Jim Walmsley returns to Western States after two years in France focusing on UTMB. He’s aiming for a fourth title. As the course record-holder, Walmsley is the one to watch. Katie Schide, last year’s runner-up to Courtney Dauwalter, also returns. Both Schide and Dauwalter broke Ellie Greenwood’s women’s course record of 16:47:19 set in 2012. With six of last year’s top 10 men and women returning and a strong field of Golden Ticket winners, this year’s race is more competitive than ever.

Men’s Race Contenders

• Returning Top Finishers: Jiasheng Shen (fourth), Dan Jones (fifth), Ryan Montgomery (eighth), Jeff Colt (ninth), and Cole Watson (tenth) are all back with more experience.
• Hayden Hawks: After a knee injury forced him to DNF last year, Hawks is back in peak form, having won the Black Canyons 100K in February. He’s looking for redemption.
• Tyler Green: With finishes of second, fourth, and second in the last three races, Green is increasingly confident. This could be his year.
• Dakota Jones: Last year, Jones led early but faded to 17th. He rebounded with a third-place finish at CCC and earned a Golden Ticket.
• Jonathan Albon: Last year’s CCC winner, if healthy, will be a strong contender.
• Petter Engel: The Swedish runner earned his spot with a third-place finish at the Canyons 100K in April and could surprise if he handles the heat well.

Katie Schide

Katie Schide returns as the top women’s contender with the second-fastest time ever. She finished second behind Dauwalter in her debut at Western States in 2023, clocking in at 16:43:45, which is one of the fastest times in the race’s history. Schide has an impressive track record in ultra running, including winning the 2022 UTMB. Her experience and previous performance make her a favorite in this year’s race.

Women’s Race Contenders

• Eszter Csillag: Last year’s third-place finisher aims to improve her standing.
• Emily Hawgood and Leah Yingling: Both have consistently placed in the top 10 and are looking to build on their performances.
• Ida Nilsson and Priscilla Forgie: Returning for a second attempt, they aim to better their seventh and eighth-place finishes.
• Heather Jackson: After stomach issues led to a DNF last year, Jackson is back for redemption.
• Yngvild Kaspersen and Fu-Zhao Xiang: Both are making their States debuts after earning Golden Tickets.
• Rachel Drake: Making her debut with experience as crew and pacer for her partner Tyler Green, Drake has been performing well since recovering from childbirth less than two years ago.

Men’s And Women’s Startlists

First Name	Last Name	Age	Country	WS Finished
Katie	Schide	32	USA	1
Eszter	Csillag	39	HUN	1
Emily	Hawgood	29	ZWE	3
Ida	Nilsson	43	SWE	1
Priscilla	Forgie	33	CAN	1
Leah	Yingling	33	USA	2
Tyler	Green	40	USA	4
Jiasheng	Shen	29	CHN	1
Daniel	Jones	33	NZL	1
Ryan	Montgomery	30	USA	1
Jeffrey	Colt	33	USA	2
Cole	Watson	32	USA	2
Yngvild	Kaspersen	29	NOR	0
Emily	Schmitz	43	USA	0
Jonathan	Albon	35	NOR	0
Dakota	Jones	33	USA	1
Lotti	Brinks	28	USA	0
Caleb	Olson	28	USA	0
Caleb	Bowen	30	USA	0
Eleanor	Davis	35	GBR	0
Giulia	Vinco	33	ITA	0
Jim	Walmsley	34	USA	4
Simon	Gosselin	28	FRA	0
Heather	Jackson	40	USA	0
Ragna	Debats	45	ESP	1
Jonathan	Rea	32	USA	2
Blake	Slattengren	28	USA	0
Lin	Chen	33	CHN	0
Anna	Li	30	CHN	0
Ji	Duo	31	CHN	0
Robert	Hajnal	34	ROU	0
Rachel	Drake	33	USA	0
Becca	Windell	38	USA	0
Lauren	Puretz	41	USA	0
Hayden	Hawks	33	USA	2
Jupiter	Carera Casas	30	MEX	0
Chris	Myers	28	USA	0
Careth	Arnold	34	USA	0
Anna	Louden	31	USA	0
Rod	Farvard	28	USA	2
Petter	Engdahl	29	NOR	0
Kellie	Angel	38	AUS	0
Sally	McRae	45	USA	3
Kaci	Lickteig	37	USA	9
Harvey	Lewis	48	USA	0
Nick	Coury	36	USA	0
Fuzhao	Xiang	32	CHN	0
Nobuyori	Takeda	44	USA	0
Sam	Fiandaca	52	USA	2
Ernest	Mlynarczyk	53	POL	0
Will	Rivera	53	USA	0
Takeshi	Noda	39	JPN	0
Todd	Law	56	USA	3
Heidi	Rounds	43	USA	0
Dan	Barger	58	USA	15
Rudy	Wedlarski	44	FRA	0
Caolan	MacMahon	60	USA	0
Phillip	Nigh	61	USA	0
Ken	Weiblen	52	USA	0
Luanne	Park	63	USA	10
Shaun	Daylor	45	USA	0
Mansour	Monem	65	USA	2
Ken	Ward	67	USA	9
William	Abel	51	USA	1
Vince	Molosky	44	USA	0
Olov	Berg	53	USA	0
Carlos	Osollo	52	USA	0
Xavier	Berruel	51	CAN	0
Mark	Stugard	50	USA	0
Francesco	Riccadonna	49	CAN	0
James	Poole	48	GBR	1
Eric	Spector	77	USA	0
Jeff	Rowthorn	46	CAN	0
Karel	Baloun	52	USA	0
Brenton	Swyers	36	USA	0
William	Barkan	40	USA	0
Joe	Barnard	44	USA	0
Alison	Bassett	47	USA	1
Joshua	Nichols	36	USA	1
Jerry	Pi	47	USA	0
Rochelle	Gamette	50	USA	0
Jack	Davis	47	ZAF	0
Marcy	Beard	55	USA	0
Sean	Belling	39	USA	0
Vincent	Pelisson	30	FRA	0
Russ	Dresher	42	USA	0
Joann	Ellero	55	USA	0
Yuka	Atsumi	60	JPN	0
Jeff	Boutte	61	USA	4
Nadine	Bennett	40	GBR	0
Michael	Daly	48	USA	1
Hebah	Hefzy	41	USA	0
Cheri	Winter	51	USA	0
Paul	Garner	55	GBR	0
Carol	Youngblood	46	USA	0
Paul	Berquam	51	USA	1
Debbie	Booth	51	USA	1
Craig	Betz	40	USA	0
Marian	Vasile	47	NLD	0
Bruce	Nguyen	49	USA	0
Kim	Penzone	53	USA	0
Christopher	Harrington	40	USA	0
Jeff	Black	53	USA	0
Amy	McDowell	38	USA	0
Chandler	Blake	48	USA	0
Junichi	Hashimoto	46	JPN	0
John	Bruno	38	USA	0
Stephen	Blea	38	USA	0
Iris	Cooper	65	CAN	1
Thorsten	Preiss	47	DEU	0
Jim	Bledsoe	44	USA	0
Jacob	Rydman	39	USA	0
Herbert	Krabel	59	USA	0
Brian	Mulholand	41	USA	1
Andrew	Zapor	36	USA	0
Dennis	Boic	48	USA	1
Alina	Edwards	44	USA	0
Char	Kuperstein	42	USA	0
Ryan	Bolton	32	AUS	0
Josh	Rutowski	28	USA	0
Tim	Weber	61	USA	0
Kevin	Cannaday	45	USA	1
Jonathan	Bretan	41	USA	0
Ken	Brook	37	USA	0
Bruce	Keele	57	USA	0
Chloe	Brooks	29	GBR	0
Matt	Whalen	45	USA	0
Burkhard	Münchow	57	DEU	0
Eli	Burakian	46	USA	0
Jacob	Burnett	40	USA	0
Michael	Busada	34	USA	0
Jared	Byrd	40	USA	1
Chris	Calimano	42	USA	0
Karen	Ellis	44	USA	0
Samantha	Carney	48	USA	0
Bogie	Dumitrescu	49	USA	1
Steven	Wright	65	USA	0
Steven	Carr	57	USA	0
Megan	Carroll	38	USA	0
Iain	Jones	47	USA	0
Giuseppe	Cavallo	45	USA	0
Wayne	Chan	47	USA	0
Jean-Mathieu	Chenier	39	CAN	0
Yung Hae	Cho	49	USA	0
Lauren	Ciccomascolo	34	USA	0
Greg	Cizio	34	USA	0
Emily	Clay	34	USA	1
Tabatha	Collins	51	USA	0
Randy	Duncan	62	CAN	1
Brian	Compagnone	50	USA	0
Kelly	Cook	41	USA	0
Brandon	Crews	41	USA	0
Chris	Culpepper	59	USA	0
Todd	Curtis	51	USA	0
Sean	Danaher	34	USA	0
Madeline	Hirschfeld	31	USA	0
Gilles	Davery	47	USA	0
Romain	Demare	38	CHE	0
Guomin	Deng	34	CHN	0
Carson	Galloway	33	USA	0
Adam	Dickerson	38	USA	0
Joseph	Dorph	30	AUS	0
Brian	Hill	50	USA	1
Tom	Downes	53	IRL	0
William	Sheehan	47	GBR	0
Kuwanna	Dyer-Pietras	48	USA	0
Steve	Rowbury	56	USA	1
Juris	Dzenis	43	LVA	0
Joshua	Eddy	43	USA	0
David	Peppelman	48	USA	0
Taylor	Edwards	33	USA	0
Matt	Elam	32	USA	0
Anthony	Russo	47	USA	0
Rachel	Elliott	43	USA	0
Mike	Fakler	36	USA	0
Josh	Welch	41	USA	0
Nicholas	Ferdinand	43	USA	0
Lisa	Gesualdo	54	USA	0
Sascha	Fersch	46	DEU	0
Gordon	Freeman	39	USA	0
Mattia	Frigeri	43	ITA	0
Justin	Galbraith	37	USA	0
Josh	Gall	33	USA	0
Colton	Gerhart	31	USA	0
Dan	Baxley	53	USA	0
Baldwyn	Chieh	55	USA	0
Andrew	McDowall	46	NZL	0
Dominic	Grossman	37	USA	1
Mae	Barker	47	USA	0
Paul	Jacobs	46	USA	0
Marianna	Grudziak	37	USA	0
Rosalia	Guarischi	45	BRA	0
Forbes	Guthrie	51	USA	0
Klaus	Haake	54	DEU	0
Matthew	Hagenah	51	USA	0
Mallory	Ham	67	USA	0
Paula	Hamilton	61	USA	0
Cynthia	Heady	62	USA	2
Patrick	Heine	35	USA	0
Brennan	Henning	25	USA	0
Andres	Hernandez	54	USA	0
Rick	Hohman	41	USA	0
Sean	Hoover	41	USA	0
Ted	Jamieson	36	USA	0
Travis	Liles	45	USA	0
Colleen	Jay	48	USA	0
Bob	Luther	48	USA	0
Jeffrey	Jordan	61	USA	1
Jake	Thornton	34	USA	0
Eric	Johnson	43	USA	0
Betsy	Kalmeyer	63	USA	0
Takashi	Terabayashi	54	JPN	0
Baban	Kenkre	48	USA	0
Ngugi	Kihara	38	USA	0
Ashley	Gramza	38	USA	0
Noel	Kingston	59	USA	0
Suzy	Kisylia	55	USA	0
Zelko	Krajcar	52	SWE	0
Lisa	Kravetz	61	USA	0
Shannon	Krogsrud	35	USA	0
Nathan	Kurz	41	USA	0
Sherman	Lam	44	CAN	0
Joshua	Landvatter	40	USA	0
Peter	Lawson	60	USA	0
Hélène	Léger	41	FRA	0
Loren	Lewis	52	USA	2
Keshia	Heggie-Street	57	USA	0
Todd	Logan	41	USA	0
Khris	Vickroy	48	USA	0
Anthony	Lounsbery	46	USA	0
Zac	Lundgren	34	USA	0
Tin	Luu	43	USA	0
Jeremy	Lyons	37	USA	0
Charles	MacNulty	50	USA	0
Jean-Francois	Delbecq	43	FRA	0
Jeff	Mandrell	38	USA	0
Brandon	Mathews	48	USA	0
Rachel	Shebert	29	USA	0
Pete	McHugh	47	USA	0
Jeff	Mcpherson	49	USA	0
Jo	Meek	47	GBR	0
Gerome	Fernandez	33	FRA	0
Andreas	Kohlhund	41	DEU	0
Ryan	Miller	43	USA	0
Cal	Mitchell	63	CAN	1
Eric	Moe	55	USA	0
Charley	Jones	52	USA	15
Julia	Moffitt	57	USA	0
Soren Hadsund	Mortensen	57	DNK	0
Rickert	Mulder	36	ZAF	0
Markus	Müller	59	AUT	0
Ryan	Mylymuk	30	CAN	0
John	McKune	48	USA	2
Steve	Nagayama	49	USA	0
Yuki	Naotori	51	JPN	0
Joseph	Smail	50	USA	0
Tomas	Nordlöf	38	SWE	0
Todd	Nott	60	USA	1
Paul	Olson	49	USA	0
Elizabeth	Omodt	47	USA	0
Jon	Paradowski	47	CAN	0
Yury	Park	41	USA	0
Bryon	Paulazzo	34	USA	0
Dave	Payne	62	USA	0
Melissa	O’Connell	33	USA	0
Andy	Pearson	39	USA	1
Joel	Pennington	43	USA	0
Maxime	Petazzoni	37	USA	0
Glenn	Richardson	48	USA	0
Jamie	Rickard	44	USA	0
Abby	McKee	54	USA	1
Stacie	Riddle	44	USA	0
Angela	Ritchie	54	USA	0
Jocelyn	Rivas	27	USA	0
Riley	Robertson	34	USA	0
William	Robinson	56	USA	1
Tyler	Rogers	37	CAN	0
Cesare	Rotundo	59	USA	1
Carolina	Rubio- Macwright	42	USA	0
Andrew	Ruthenbeck	40	USA	0
Stefano	Ruzza	42	ITA	0
Wael	Sammur	61	USA	0
Philip	Sanderson	56	USA	9
Jeremy	Scanlan	41	USA	0
Mike	Schmitt	47	USA	0
Edward	Scott	30	GBR	0
Francesco	Sgarlata	35	ITA	0
William	Shaw	52	USA	0
John	Sherback	44	USA	0
Mikala	Shremshock	41	USA	0
Noah	Simcoff	36	USA	0
Shavinder	Singh	46	USA	4
Greg	Sisengrath	48	USA	0
Sarah	Slater	46	USA	0
Nate	Smith	48	USA	0
Emil	Soderlund	48	FIN	0
Matthew	Newton	42	USA	0
Brian	Miller	48	USA	3
Whitney	Solomon	42	USA	0
Flemming	Sondergaard	46	CAN	0
Kedric	Osborne	47	USA	0
Franco	Soriano	53	USA	1
Sara	Lewis	47	USA	0
Alaina	Star	35	USA	0
Alex	Staten	33	USA	0
Brian	Steinberg	45	USA	1
Auston	Sterling	31	USA	0
Bryan	Stevens	46	USA	0
Jonathan	Strong	41	GBR	0
Scott	Struck	58	USA	0
Jonathan	Tanner	37	USA	1
Andrew	Taylor	40	USA	1
David Ernest	Taylor	63	AUS	0
Randy	Taylor	42	USA	0
Shimpei	Oishi	34	JPN	0
Catherine	Tetreault	56	CAN	0
Mathias	Thenaisie	34	FRA	0
Jonathan	Throne	37	USA	0
John	Tidd	60	ESP	2
Adam	Tremblay	47	CAN	0
Tony	Trundley	58	GBR	0
Robin	Ucelli	43	FRA	0
Matthew	Urbanski	43	USA	1
Jana	Veliskova	39	CZE	0
Devin	Vennard	31	USA	0
Carol	Villegas	48	USA	0
Jonathan	Walker	55	GBR	0
Mike	Wallin	40	USA	0
Chelsea	Ward-Waller	34	USA	0
Brant	Warner	46	USA	0
Erich	Washausen	34	USA	0
Shingo	Watanabe	40	JPN	0
Bryan	Weathers	44	USA	0
Henrik	Westerlin	49	CHE	1
Madeline	Wighardt	23	CAN	0
Brent	Williams	42	USA	0
Sarah Kirsty	Williams	50	GBR	1
Rebekah	Winter	35	USA	0
Jay	Wnuk	56	USA	0
Lyndsey	Yang	43	USA	0
Kevin	Young	48	USA	0
Teonna	Zaragoza	36	USA	0
Josh	Amato	50	USA	0
David	Kung	52	USA	0
Lisa	McFadden	50	USA	1
Slawomir	Michalak	56	POL	0
Nobuyasu	Tajime	41	JPN	0
Randy	Troyer	59	USA	1
Martin	Urbanik	47	SVK	0
Stefanie	Bernosky	42	USA	0
Kashing	Cheung	44	HKG	0
Katherine	Webb	34	USA	0
Luke	Matjas	49	USA	0
Gaël	Ninot	46	FRA	0
Juan	Parra	58	USA	1
Jeff	McLaughlin	41	USA	0
Johan	Edenteg	47	SWE	0
Yuki	Ohama	41	JPN	0
Hans	Van Horn	40	USA	0
Francisco	Porto	50	BRA	0
Shawn	McDermott	44	USA	0
Hian Lim	Soh	58	MYS	0
Wendy	Clark	53	USA	0
Eric	Thorne	52	USA	0
Mica	Anderson	31	USA	0
Christian	Landresse	54	LUX	0
Tj	David	37	USA	0
John	Baughman	47	USA	0
Jesse	Peragine	35	USA	0
Yong Chuang	Chen	51	CAN	0
Edd	Ligsay	64	USA	0
Ryan	Thrower	37	USA	0
Jason	Midlock	40	USA	0
Jeffrey	Adams	46	USA	0
Drew	Dinan	44	USA	0
Andrew	Barrett	57	USA	1