Molly Seidel is officially golden.
The Olympic marathon bronze medalist punched her ticket to the 2026 Western States 100 on Saturday, finishing fourth in her 100K debut at the Black Canyon 100K in Arizona, one of the most competitive trail races in North America.
Seidel covered the rugged 62-mile course in 8:25:13, earning one of the race’s coveted Golden Ticket spots and continuing what is quickly becoming a very serious trail-running era.
Not bad for someone who’s still technically “new” to all of this.
Black Canyon, which has become a major early-season battleground for elite ultrarunners, was stacked on both the men’s and women’s sides. More than 900 runners lined up at the start in Mayer, Arizona, at 7:00 a.m. local time, taking on a point-to-point route that features 7,000 feet of elevation gain, with most of the climbing packed into a brutal second half.
And this year, the racing didn’t just live up to the hype — it blew it up.
A Women’s Race That Turned Into a Record-Breaking Shootout
The women’s race played out like a who’s-who of the current ultrarunning scene. Seidel was up against a loaded group that included course record holder Riley Brady, 50-mile world record holder Anne Flower, and Javelina course record holder Tara Dower, along with Western States champion Abby Hall.
Seidel stayed right in the mix early, even moving into the lead at the Bumble Bee aid station at mile 19, where she passed through in 2:09, running well under course record pace.
But the real move came from Jennifer Lichter, who hit the accelerator after halfway and never let the race come back to her. Lichter won in 7:57:05, smashing the course record and becoming the first woman in race history to break eight hours.
Flower made it interesting all the way to the finish, taking second in 7:58:15, just 70 seconds back. Dower finished third in 8:11:46, giving the race a full women’s podium under the previous course record.
Seidel held on for fourth in 8:25:13, with Abby Hall close behind in fifth at 8:27:50.
That fourth-place finish turned out to be the key result of the day — because Dower was already entered for Western States, Seidel moved into Golden Ticket position.
So yes, Molly Seidel is officially headed to Western States.
What the Golden Ticket Actually Means
Black Canyon is considered a “super” Golden Ticket race, meaning it awards three automatic entries to Western States for both men and women. With Western States being the sport’s most iconic 100-miler — and one of the hardest races in the world to get into — those spots are about as valuable as it gets in ultrarunning.
In the women’s race, the Golden Tickets went to Jennifer Lichter, Anne Flower, and Molly Seidel.
It also helps explain why Black Canyon has turned into such a frenzy in recent years: it’s not just a fast race, it’s a gateway race.
Seidel’s Trail Era Is Starting to Look Very Good
Seidel’s result is a big deal, not just because she finished fourth, but because she did it in her first-ever 100K and against one of the deepest women’s fields Black Canyon has ever seen.
For context: this is the same Seidel who has spent the past few years battling injuries and setbacks on the roads after her breakthrough Olympic bronze medal in 2021. Now she’s two races into her ultratrail experiment — and she’s already got a win at Bandera, a top-four at Black Canyon, and a Western States ticket in her pocket.
There’s a long runway between 100K success and thriving in a 100-mile race, but Seidel now has the one thing every Western States hopeful needs first: a place on the start line.
And if she keeps adapting this quickly, she won’t just be there to participate.
