8 Things I learned from watching the Western States Endurance Run 2023
And why I will come back one day
Get off the phone!
What. A. Thrill. When the Western States 100 live stream kicked off this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. (CET). I was actually on my way to the Bavarian woods. My plan was to go for a run and then see Parkway Drive, Comeback Kid and Lorna Shore at night. Well, I did, but I kept checking my iPhone at least 5 times every hour, even holding it in my hand, while bands were playing. I just didn’t want to miss once single bit of this epic event.
In addition to this, my friend Mat Grills ran the Lavaredo Ultra Trail and crossed the finish line the very moment his countrymen of Parkway Drive went on stage. He fought through an incredibly hard day, but brought it to an end, like a true hero.
Oh yes, and then there was this crazy "almost rebellion" in Russia, which tied me to various news channels, hoping that the terrible war against Ukraine might undergo a little plot twist. Unfortunately, it didn’t.
On my way back home, it was a 1.5h drive, I listened to the audio of the Western States live stream in my car and the first thing I did in the morning was to check the live results.
I guess most of you, who are familiar with Western States 100, already know every single detail and followed the live stream yourself. That’s why I won’t dig into the dramatic course of the race. You can and should look that all up on the internet.
And if you missed out on Western States completely this weekend, the live streams are available for replay. I suggest you get yourself a 30-hour appointment sometime next week, and pretend that the race hasn’t already taking place.
Flashbacks
Watching Western States, one year after I ran it myself, was a very emotional experience for me. Although the shadow the race cast ahead during the past months proposed that it would be a entirely different event than in 2022, I still deeply connected with it.
There’s been memories of my own Western States race that just popped up out of nowhere. Even though I had already thoroughly grazed my brain cells over and over again, and written down everything that came to my mind for my book, there seemed to have been some dormant triggers pulled and sparks ignited yesterday. A great new inspiration to do some minor (and major?) edits to "Runhundred", of which I had believed, is already complete.
However, since the Das Z Letter is about sharing, I wrote a quick and dirty takeaway list from 2023’s Western States Endurance Run. Enjoy.
8 Things I learned from watching the Western States Endurance Run 2023
1. You gotta love the live stream
WSER is the most important event in our sport, with thousands of people watching from all over the world. But medially also the most quirky one. In a very lovable way, though.
It already started with some really weird pre-race interview situations (and statements, for that matter), sound problems (one interference almost made me deaf) and an occasional freeze-frame. Once the race was on, there was a slight time shift, so that no one watching the live stream could see the actual countdown and start. And after the first climb up to the Escarpment the occasional live footage got really stuck and shaky.
But hey, as mentioned in my last Das Z Letter, no one expected it to be as slick and seamless as the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships a couple of weeks ago. It made it even more fun to watch, and shoutouts go out to Corrine Malcolm and Dylan Bowman for holding out for so long.
2. True icons
WSER clearly erases the gender gap in our sport. When we look at the top finishers, both male and female, we are speaking of absolute icons of ultra-running here. True champions, running this racecourse in superhuman times.
Courtney Dauwalter finished 6th overall in a record-breaking time of 15:29h. To be clear, she was only 25 minutes off the overall top 3. That’s just insanely fast!
But also, Katie Schide’s time of 16:43h and Eszter Csillag’s incredible 17:09h were faster than 99% of male elite runners on this planet.
However, this was no stroke of luck. In 2021, for example, there’s been even 3 female athletes in the overall top 10. I don’t see an end to this and can’t wait for the first year when we see a female runner as the overall winner of the race.
3. Small mistakes, large bill
The WSER racecourse is incredibly hard to get right. Each year, the 100.2 miles between Olympic Valley and Auburn throw a whole new set of different challenges at the participants. From extreme heat to piles of snow, puddles turn to raging creeks and previously runnable terrain gets insurmountable.
And even if the conditions are rather typical, it is so hard to figure out a proper pacing plan and race strategy. High altitude, a net downhill course, short but extremely steep climbs, Mars like conditions in the canyons, and very long highly runnable sections trick the runners into their first minor mistakes, often already very early in the race, while they pay for them dearly later on.
To come to the point: everybody has a plan when they show up at the start line. And everybody gets punched in the face before they reach the finish. If they reach the finish. In bad years, such as 2006 or 2009, the finish rate can as low as 53% or 59%. And we are speaking of a race with an extremely high number of professional athletes participating every year.
4. The Crew is me, The Crew is you
WSER is the Super Bowl of crewing. If you want to see a bunch of friends, family members and coaches absolutely being on fire for a whole day, just go to Western States. The racecourse and its idiosyncrasies put the runners’ crews into an absolute key role. I would even say that the crews are the most decisive factor, right after how fit the runner is and how smart she races.
On the other hand, crewing at Western States is like a big, out of control, camping trip. You have to carry tons and tons of food and gear up and down dusty trail roads, or hop on an overcrowded bus to even get to the aid station. However, everyone is extremely nice and helpful. The atmosphere among the crews is super kind.
If you ever get asked by someone if you want to crew them at Western States, it means 2 things. That they trust you a lot and that you will have to work almost as hard as your runner on race day. However, there’s only one smart answer to this request.
5. You have to cross the river
The Rucky Chucky river crossing is a real lucky bag. Every. Year. Situated at Mile 78 this is a crucial and also very iconic part of the racecourse.
You have to cross the American River to enter the last stretch of the route. You do this either in a boat, by foot, with a life vest, without a life vest, on a rope, in ankle deep shallow water, or a hip high powerful stream, almost carrying you away.
When you arrive at Rucky Chucky during the day, it’s one of the hottest parts of the course and a welcome cool off. If you arrive there at night, it can be really chill and disturbing to dip into the river with shaky legs, not seeing what’s going on.
But one thing all runners have in common: You have to get to the other side. One way or the other.
6. Running beautifully
Many runners can run 100 miles. But WSER distills those, who can do it in the most beautiful way. There were many athletes to watch, but for me, Courtney Dauwalter and Tyler Green delivered an unparalleled race performance that was pure eye candy to watch. Such a grace. So. Beautiful.
7. Coming Back
WSER is magnetic. Everyone who has ever been there, wants to come back. And there’s a reason for that. I can’t think of any other foot race on this planet with a similar vibe. Some reasons for this are easy to explain. Such as that it is very small, but also very big. Or that everyone involved in one big, loving family. Or the breathtakingly beautiful nature the course runs through.
But there are also some things that cannot be explained or put into words. Western States does something to your soul. Something wonderful. Something that will be with you forever.
That’s why we are coming back. Yes, some day, we are coming back.
8. The Golden Hour
WSER is over when it’s over. As I write these lines, people are still on the racecourse. Struggling. Abandoning themselves. Coming back. Finding new strength. And then bringing it to an end.
The race has a strict 30 hour cut-off time. Only if you reach Auburn in under 30 hours, you can call yourself a Western States finisher.
It is a beautiful coincidence that the so-called "Golden Hour" of Western States is happening right now. I have the live stream running and to be honest, I shed the odd tear.
Everyone, who crosses the finish line with a time of 29:00 - 29:59h is celebrated by the crowd in an extraordinary way. This last hour reveals the very best of our sport. And also of us humans.
Everything not Running
There is no “Everything not Running” today. I unintentionally killed myself on a training run today and my head is glowing like a light bulp. I’ll record the Sprachnachricht and then call it a day. However, all this needed to get out of my system and it feels awesome to have put my thoughts and emotions to paper.
Just minutes after I sent out this Das Z Letter, Lucy Bartholomew's dad Ash missed the cut off time by only two minutes. However, he entered the track for his final round and has been celebrated by the crowd like a superhero! So sad. So beautiful. So inspiring.