My Western States 2024 Moments
Still a Race Like No Other
What a race!
I can hardly believe what I witnessed last weekend. Western States has delivered.
I'll leave the detailed race reports about who won when, how fast, against whom and why to the lovely people at irunfar.com (English) and alles-laufbar.de (German). Yes, the elite race was undoubtedly as exciting as it rarely is, but for me, it is just one of many facets that make the Western States 100 so special.
My Western States Moments
For me, there were two things that pushed me over the edge this year.
Visual Attractions
One was the images. Images from cameras. Western States leveled up its coverage game and, for the first time since its inception, came up with stunning drone shots and live video footage from the heart of the action, captured by camera runners.
My initial reaction to this was rather negative. I was worried that this kind of detailed coverage would demystify the race too much. Or even worse, that it would give wrong impressions. After all, you can't capture the static heat in the canyons or the feeling of getting ice cubes on your neck with a camera.
However, I quickly changed my mind as more and more breathtakingly beautiful shots of various points of the race emerged, which immediately swept me away and took me back to my own Western States race in 2022. We spectators were able to immerse ourselves in the hustle and bustle of even the most remote aid stations, a camera showed the runners coming in after their grueling climb up Devil's Thumb, and every time No Hand's Bridge was shown in the flyover, I was almost in tears. For me, along with High Country and Placer High School, it's my all-time favorite place in the Western State.
Looking back, I am glad that the Western States team gave so many people visual access to this special race. I've heard from many friends that they now have a much better idea of what it's like and why the race is so special to so many people. That is wonderful!
The Golden Hour
The second thing that really hit me hard this year at Western States was the Golden Hour. It was a little predictable because every year the Golden Hour is the most heartbreaking hour of the whole race. The Golden Hour is the last hour before the unmissable 30-hour cut-off mark. All runners who cross the finish line in those 60 minutes are celebrated by the spectators on the ground and in front of the TV screens, even more than the elite who crossed the finish line 15 hours earlier.
This year, blind runner Will Barkan (bib #83) captured the hearts of the running world. He missed his big goal of becoming the first visually impaired finisher of the Western States Endurance Run by just 30 seconds, but in the end, it didn't matter. What mattered was that he ran 100 freaking miles in 30 hours, and his great achievement created another unforgettable moment in Western States history. It will last forever.
What stays
Just like last year's race, or whenever I get emotionally immersed in Western States, I realize again that I have to come back to this place. And I will.
Thank you, Western States!
You are one of a kind.