Canadians at Western States 2019

This weekend is the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run (WSER), and there are 14 Canadians entered. The legendary Canadian and UK citizen Ellie Greenwood still holds the female course record of 16:47:19 set in 2012. Last year, Jim Walmsley set a new male course record in 14:30:04. The race is known for its hot temperatures and extreme elevation change of 5,513 metres of ascent, and 7,000 metres of descent.

Race officials have been working hard to remove the significant amount of snow on course. Still, many have been heat training to prepare for this year’s race. The race gets underway at 5 a.m. PT on Saturday June 29. The live stream can be found here.

RELATED: Christmas came early for these Canadians

Kathryn Drew

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxSN7peBOtQ/

Drew from Vancouver earned her Golden Ticket by winning Canyons 100K. She also just returned from representing Canada at the Trail World Championships this June in Portugal. She has had an incredible last few years, and is one to watch in the 2019 race.

Kim Magnus

Also from Vancouver, Magnus secured her Golden Ticket racing to second place at Canyons 100K behind Drew. She joined Drew at the World Championships earlier this month. Magnus the mountain goat will also be one to watch at the 2019 race.

Cedric Chavanne

In 2017, Chavanne placed second at the UTMA La Grande Traverse 165K run in Quebec. In 2018 he raced to fourth at the Quebec Mega Trail 100K. This will be Chavanne’s first WSER.

Nathaniel Couture

Couture is a New Brunswick runner who has shared much of his training on his blog. He writes, “I’d like to be under 20 hours, but that will require me to manage the heat well, and historically that has not been my strong suit, so I think I’ll start slow and keep it that way and see if I can get to Foresthill feeling good enough to make up some ground in the final 60K.” Couture beat all odds this year as he was picked for both Hardrock and Western States lotteries. Now that Hardrock has been cancelled, he’s focused on Western States.

Ted Croll

Croll of Edmonton, Alta. most recently finished Canyons 100K in 17:12:04 and is running his first Western States this weekend.

Andre Erlank

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ9SWEOBDRU/

Rod Giacchetta

Although this will be Giacchetta’s first WSER, he has run over half a dozen 100-milers.

Matthew Goulden

WSER will be Goulden’s third official 100-miler.

RELATED: Jim Walmsley’s Strava stats from Western States

Nicolas Guayasamin

This is Guayasamin’s third official 100-miler, but his first WSER.

Dawn Hamel

Hamel is a former Canadian age group record-holder in the half-marathon. In 2016, she placed second at the Sulphur Springs 50-miler in Ontario and ninth at Tunnel Hill 100-miler.

Adrian Harvey

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfv5dfylhg1/

Harvey took third at Edmonton’s Black Foot 50-mile in May 2019. He also took third at the 2015 125K Canadian Death Race. 

Simon Marcil

The lucky Marcil from Montreal was entered from the waitlist in March 2019. He will be running WSER as his second 100-miler. He placed seventh in 2018 at his first 100 at the 2018 Canadian Bromont Ultra 100-mile run.

Carsten Meyer-Jacob

Meyer-Jacob won the Naked Prussian 50-miler in May of this year, and this will be his first WSER.

Alissa St. Laurent

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByHHX5LndSZ/

St. Laurent was the sixth-place female at UTMB in 2017. Before running UTMB that year she had DNF’d at Western States. It won’t be St. Laurent’s first day at WSER this year, as she finished in the top five in 2016.

We look forward to seeing these Canadians in Squaw this weekend.