Western States 100-mile countdown
Western States 100-mile Endurance run starts tomorrow, and here is how to watch
It’s Western States-mas in Squaw Valley, California. The 46th annual Western States 100-mile Endurance Run (WSER) is the oldest 100-mile event in the world. The race starts Saturday June 29 at 5 a.m. PT, running from Squaw Valley to Auburn, with 5,513 metres of ascent and 7,000 metres of descent. The scene in Squaw is an ultra-celebration of endurance and perseverance.
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100-miles is long, but so is the history of the iconic WSER. On Thursday, WSER founders Mo Livermore and Tony Rossmann hosted the annual Trek to Emigrant Pass. The ultrarunning community gathered at the start line to walk or ride the tram to the summit, which is the first four miles of the race. At the top, organizers shared WSER history while honouring the community members who had contributed to the event and recently passed away. On Friday, Altra Running hosted the 6K race from the start line arch.
Mo Livermore sharing WSER history at the top of Squaw Valley
In the meantime, racers are picking up their bibs, preparing their drop bags, and shaking out the legs one last time. All the while, crew, pacers, volunteers, organizers, media, and spectators are embracing the festivities and feeling the inspiration in the Village at Squaw Valley. The women’s and men’s fields are stacked, as Courtney Dauwalter and Jim Walmsley race to defend their 2018 winning titles.
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The significant amount of snow on course may or may not be an advantage for the Canadians running WSER this year. Elite Canadian runners are Kathryn Drew, Kim Magnus, and Alissa St-Laurent. Drew and Magnus are excited to toe the line for their first WSER after earning a Golden Ticket at Canyons 100K in April. St-Laurent is keen to race her fourth WSER.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzN8pEfHqhy/
Be sure to follow along the Canadian Trail Running Twitter and Canadian Trail Running Instagram for race updates. Drew is bib number 37, Magnus is number 38, and St-Laurent is number 327. Follow along here for live tracking of the race. WSER Finish line feed can be found here.
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