Western States 2025: who will win?

It’s nearly go time in Olympic Valley, Calif., and this year’s Western States Endurance Run (WSER) has all the makings of a classic. After a wild lead-up packed with withdrawals, shakeups and surprise entries, the stage is set for a race that could rewrite the record books, or throw down something no one expects.

Men’s race: Kilian is back (but he has his work cut out for him)

Spain’s Kilian Jornet won Western States in 2011. He hasn’t returned—until now. In the years between, he’s built arguably the greatest resume possible in trail and mountain running races and FKTs. But this race has changed in the past 14 years, and has become faster, hotter and with a much deeper field. Jornet has also grown and expanded his athletic ability, and has trained specifically for this—on flatter terrain, in heat chambers, even wearing waterproof layers indoors to simulate the California canyons.

Will Kilian Jornet be crowned king of Western States 100?

But so are the ridiculously fast, experienced men lining up alongside him. Montana’s Adam Peterman, the 2022 dark horse champion, looks fit again after time off for injury and is one of Jornet’s biggest threats. Last year’s runner-up, Rod Farvard from California, showed he can stay in the mix all day long. Farvard won our hearts with a leave-it-all-out-there charge to the finish last year, narrowly out-kicking fellow contender Hayden Hawks, who was forced to drop from this year’s mix due to injury.

French runner Vincent Bouillard, who stormed onto the scene with a surprise win at UTMB last year, is another to watch. He earned his spot at Chianti by UTMB this spring and hasn’t let off the gas since. And David Roche, the Colorado-based coach and athlete, has made no secret of his hopes of standing atop the podium, after an unbelievable season that included wins at Leadville 100 (where he also broke a 19-year-old course record) and Javelina 100.

Women’s race: eyes on Canada’s Marianne Hogan

With defending champ Katie Schide out and no former winners lining up, the women’s race is wide open—and Canada’s Marianne Hogan is right in the thick of it. Hogan, based in Montreal, has built an impressive resume, including a second-place finish at UTMB in 2022 and a third-place finish in 2024. She also took third at WSER in 2022 and knows this course. Tough, resilient and smart on pacing, she’s a serious contender for the win this year. Don’t be surprised if a Canadian flag is flying over the Placer High finish before the day is done.

 

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China’s Fu-Zhao Xiang, who finished second here in 2024 with the third-fastest women’s time in race history, returns as another favourite. So does Hungary’s Eszter Csillag, who placed third last year, and Zimbabwe’s Emily Hawgood, who has been training in Auburn and knows the course inside out. Boulder’s Riley Brady, who has charged onto podiums the last two seasons and is known for their Golden Ticket wins at Javelina and Black Canyon, also brings serious form into the weekend. Don’t forget Tara Dower from the U.S.: she bagged a ridiculous overall speed record on the Appalachian Trail last year, and has been quietly stacking strong performances.

What is Western States 100?

Often described as the Super Bowl of American ultrarunning, WSER is the oldest 100-mile trail race in the world. The course begins at Olympic Valley—site of the 1960 Winter Olympics—and climbs immediately into the high country of the Sierra Nevada. Runners cover 100.2 miles, face over 5,400m feet of elevation gain and descend more than 7,000m before reaching the iconic finish line on the track at Placer High School in Auburn.

The race is capped at 369 participants and carries a mystique that, so far, few other ultras have matched. Every year, the weather and terrain find new ways to challenge even the best.

Don’t miss golden hour

It’s easy to get caught up in the front of the race—big names, splits and records, but WSER is also about the people chasing cutoffs, not podiums. Most of the 369 runners aren’t pros: they’re regular people who’ve waited years, sometimes a decade or more, to get picked in the lottery. This year’s race features five runners (a record number) over 70, including one 80-year-old. If you only tune in once, make it during “golden hour,” when the final runners fight to reach the track before the 30-hour cutoff. (Keep a box of Kleenex handy!)

How to watch

The 2025 edition of Western States 100 will kick off on Sat., June 28 at 7:15 a.m. ET. Track your favourite runners throughout the race by clicking here, or tune in to the livestream, here.