Ultramarathoner Breaks Western States 100 Race Record by Over an Hour
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Every June, ultramarathon runners from around the globe gather in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains for the Western States Endurance Run, the world's oldest 100-mile race. The race rises 18,000 and descends 23,000 feet through 100.2 miles of trail running, all completed in one day. This year, professional ultramarathoner Courtney Dauwalter blew the previous women's record for the race out of the water.
The Colorado-based athlete finished the race in 15 hours, 29 minutes, and 24 seconds. In doing so, she demolished the record set by British runner Ellie Greenwood in 2012, who crossed the finish line in 16 hours, 47 minutes, and 19 seconds. In total, Dauwalter shaved nearly 80 minutes off Greenwood's time.
Greenwood wished Dauwalter her most sincere kudos for the feat. "Records are made to be broken," she tweeted on Sunday. "Honored that this record goes to someone so talented, so deserving, and who runs with so much JOY! Congrats, Courtney!"
Records are made to be broken. Honoured that this record goes to someone so talented, so deserving and who runs with so much JOY! Congrats, Courtney! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ https://t.co/bg88M4WRso
— Ellie Greenwood (@eLLiejG) June 25, 2023
It goes without saying that it was no easy feat. However, cooler weather helped all the runners out over the weekend and propelled Dauwalter to victory. It was her second time taking the Western States 100 crown, completing in the 2018 race in 17 hours and 27 minutes.
After the race, the 38-year-old reflected on the long and grueling journey to the finish line at a high school track in Auburn, California. "[I] kept asking [my legs] to do one more mile for me, and they kept responding. So, I was very thankful for that," she told iRunFar. "I was definitely, though, deep in the pain cave, and really focused on every single step, every single second."
As for her new record, Dauwalter admitted she doesn't want to be the titleholder forever. "I hope that plenty of women can come out and crush that time. I would love to see it keep moving down," she said honestly. "I’m so thankful for Ellie’s time, and for, you know, how it elevated all of us for the past 11 years to believe that it was possible, and if we kept pushing ourselves and working hard, maybe we could, you know, get near her very impressive time. Thank you, Ellie."
For now, Dauwalter is recovering before her next big race: the Hardrock 100 in her home state of Colorado next month.
