Western States 100 Course and Elevation Profile
From Olympic Valley to Auburn
The race starts at 6,200 feet in Olympic Valley and climbs 2,550 vertical feet in the first 4.5 miles to Emigrant Pass, the course’s highest point at 8,750 feet. From there, runners cross the Granite Chief Wilderness, descend into the hot canyons of California Gold Country, cross the Middle Fork of the American River, and finish at Placer High School in Auburn.
After the high country, the course passes Robinson Flat before reaching the major canyon climbs around Devil’s Thumb and Michigan Bluff. Runners arrive at Foresthill at mile 62, descend toward the river crossing at Rucky Chucky around mile 78, and then begin the final section toward Auburn. Long descents, exposed canyon heat, and repeated late-race climbs make controlled early pacing essential.
Elevation Gain, Descents and Changing Conditions
The course gains approximately 18,090 feet and descends 22,970 feet. After the steep opening climb to Emigrant Pass, runners face repeated canyon descents and climbs before a predominantly downhill, but still demanding, final approach to Auburn. Training should prepare the quadriceps for prolonged descending as well as the legs and cardiovascular system for sustained climbing.
A race-specific 100-mile training plan should include long runs on comparable terrain, accumulated climbing, controlled downhill work, time on feet, heat exposure, and practice moving efficiently after dark. The goal is not to reproduce 100 miles in training. It is to arrive with enough durability that your pacing, fueling, and decision-making still work late in the race.
How to Qualify and Enter Western States 100
Most runners enter Western States through the lottery. Applicants must complete an approved qualifying race within the published qualifying window, and the result must be available online when they apply. A race that does not appear on the official qualifier list cannot be used, and virtual events do not count.
Automatic entry routes include categories such as prior-year top finishers and Golden Ticket winners, but automatic entrants must still satisfy the race’s current qualifier and registration rules. Because the qualifying window, lottery dates, entry fee, and approved races change, confirm the current requirements on the official entry-process page and qualifying-races list before planning your attempt.
Western States 100 Aid Stations and Race Logistics
How to Use Aid Stations Effectively
Western States has 20 aid stations, including 10 major medical checkpoints. The stations carry water, sports drink, soft drinks, gels, fruit, potatoes, salty foods, sweets, sandwiches, and other options, with hot drinks and soup available at several nighttime locations. The race is cupless, so every runner needs a personal cup or another reliable way to drink at stations.
Treat each station as a short execution point rather than an unplanned rest. Before arriving, decide what you need: refill fluids, collect calories, cool down, adjust clothing, address a foot issue, or pick up equipment. If you use a crew, give them a simple written plan with priorities and acceptable substitutes. A clear routine reduces standing time and makes it easier to notice problems before they become race-ending.
- Robinson Flat, mile 30.3: an early major checkpoint after the high country.
- Michigan Bluff, mile 55.7: crew access is available by shuttle; runners leaving after 8 p.m. may use a pacer.
- Foresthill, mile 62: a major crew and pacer access point before the long descent toward the river.
- Rucky Chucky, mile 78: the Middle Fork river crossing and a useful reset before the final 22 miles.
- Placer High School, mile 100.2: the finish in Auburn.
Race-Day Timing and Pacing
The race starts at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday, and runners must finish by 10:59:59 a.m. Sunday to earn an official finish. Aid-station cutoffs are deadlines for leaving the station, not suggested pacing targets. If your plan keeps you close to early cutoffs, one small delay can create a difficult chase for the rest of the race.
Build a conservative split range rather than a single perfect schedule. Account for slower movement in the canyons, longer stops later in the race, and the likelihood that heat will change your effort. Vert’s trail race time predictor can provide a starting estimate, but your final plan should reflect the Western States course, your heat response, and your practiced aid-station routine.
Western States 100 Fueling and Hydration
Build and Test Your Fueling Plan
Your race plan should specify an hourly range for carbohydrate, fluids, and sodium that you have already tested during long runs. Use foods and drink mixes that remain palatable in heat, and identify alternatives for the hours when gels or sweet flavors become difficult. The best plan is not the most complicated one. It is the plan you can keep following when you are tired, hot, and moving more slowly than expected.
Use Vert’s ultramarathon nutrition planner to estimate a starting range for calories, carbohydrate, sodium, and fluid. Then test it during long runs that include heat, climbing, and several hours at race effort. Record what you consumed, how your stomach responded, and whether your energy remained stable. Adjust from evidence instead of trying a new strategy during race week.
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TRAIN FOR YOUR 100-MILER
Follow a coach-built trail and ultramarathon plan, adapt the work to your schedule, and start with a 7-day free trial.
Hydration, Sodium and Canyon Heat
Fluid needs can change sharply between the cool high country and the exposed canyons. Start the race with a plan, but adjust it using thirst, temperature, pace, urine output, stomach comfort, and your known sweat response. Both underdrinking and excessive fluid intake can create serious problems, so avoid forcing a fixed volume that no longer matches conditions.
Use aid stations to refill before exposed sections and to cool the body when conditions justify it. Keep sodium intake consistent with the products and amounts you tested in training, and remember that sodium does not compensate for drinking far beyond your needs. If nausea, confusion, swelling, dizziness, or an inability to keep fluids down develops, slow down and use the race’s medical support.
How to Train for the Western States 100 Course
Train for Technical Trails and Long Descents
Western States rewards runners who can move smoothly across changing terrain without spending unnecessary energy. Practice hiking steep grades, running moderate climbs when appropriate, and descending with short, controlled steps. Downhill sessions should progress gradually because the muscular damage from descending can interrupt training if the volume increases too quickly.
A useful progression starts with short downhill repetitions on stable terrain, then extends to longer continuous descents and race-specific long runs. Include technical footing when you can, but do not confuse risk with specificity. The objective is to improve control, confidence, and durability, not to create avoidable falls or soreness.
Prepare for 18,000 Feet of Climbing
Build climbing capacity through a mix of sustained uphill running, purposeful hiking, and accumulated vertical gain. Practice switching between running and hiking before fatigue forces the decision. Efficient hiking is a race skill, particularly on steep grades where running costs more energy without producing much additional speed.
Strength work should support durability rather than compete with key running sessions. Prioritize calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, trunk control, and single-leg stability. Vert’s strength training for runners guide provides a practical starting point. Reduce heavy strength load as race day approaches so the final weeks emphasize freshness.
Heat Training and Changing Weather
The high country can be cool while the canyons become extremely hot, so prepare for both ends of the range. A structured heat-training protocol can improve tolerance, but it should be introduced gradually and early enough to recover before race week. Monitor the added stress and reduce other training load when heat exposure makes sessions harder.
Practice the cooling actions you expect to use, such as wetting a hat or sleeves, carrying enough fluid between stations, and reducing effort before overheating becomes severe. Also prepare a cold-weather layer and dry nighttime items in drop bags. Western States is known for heat, but high-country and overnight conditions can still punish a runner who planned for only one temperature.
Mental Preparation for Western States
Managing Low Points During 100 Miles
Mental preparation works best when it is specific. Identify the situations most likely to disrupt your race: nausea, unexpected heat, missed calories, sore quadriceps, darkness, a slow section, or seeing a target split disappear. For each one, write a simple response that starts with slowing down, checking the basics, and making one useful decision.
Break the course into manageable sections instead of carrying the full distance in your head. During a low point, focus on reaching the next station while eating, drinking, cooling, and moving at a sustainable effort. Do not make a major decision at the exact moment you feel worst unless a medical issue or race official requires it. Many low points improve after the underlying problem is addressed.
Working With Pacers, Crew and Volunteers
Pacers may generally join at Foresthill, mile 62, with a limited exception for runners leaving Michigan Bluff after 8 p.m. Pacer changes are allowed only at designated locations, and crews may assist only where the current rules permit. Review the official crew and pacer instructions together before race week because the runner is responsible for their team’s actions.
Give your crew and pacer a short plan that covers priorities, likely problems, and what they should say when you are struggling. Their job is to simplify decisions and help you continue executing, not to introduce a new strategy halfway through the race. At aid stations, listen to volunteers and medical staff. Their course knowledge and ability to spot problems are part of the support that makes Western States distinctive.
Western States 100 Gear Checklist
Final gear choices depend on the forecast, your pace, and your crew and drop-bag plan. Nothing on race day should be untested. Use the same shoes, pack, bottles, lighting, anti-chafe products, and clothing system during training.
- Trail shoes tested on long descents, plus spare shoes only if you know why and where you may change them.
- Hydration pack, vest, or bottles with enough capacity for the longest and hottest gaps between stations.
- Reusable cup, because Western States is a cupless race.
- Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and cooling items appropriate for exposed canyon heat.
- Headlamp with tested batteries, plus a backup light or battery plan for nighttime running.
- Light layer for the high country or overnight hours, based on the latest forecast.
- Foot-care and anti-chafe items you know how to use quickly.
- Clearly labeled drop bags containing only items with a defined purpose.
Western States 100 Race-Week and Race-Day Planning
Final Race-Week Preparation
For 2026, runner registration and drop-bag delivery take place Friday, June 26, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Olympic Valley, and the mandatory race meeting begins at 2:00 p.m. The race starts Saturday, June 27, at 5:00 a.m. Check the official race-week agenda again shortly before traveling because schedules and instructions can change.
Use the final days to reduce uncertainty, not to chase fitness. Confirm transportation, crew access, pacer handoffs, drop-bag contents, forecast, lighting, and the first hours of your fueling plan. Keep running light, maintain normal eating and hydration habits, and protect sleep where possible. Avoid new gear, aggressive heat sessions, and last-minute training tests.
Start Conservatively and Follow Your Plan
The opening climb creates immediate excitement, but the race will not be decided at Emigrant Pass. Keep the effort controlled, let faster runners go, and protect the legs during early descents. Your pacing should feel almost too easy while the temperature is low and the field is together.
As conditions change, manage effort rather than defending a fixed pace. Slow before the heat forces you to, hike climbs with purpose, and keep aid-station stops focused. A strong Western States race is usually built through hundreds of ordinary decisions made before they become emergencies.
Recovery After the Race
Immediately after finishing, prioritize fluids, food you can tolerate, dry clothing, and medical attention for anything beyond normal fatigue. Expect soreness, disrupted sleep, appetite changes, and low energy during the first several days. Easy walking may help, but there is no benefit in forcing a quick return to running.
Wait until normal movement, sleep, appetite, and motivation begin returning before adding structured exercise. The muscular and systemic cost of 100 miles lasts longer than the visible soreness. Review the race while the details are fresh, but delay major training decisions until recovery is established.
What Makes Western States 100 Unique
First held as a footrace in 1974, Western States is widely recognized as the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race. Its identity comes from more than history: the route connects Sierra high country, remote canyons, the American River, and the finish on the Placer High School track. A field limited by the trail and permit, supported by more than 1,500 volunteers, gives the event a scale and atmosphere unlike a large road race.
The race’s traditional awards also shape its culture. Runners finishing under 24 hours earn a silver belt buckle, while official finishers under 30 hours earn a bronze buckle. Whatever the finish time, the central challenge remains the same: move intelligently through changing terrain and temperature while continuing to fuel, solve problems, and respect the course.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Western States 100?
Western States is a 100.2-mile trail ultramarathon from Olympic Valley to Auburn, California. First held as a footrace in 1974, it is widely recognized as the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race.
How much elevation gain does Western States 100 have?
The course gains approximately 18,090 feet and descends 22,970 feet before finishing at Placer High School in Auburn.
How should runners train for Western States 100?
Training should prepare runners for sustained climbing, long descents, canyon heat, technical trail, nighttime movement, fueling, aid-station execution, and late-race pacing after many hours on feet.
How do runners get into Western States 100?
Most runners enter through the lottery after completing an approved qualifying race within the published window. Automatic entrants must also meet current qualification and registration rules.
When is the 2026 Western States 100?
The 2026 Western States 100 starts at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, and the official finishing deadline is 10:59:59 a.m. on Sunday, June 28.
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