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Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race photo

Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race photo
Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race photo
Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race photo
Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race photo
Olympic Valley
US
Jon Roig · CC BY 2.0Jon Roig · CC BY 2.0Trackinfo · CC BY-SA 4.0FartherFaster · CC BY-SA 3.0Jon Roig · CC BY 2.0
Race date in 264 days
Jun 26, 2027 Sat
City · Distance
Olympic Valley · 161km
Entry fee
Fee TBDVaries by event and entry period
2027Date Jun 26, 2027 · Entry Nov 1, 2026 ~ Nov 21, 2026
2026Date Jun 27, 2026 · Entry Nov 1, 2025 ~ Nov 21, 2025
Official website ↗
InstagramYouTube
D-day as of Oct 5, 2026
Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race photo
Jon Roig · CC BY 2.0
Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race photo
Jon Roig · CC BY 2.0
Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race photo
Trackinfo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race photo
FartherFaster · CC BY-SA 3.0
Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race photo
Jon Roig · CC BY 2.0
About the raceRunner storiesHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This is the world's oldest 100-mile trail race, covering 100.2 miles from Olympic Valley to Auburn in California's Sierra Nevada.

Only 369 runners selected in the lottery line up at start line, and the 2027 race starts at 5:00 am on Saturday, 26 June.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run runner reviews and race reports

Stories from those who ran it first.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

2 race reports
Matt UrbanskiRan in 2024 · Finish time 22:48
“My energy level was fine, my mind was fine, but I couldn't lift my left leg to run.”

Three and a half hours after the start, the runner's left hip flexor gave them trouble, so the runner switched to a walk strategy for the final stretch. With support from the crew and a pacer, the runner kept going, then walked the final 32km with a younger brother, who set out as a pacer. The runner finished in 22 hours 48 minutes, 72nd overall, within the time for the silver buckle.

Read the original on Team RunRun
Andrew TaylorRan in 2024
“The canyons of Western States are like convection ovens, heating up and staying hot for a long time.”

The runner ran comfortably as planned to Robinson Flat (48km), and their crew's help at the early aid stations made a big difference. But they fell apart in the canyons during the heat of the day, and the reduced shade from the wildfire made the heat even worse. They finally stopped at Michigan Bluff (89.6km) to protect their health.

Read the original on ShadowChase

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

LIFE IN A DAY | The Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run

Billy Yang

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run — registration routes

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Lottery

Entry cost TBD

Applications for the 2027 race lottery: 2026-11-01–21;

lottery draw: 2026-12-05.

The 75-person waitlist is also determined by lottery.

Complete a designated qualifying race within time limit (qualifying period: 2025-11-03–2026-11-08)

Organizer's page

Golden Ticket

Entry cost TBD

Automatic entry is awarded to the top finishers in each gender category at the 6 HOKA Golden Ticket races: CCC,

Javelina Jundred, Black Canyon, Tarawera, Chianti and Canyons.

The top 2–3 finishers in each gender category must accept within 2 weeks and pay Entry fee

Organizer's page

Automatic entry

Entry cost TBD

Runners eligible for automatic entry, including the previous year's top 10, receive an invitation from UltraSignup before the lottery.

Apply by 2026-12-04 and complete a qualifying race

Organizer's page

etc

Entry cost TBD

There are separate allocations of entries for aid stations, sponsors, and the paid raffle.

Check the official information for each route.

Organizer's page

Registration platform UltraSignup

Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run course map and elevation

The 161km I'll run

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 05:00
Time limit30 hours
Show more

30 hours — finish by 10:59:59 am on Sunday

EventStartTime limitField size
Ultra161.3km05:0030h369
START

Olympic Plaza start arch

Olympic Plaza, Palisades Tahoe · Olympic Valley

Start · Google Maps
FINISH

Placer High School track

Placer High School, 275 Orange St · Auburn

Finish · Google Maps

Cut-off
48.8km 14:10 · 99.8km 23:45 · 125.5km 05:00 · 161.3km 11:00

Show more

Runners start · local time — — mass start for all runners (Saturday)

The race began in 1974, when Gordy Ainsleigh completed the Tevis Cup horse race on foot in under 24 hours.

It became an official race in 1977, and course still follows the mountain trails used by 19th-century miners.

The start is at the base of Palisades Tahoe resort in Olympic Valley, at 1,890m.

The course climbs 777m in its first 7km to reach Emigrant Pass at 2,667m,

then crosses the high country along the ridgeline before reaching Robinson Flat at 48.8km.

The real race begins in the canyons.

The midday heat gets trapped in the canyons, with little shade;

race reports describe it as being like a convection oven.

From Foresthill at 99.8km, you can run with pacer, and at Rucky Chucky at 125.5km, you cross the American River holding onto a guide rope.

In high-water years, the river is crossed by boat.

Total climbing exceeds 5,500m, with 7,000m of descent.

The finish is on the track at Placer High School in downtown Auburn.

Finish within 30 hours and you receive a bronze buckle;

finish within 24 hours and you receive a silver buckle.

Because the U.S. Forest Service permit limits the field to 369 starters, earning a place is itself a goal for trail runners around the world.

Elevation gain
5500 m
Field size
369 runners (U.S. Forest Service permit limit)
Typical race-season temperature: around 16°C (60°F)
Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers
Aid stations
20 aid stations, including 10 medical checkpoints
First held
1974

Participant benefits

Silver buckle for finishing within 24 hours · bronze buckle for finishing within 30 hours · awards ceremony Sunday at 12:30 at Placer High School track

From the most recent edition

Aid stations 2026

Medical support 2026

Water stations 2026

This may change for the next edition.

Where and when to collect your Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

Bib pickup

Friday before the race, 09:00–13:00 · Olympic Plaza beside the start arch · Check-in is mandatory for all runners (the 14:00 runner briefing at Olympic Valley Event Center is also mandatory)

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the start

TART Hwy 89 bus — Olympic Valley stop (from Truckee Amtrak / Tahoe City)

Start is at the Olympic Plaza start arch in the Palisades Tahoe village, Olympic Valley.

TART (Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit) runs free buses from Truckee and Tahoe City to Olympic Valley;

Truckee is served by Amtrak California Zephyr trains and Amtrak Thruway buses from Sacramento.

There is no scheduled public service at the 05:00 start, so stay in Olympic Valley the night before.

Getting to the finish

Auburn (Amtrak Capitol Corridor), 277 Nevada St

Finish is on the Placer High School track (275 Orange St) in downtown Auburn,

within walking distance of Auburn Amtrak station, which has Capitol Corridor service to Sacramento.

More details

Point-to-point course: Olympic Valley and Auburn are roughly 110 km apart by road (I-80),

so runners and crews plan their own car transport between start and finish.

Nearest major airports are Reno-Tahoe (for the start) and Sacramento (for the finish).

Source · checked Sep 30, 2026
READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

Entry is by lottery.

Applications for the 2027 lottery are open from 1 November to 21 November 2026, with the drawing on 5 December.

To enter, you must have a finish in a designated qualifying race completed between 3 November 2025 and 8 November 2026, time limit.

Other routes to entry include top finishers in the six HOKA Golden Ticket races (CCC, Javelina Jundred, Black Canyon, Tarawera, Chianti and Canyons) and the previous year's top 10 finishers.

If selected, you must check in at Olympic Plaza beside the start arch from 9:00 to 13:00 on Friday,

the day before the race, and attend the runner briefing at the Olympic Valley Event Center at 14:00.

Both are mandatory.

Drop bags must also be left at the checkpoint collection points on Friday.

Course has 20 aid stations and 10 medical checkpoints, but some sections have more than 13km without aid.

Carry a vest with enough capacity for plenty of water to prepare for the heat in the canyons.

Crews may meet runners only at designated aid stations, and pacer may join you one at a time from Foresthill.

Time limit are Robinson Flat at 14:10, Foresthill at 23:45, Rucky Chucky at 05:00 the following day, and the finish at 11:00.

The awards ceremony takes place at 12:30 on Sunday on the Placer High School track.

Times are local to Olympic Valley. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hotels near the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run start line in Olympic Valley

Hotels that make race morning easyHotels to rest in right after the finish

7 places

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

Distances are straight-line from the finish.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

The start and finish are 80km apart.

Everline Resort & Spa Palisades- Forest View no resort fee

Accommodation · 1.4km

8.0/10(4)
View on Booking.com

Everline Resort & Spa Palisades-Valley View Suite no resort fee

Accommodation · 1.4km

9.3/10(3)
View on Booking.com

Everline Resort & Spa studio - Ski-in-ski-out pools hot tubs & full spa

Accommodation · 1.4km

5.7/10(3)
View on Booking.com

Valley View at Palisades -4 BR w Mountain Views, Pet-Friendly, and Close to Village

Accommodation · 723m

View on Booking.com

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

View on map →
View on map →
Eating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on mapSeeing Olympic Valley with the medal onThe city you ran — this time, a little slower.View on map

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Distances and ratings for food and sights come from the place provider, and experiences are travel products in Olympic Valley.

Total cost and budget for Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · YesimFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Olympic Valley runners' room

Frequently asked questions about Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run

FAQ
When does Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run 2027 take place?

It takes place on Sat, June 26, 2027 in Olympic Valley, CA, United States.

How do I register for Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run 2027?

Entry routes: Lottery · Golden Ticket · Automatic entry · etc. Registration is handled on the official website.

What is the time limit for Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run 2027?

30 hours — finish by 10:59:59 am on Sunday.

What distances does Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run 2027 offer?

Ultra · Trail.

Where does Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run 2027 start?

Olympic Plaza start arch.

Where does Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run 2027 finish?

Placer High School track — Auburn.

What are the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run 2027 cut-off times?

Robinson Flat 14:10 · Foresthill 23:45 · Rucky Chucky 05:00 the following day · Finish 11:00.

When does registration for Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run 2027 open?

Registration runs from Sun, November 1, 2026 to Sat, November 21, 2026.

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