Courtney Dauwalter shatters record at world's oldest 100-mile race

Courtney Dauwalter, an accomplished ultramarathon runner, achieved a remarkable feat by obliterating the women's course record at the Western States' 100-mile race in California. 

She surpassed the previous best time by over an hour, leaving her mark on the world's oldest 100-mile race. Dauwalter completed the challenging course in an impressive 15 hours, 29 minutes, and 34 seconds, almost 80 minutes faster than Ellie Greenwood's record set in 2012. The Western States 100 has been held since 1974.

Reflecting on the final leg of the race, Dauwalter shared, "I just kept asking [my legs] to do one more mile for me and they kept responding, so I was very thankful for that." She described pushing through the pain and maintaining focus on each step and second during the last 20 miles.

This year's Western States 100 benefited from cooler weather, contributing to faster overall times. The race commenced in the early hours of Saturday morning in Olympic Valley, California. Snow covered parts of the initial sections of the course, and as runners descended, they encountered a previously fire-ravaged area devoid of shade from the Mosquito Fire that occurred last year.

After running alongside fellow American Katie Schide, Dauwalter started pulling ahead around the 30-mile mark, steadily chipping away at Greenwood's course record. The Californian trails involved approximately 18,000 feet of climbing and nearly 23,000 feet of descent, culminating in a finish on a high school running track in Auburn, Placer County.

Upon reaching the track, Dauwalter expressed her disbelief, stating, "I couldn't believe when the track suddenly showed up and you make that turn, I was like: We did it! We're here!" It was a moment of realisation that they had completed the race and were about to cease moving.

Dauwalter, who is scheduled to defend her title at the Hardrock 100 in Colorado in three weeks' time, previously won the Western States 100 in 2018, but her time this year was nearly two hours faster. Schide secured second place with a time of 16 hours, 43 minutes, and 45 seconds, which also surpassed Greenwood's previous record.

In the men's event, the United Kingdom's Tom Evans emerged victorious, clocking an impressive time of 14 hours, 40 minutes, and 22 seconds, making it the fourth-fastest time in the history of the race.