The Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100, is a running race that takes place on trails in California's Sierra Nevada. The race starts at the base of the Squaw Valley Ski resort and finishes in Auburn, California. The race, as the name implies, is 100 miles long with approximately 28,000 feet of elevation gain and subsequent descent, and takes place over mountain trails. Due to the duration of the race, the race begins at 5am and continues through the day and into the night. There is a 30 hour overall time limit for the race. Finishers receive a bronze finishing buckle. Runners finishing in under 24 hours receive a Silver buckle. The tradition of the buckle dates back to the race's origins as a horce race. The race was invented by Gordon Ansleigh in 1974, when his horse went lame and he decided he would run the course rather than use a different horse.
Today the race is one of the premier ultrarunning events. The last 6 consecutive races have been won by Scott Jurek who set a new course record of 15 hours, 36 minutes, 27 seconds in 2004. Entries to the race are limited and are selected via lottery, from a pool of qualified athletes.
References
Western States 100 Homepage [1]