This year’s Western States 100 was the second-hottest race in its history, with a recorded temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit at the Auburn, California airport, the “official” temperature-record-keeping location for the race. It was definitely hotter in the canyons, though, and the hottest temperature I witnessed was 106F at Rucky Chucky, mile 78. But the heat didn’t seem to bother winners Timothy Olson (post-race interview and race report) and Pam Smith (post-race interview and race report).
In addition to this post, you can find our full play-by-play of the race as well as a collection of our pre-race interviews and preview on our 2013 Western States 100 Live Coverage page.
Thanks to Injinji for sponsoring iRunFar’s coverage of the race.
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2013 Western States 100 Men’s Race
What starts overly fast never ends well when it comes to a 100-mile race, and a number of early male fasties ended up on the DNF list or way off pace by the 100.2-mile finish line. This included early leader Cameron Clayton, who was pushing course-record pace by several minutes as early as Red Star Ridge, mile 16, and Hal Koerner, who also took a turn leading when Cam dropped back.
The eventual men’s podium, Timothy Olson, Rob Krar, and Mike Morton played it cool even in the high country before the temperature got hot, sitting outside the top five. Somewhere in the canyons and before Devil’s Thumb, Olson assumed the lead and, while he may have done some looking back, he stayed strong and ahead of the rest of the men, the rest of the day. Krar and Morton used the 16 miles of descent down Cal Street between Foresthill at mile 62 and the Rucky Chucky river crossing at mile 78 to step into their relative positions, which they would hold to the finish. It should be noted that Krar is a 100-mile rookie! What a finish, what a rise to ultrarunning stardom for him. We should also note that Morton’s 15:45:21 is a new masters course record and an eight-ish-minute improvement over Dave Mackey’s 15:53:36 record last year.
While fourth through sixth men Ian Sharman, Dylan Bowman, and Nick Clark ran within the top-10 men all day, the balance of the men’s top-10 list were well outside of their final positions until carnage occurred and they slipped in. This included 10th place Karl Meltzer, the 100-Mile King, who made his first appearance at States.
Timothy Olson wins the 2013 Western States 100. Photo: Meghan Hicks/iRunFar.com
Rob Krar is second man. Photo: Meghan Hicks/iRunFar.com
Mike Morton takes third. Photo: Meghan Hicks/iRunFar.com
2013 Western States 100 Men’s Results
- Timothy Olson (The North Face) – 15:17:27 (pre-race, finish line, and post-race interviews as well race report)
- Rob Krar – 15:22:05 (pre-race, finish line, and post-race interviews)
- Mike Morton (Allied Van Lines) – 15:45:21 (masters course record) (pre-race and post-race interviews)
- Ian Sharman (SCOTT Sports) – 16:20:25
- Dylan Bowman (Pearl Izumi) – 16:32:18 (pre-race interview)
- Nick Clark (Pearl Izumi) – 16:56:23 (pre-race interview)
- Jesse Haynes (INKnBURN) – 17:44:36
- Paul Terranova – 17:56:29
- Yassine Diboun (Inov-8) – 18:44:02
- Karl Meltzer (Hoka One One) – 18:51:55
2013 Western States 100 Women’s Race
Well, well, well, ultrarunning has a new star today in Pam Smith! Steady as she goes was Pam Smith’s motto, it seems. In the early miles, Pam ran among a train of women who filled out the back half of the women’s top five. She emerged into first position by Dusty Corners, mile 38. Over the course of the day, she built a bigger and more commanding lead over the rest of the women’s field. She proved herself a beast in the heat, running an 18:37 in near-heat-record conditions, which was more than 40 minutes faster than any other woman.
Pam Smith on her way to championing the 2013 Western States 100. Photo: Marc Laveson/iRunFar.com
Nikki Kimball and Amy Sproston also ran in that early girl train. At Michigan Bluff and for a while after, Amy led Nikki. But Nikki’s always stellar when conditions are rough, and she assumed the second position in the last 20 miles. (After all, she was third overall in 2006, the most recent very hot year the race has experienced.) She was all smiles all day, her ninth Western States finish and her ninth finish in the women’s top five.
Nikki Kimball weighs in during her eighth WS100. Photo: Meghan Hicks/iRunFar.com
Amy Sproston keeping cool and hydrated on a hot day. Photo: Marc Laveson/iRunFar.com
Fourth place Meghan Arbogast should certainly be noted, a bad-a#s run by a woman 52 years young. Rad! In the fifth and sixth slots were Rory Bosio and Aliza Lapierre who basically held these positions from nearly the start to the finish. Emily Harrison, in her debut hundred, was several positions out of the top-10 women early on, but she was not one of the day’s attrition victims, which brought down ladies like early leader and eventual DNF-er Joelle Vaught.
2013 Western States 100 Women’s Results
- Pam Smith (La Sportiva) – 18:37:21 (finish line and post-race interviews)
- Nikki Kimball (The North Face) – 19:21:43 (post-race interview)
- Amy Sproston (Montrail) – 19:25:11 (pre-race and post-race interviews)
- Meghan Arbogast (SCOTT Sports) – 19:30:50
- Rory Bosio (The North Face) – 19:52:09 (pre-race interview)
- Aliza Lapierre (Salomon) – 20:04:46 (pre-race interview)
- Emily Harrison (AdiUltra) – 20:28:40 (pre-race interview)
- Denise Bourassa (Patagonia) – 21:44:37
- Leila Degrave (Inov-8) – 21:59:26
- Abby McQueeney Penamonte – 22:36:29
Race Coverage Thanks
In addition to the support of Injinji, our coverage of this year’s WS100 was brought to you by a huge team of dedicated volunteers! iRunFar thanks our CoverItLive moderators/office team, Andrew “Stack” Swistak, Travis Liles, Travis Trampe, Tom Caughlin, Leon Lutz, David Boudreau, and “Slow Aaron Marks,” as well as our field team, Patrick McKenna, Mauri Pagliacci of Trail Running Argentina, Ellie Greenwood and her assistants, Marc Laveson, Nick Triolo, and Kirk Edgerton of Fleet Feet Fair Oaks.
