Despite the heat, Courtney Dauwalter ran the second-fastest women’s time in Western States 100 history. Here’s her finish-line interview with Jim King and Magdalena Boulet.
You can also watch Courtney’s finish as well as iRunFar’s post-race interview with Courtney. Also, be sure to read our results article for the full race story.
Courtney Dauwalter, 2018 Western States 100 Champion, Interview Transcript
Jim King: We are here with the 2018 Western States women’s winner, Courtney Dauwalter. [Audience applauds] Congratulations.
Courtney Dauwalter: Thank you.
King: How did you accomplish this? What was one main secret to your success that made such a great accomplishment today?
Dauwalter: No secrets. Just right foot, left foot. Just running, a lot of running.
Magdalena Boulet: Courtney, you had an insane year. Let’s be honest. You’ve been racing every month, at least a 50-mile race, a 100k. You actually raced a 100 miler just a couple months ago, and you won it! Tell us about this accomplishment. What does it mean to you?
Dauwalter: I feel so lucky to be here on this track right now. Thank you all [waves to the stands] for being up so late. Thanks to the volunteers, to the race organization, and my pacers and crew. It’s indescribable right now.
King: How did you find the course? How would you describe this day and your experience?
[Interview is paused to clear the track for a runner, Adam Kimble, crossing the finish line]
King: How would you describe the day’s events?
Dauwalter: I really like the course. It has tons of variety. The first 30 miles are totally different than the next 30 miles, so I loved that. The heat was… there, but it wasn’t awful. There were some aid stations with popsicles and keeping me coated in ice the whole time. It was manageable for sure.
Boulet: Courtney, I’ve got a question from the people: they want to know, when are you going to Disneyland? There must be a story here I don’t know.
Dauwalter: It’s Disneyland [laughs].
Boulet: Okay, second question: can you tell us about your shorts?
Dauwalter: Do you want a pair? [Laughs] They’re just comfortable for me.
Boulet: There must be something else.
[Dauwalter gets Boulet to touch the fabric of her shorts by way of explanation]
Boulet: I love your style.
King: What did you find the most challenging about your day?
Dauwalter: I’m going to have to think on that.
King: You recovered apparently very quickly from the Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji and all of the other races. How do you recover so quickly?
Dauwalter: A lot of beer. [Audience cheers] No, I think I’m pretty lucky to be able to bounce back pretty quickly and I love racing, so they work well together.
Boulet: I want to mention that Courtney raced and won a 240-mile race in October. So, how did this compare to a 200-mile race? Was that a sprint?
Dauwalter: Yeah, the speed today was much faster. But everyone should try a 200-mile race. They’re really cool.
King: All right. Well, for Magda and myself we want to thank you, we want to congratulate you. You’ll make a fine addition to the Western States family.
