Back for the second year in a row, Eszter Csillag, a Hungarian living in Hong Kong, is ready to build upon last year’s third-place performance at this year’s Western States 100. In this interview, Eszter talks about what brought her back to Western States, how she’s expecting the course to be different with much less snow than last year, and her training while in the United States this year.
To learn more about who’s racing, check out our women’s and men’s previews and follow our live race coverage on race day.
As a bonus, prior women’s course record holder and iRunFar team member Ellie Greenwood interviews Eszter!
Eszter Csillag Pre-2024 Western States 100 Interview Transcript
iRunFar: This is Ellie Greenwood of iRunFar with Eszter Csillag, here ahead of the 2024 Western States 100. How are you doing, Eszter?
Eszter Csillag: I’m good. Thank you so much for having me.
iRunFar: We’re glad to have you back, your second Western States. Last year you were here, I believe placed third and in a very impressive time, the fourth-fastest women’s time ever. What brings you back to Western States?
Csillag: Not as fast as yours, but I had a really amazing experience last year. I think it was probably the best performance in my running career for sure. And besides that, the whole atmosphere, the race and everything that surrounds it, was just so nice. And I feel that again this year, that very positive atmosphere. And on a personal level, I want to see what I can achieve in slightly different conditions. This year we don’t have snow compared to last year, my training was slightly different, but many things that were just right, I just copy-pasted and did the same. So I’m curious what I am capable this Saturday.
iRunFar: So do you feel you are more capable? You had a super impressive time last year, 17 hours, seven minutes. I don’t want to assume, but I’m guessing, I know you’re Hungarian, but live in Hong Kong. So was the snow last year something? You were glad there’s less snow on the course this year?
Csillag: I mean, I don’t usually run on snow. I basically have no snow. I don’t see snow whole year round. But I think that made the course, or the first part, slightly more challenging. It was also a beautiful experience with Leah Yingling and Jenny Quilty from Canada. We were finding the flags together and running together, but it was not easy to follow the course, I believe. So not having snow, I believe, will make the first 50 kilometers slightly different. That can have an impact on the time if everything goes well.
iRunFar: Yeah, perfect. Because it did seem like last year, like you said, there was a whole bunch of women running together and then I believe you didn’t move into third place, get up on the podium, until what, 10 miles to go or something?
Csillag: More than that. I think it was just before the uphill to Pointed Rocks, around Pointed Rocks [mile 94].
iRunFar: Okay. So do you have a different strategy of maybe starting a little more aggressively or are you just going to feel the race out?
Csillag: I do want to be myself. I think when I am myself, I can do my best. So hopefully, what I did last year, I can do this year as well, just with a different training and with no snow. Things will be slightly faster at the first half, but also because the competition is very high. I don’t know what other women are going to do, and we can plan many things, but at the end of the day, we don’t know what is going to be on race day, and many things I’m going just to decide on the situation I’m finding myself in.
iRunFar: See how it works out…
Csillag: Yes.
iRunFar: … Once you’re out on the course.
Csillag: Yes.
iRunFar: Okay. That’s interesting, you said you’ve maybe changed your training up a bit. Because I found last year you did a road marathon in the spring, and then I saw you’d done the same this year. That seems similar, but there are other things you have switched up?
Csillag: Yes. So, in that sense, I kept the same because to be honest, the road marathon training for me is quite challenging. It’s really out of my comfort zone. So after, I appreciate every trail run. And so I kept that and I was able to run a faster time compared to last year. So that was a good start just to give me a comparison to what my fitness level is. And then from that onwards, the training block that I did for Western States was I think with more mileage and a lot more long runs compared to last year. So I am curious where that will bring me.
iRunFar: So it was one of those long runs, I think I saw. Did you do the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim with Ida Nilsson a while back?
Csillag: Yes. That was amazing.
iRunFar: Okay.
Csillag: That was a training, it landed in my Training Peaks.
iRunFar: Right. Perfect.
Csillag: Yeah.
iRunFar: And obviously it’s…
Csillag: I just executed…
iRunFar: …A bit of a bucket list thing to do whilst you’re in the U.S.
Csillag: Yes, absolutely. So after last year, this year, the [Western States Memorial Day] Training Camp was a week earlier, so I had one more week. And because I was more familiar already with the whole situation here, I said, “Okay, for that week we can do a trip to Grand Canyon,” because running in Grand Canyon is just like a dream. So we organized that trip and it was great because Ida was going to Flagstaff, Arizona, to train afterward, so we did that together and she holds the second fastest FKT on the Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim. So she had a good knowledge about the course. So it was a great day and it’s on our bucket list, but it was my training, to be honest. It is not me decided or was asking for it.
iRunFar: It worked into your training.
Csillag: Yes.
iRunFar: Like you said, the Memorial Day camp this year was five weeks ahead, with Western States being a little bit later than normal. Do you think that has been advantageous? Because I know some people find normally with a four-week gap that maybe that’s a little close.
Csillag: I don’t know. Let’s see.
iRunFar: Let’s see, let’s find out.
Csillag: I don’t have that knowledge. I mean, I just execute. For me, it’s more about my family. With my daughters, I had to organize that day, so it was a longer time to stay away from them. So on a personal level, it was more that than the whole training. But I really enjoy staying here and I was so happy that I could make this trip to Grand Canyon. It was really fantastic.
iRunFar: And your daughters are going to be here for the race now, and are they going to be out on the course cheering you on?
Csillag: No, not on the course. They are at the finish line.
iRunFar: Okay, perfect.
Csillag: That’s like the sugar for the horse.
iRunFar: That’s going to be your incentive to get to the finish line on Saturday.
Csillag: Exactly.
iRunFar: Okay.
Csillag: Not to make them too upset that I am away for too long.
iRunFar: Wishing you the very best at your second attempt at the Western States on Saturday.
Csillag: Thank you so much.
iRunFar: Thank you.
