Western States 100, live.

From Olympic Valley to the track in Auburn

A hundred miles through the Sierra Nevada, born in 1974 when a lame horse convinced a runner to take on the mountain trail on foot.

The Western States Endurance Run is the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race, tracing the historic Western States Trail from Olympic Valley to Auburn, California. The course climbs more than 5,500 metres, beginning with an ascent to Emigrant Pass at 2,650 metres at dawn, traversing the granite crest of the Sierra Nevada, and descending into the suffocating midday heat of the American River canyons.

The race famously began by accident in 1974 when Gordy Ainsleigh’s horse came up lame before the 24-hour Tevis Cup equestrian ride. Ainsleigh ran alongside the horses on foot, crossing the finish line in 23 hours and 42 minutes to prove the distance was humanly runnable. Today, iconic milestones like Devil’s Thumb, El Dorado Canyon, and the icy river crossing at Rucky Chucky define the route to the legendary finish on the Placer High School track.

On Livebib, family, crews and spectators follow every mile on one live page: the runner’s real-time position, canyon splits, battery-conserving GPS updates and estimated arrival times for every checkpoint from Robinson Flat to the finish in Auburn.