Olson, Hall Blitz to Western States 100 Wins

Caleb Olson and Abby Hall took near-record victories at the Western States 100, in the second and fourth fastest finishes of all time, respectively.

Both had company for much of the race, challenging and pushing them onward. Olson, who ran into the lead on the climb to Devil’s Thumb at mile 48, was chased by Chris Myers. Olson was able to hold him off for victory, crossing the finish line in 14 hours and 11 minutes. It’s just two minutes off of the course record, set in 2019 by Jim Walmsley. Myers would finish second in 14:17. Killian Jornet rounded out the podium.

Hall, meanwhile, had to contend with Ida Nilsson. Hall took the initiative early in the day, stretching the pack early and often. Hall took the lead for good around mile 55, and then built a gap of more than 10 minutes in front of Nilsson. But Nilsson slowly started chipping away, bringing the gap down to four minutes at mile 78. But that effort hit Nilsson hard, as Hall pulled away at mile 80, and Nilsson would cede second to Fu-Zhao Xiang, who would hold on for that second place for the second year in a row, and then third to Marianne Hogan.

As the Race Unfolded

The day dawned warm, with temperatures already knocking on the 70 degree door greeting runners at the 5 AM start. Temperatures would wind up soaring to over 100 degrees in places over the 100.2 mile course that features more than 18,000 feet of climbing.

On the men’s front, the race started fast and furious, with a group of 15 pushing the pace up the climb to the course’s high point at mile 3.5. By mile 15, the front group was a full seven minutes ahead of Walmsley’s course record of 14:09. That pack included the likes of David Roche, Killian Jornet, Jeff Mogavero, Caleb Olson, Rod Farvard, Vincent Bouillard, and Chris Myers.

The first big move belonged to Farvard as he attempted to breakaway on the descent to Duncan Canyon, approximately a quarter of the way through the race. Mogavero would match him, opening up a minute gap on the rest of the lead pack. But that move would prove costly for Mogavero, as he’d drop through the bottom of the lead pack over the next 10 miles. By now, the lead pack had been whittled to eight runners within a minute of another: Farvard, Olson, Roche, Myers, Jornet, Seth Ruhling, Hans Troyer, and Adam Peterman.

The group began to splinter as they approached forty miles run, with Myers, Ruhling, and Olson stretching out a lead, Troyer and Roche in no man’s land in fourth (+30 seconds) and fifth (+1:15), and a chase pack led by Jornet another 90 seconds back. Myers would be the first to take the solo lead, with a minute gap on Olson at mile 43. Olson would close that back up on the climb Devil’s Thumb at mile 48. By this point, Jornet had paced the group into a single lead chase pack, three minutes behind.

The leading duo would stick together through the halfway mark. Their effort was rewarded with a full eight minute gap over the chasers, which was now led by Mogavero and Roche, with Jornet now in fifth place. But the climb to Michigan Bluff and mile 56 would prove decisive, as Olson would break the elastic to Myers. Jornet, too, would use this climb as a springboard, launching himself back into third, but a full six minutes off of bridging up to second place. Roche would soon drop out.

The major question over the back half of the race was whether Olson could hold onto a course record pace. With just 20 miles left to run, Olson was nine minutes under course record pace and had a five minute lead on Myers. Jornet and Mogavero were locked in a battle for third, and their continued maneuvering with one another had seen them start to eat into the gaps Olson and Myers had.

Olson would narrowly miss out on the course record, finishing in 14:11 and settling for the second fastest time ever here. Myers, in the fourth fastest finish ever, would have to settle for second place in 14:17. Jornet barely missed out on closing up to second place, around two minutes behind Myers, in 14:19. Mogavero held onto fourth place in 14:30, earning the honor for the fastest Western States debut ever. Dan Jones took fifth, with Ruhling the last man under the magical 15 hour barrier in sixth.

In the women’s race, the pace was not nearly as frantic as the men’s start, but the moves began early and often. It was Abby Hall stretching the field on that opening climb, as she continued her return from a broken leg suffered two years ago. Ida Nilsson led the chase up the climb, joined by Riley Brady and former triathlete Martyna Młynarczyk.

Hall and Nilsson would break away, running roughly together over the next 10+ miles. Mlynarczyk sat third, about 40 seconds off the pace. Eszter Csillag, Marianne Hogan, Heather Jackson (yes, that Heather Jackson), Hannah Allgood, Fu-Zhao Xiang, Hậu Hà, and Emily Hawgood were your top 10 at this point, all well within contention as the day began to warm.

The leading duo became a trio a quarter of the way down, as Mlynarczyk joined Hall and Nilsson at the head of the race. Hall and Mlynarczyk pushed the climb to mile 30’s Robinson Flat, opening up a 90 second gap on Nilsson. The rest of the top 10 stayed the same, with the exception of Shea Alquilano replacing Hawgood in the mix.

The next few miles would prove decisive, as the leading three put in efforts to drop one another. They were ineffective at that, but what it did do was shatter the chasers, with a sudden nine minute gap opening up to Csillag and Hogan as they approached mile 40. Csillag would soon drop from the race with an injury. Mlynarcyzk led through the halfway mark, opening a two minute gap on Hall and another four minutes on Nilsson. The remainder of the top 10 was much the same, though Fiona Pascall joined the party with Csillag’s drop.

It was at Michigan Bluff that the race came unglued. Hall took the reins as Mlynarcyzk, who had never raced more than 100K before, fell apart. Nilsson passed for second, more than ten minutes behind Hall. Xiang was now in third, six minutes from Nilsson. Allgood and Hogan were fourth and fifth. Mlynarcyzk would end her day here, along with Jackson.

Over the next 20 miles Nilsson would give a valiant effort to try to close to Hall, narrowing the gap to just four minutes at mile marker 78. Xiang maintained the gap to Nilsson, which meant she, too, was now within ten minutes of the lead. But it would be Hall’s hill climbing prowess that would see her regain the advantage, doubling her lead to eight minutes by mile 80. That effort would essentially break Nilsson, who would see Xiang charge past at mile 85 and Hogan in the final 10 miles.

Hall won in 16:37, the fourth fastest time in Western States history.

Western States 100 Top 10 Results

Men’s Results

Women’s Results

Images Courtesy of Western States 100

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