Spirit of Western States

Carrie Meng and John Trent recap the historic 53rd running of the Western States Endurance Run, from flag raising at Emigrant Pass to the Golden Hour finish. They break down the numbers behind the fastest Western States ever — Vincent Bouillard's sub-14-hour men's course record and Jennifer Lichter's women's course record in her 100-mile debut — plus the third-coldest, arguably...

Three weeks out from the 2026 Western States Endurance Run, Assistant Race Director Carrie Meng and board member John Trent dive deep into everything crews and pacers need to know before race day. They kick things off with a look back at the origins of crewing and pacing — all the way to Gordy Ainslie's first unofficial run in 1974 — and share memorable stories from board members Mo Livermore...

With eight weeks until the 2026 Western States Endurance Run, Carrie Meng is joined by John Trent and special guest Race Director Craig Thornley for a packed update. The crew shares advice for runners in this critical training stretch — heat prep, quad work, long-run nutrition, and how to push without breaking down. Craig recaps the Canyons 100K Golden Ticket race, including Adam Peterman's w...

Episode 4: Spring Updates & The Road to Western States Welcome back to The Spirit of Western States , the official podcast of the world’s oldest and most iconic 100-mile trail race. In this episode, Assistant Race Director Carrie Meng and Board Member John Trent shake off the "lost month" of March to bring you a packed agenda of essential race updates. As the calendar turns to April,...

In this episode, we break down the excitement from last weekend's double Golden Ticket races, where 10 coveted automatic entries to the Western States 100 were handed out. We dive into the results, standout performances, and what it took to earn those golden tickets on a high-stakes weekend. We then take a step back to explore the origins and evolution of the Golden Ticket system—its when, ho...

Aid stations are the heartbeat of the Western States Endurance Run. In this episode of the Western States Podcast, we dive into the history of aid stations and the critical role they’ve played in shaping the race since its earliest days. From the evolution of aid station operations to the leadership of aid station captains, we explore what it takes to keep runners moving safely through the canyons...

Welcome to our very first episode! John Trent and Carrie Meng sit down to talk all things Western States, including the opening of lottery registration for the 53rd running. We chat about how the lottery came to be, the story behind the iconic 369-runner field size, and some noteworthy updates starting in 2026. This was recorded in November, 2025. 

We dive into all of the details and behind scenes planning of the Western States Lottery held this past Saturday, December 6.