The race, in its 12th edition, is often considered a trial run of sorts for Western States, as a large chunk of the middle section traverses the iconic Western States Trail, including the notorious Devil's Thumb climb, Deadwood Cemetery, and Cal Street.
Jornet's well-publicized States of Elevation project in 2025 was a feat in human endurance, mountain running, and planning. Starting on September 3, he linked 72 of the 14ers in the contiguous U.S in a human-powered fashion - on foot and bike - with a support crew following him and helping with logistics. He started with the 14,259-foot Longs Peak in Colorado, then went on to California and north to Washington, finishing on the 14,410-foot Mount Rainier.
I'd been stopped maybe 2 seconds and the slope started to move. I pivoted to straightline but was swamped-no speed, no chance. The impact was like stepping off a curb in front of a 40 Tonne truck doing 60 mph.
Hans Troyer and Jennifer Lichter won big at the 2026 Black Canyon 100k in Arizona, and both scored new course records. Troyer finished in 7:20:00, and Lichter clocked 7:57 for the point-to-point run. For Troyer, it was a full-circle moment. He was hospitalized after the 2024 race and then missed last year's contest with illness. Lichter stepped up in distance and, with a new coach and new sponsor, hit a home run.
