The 2026 Western States 100 was historic in so many ways. New course records, highest ever finishing rates, closest men's podium, densest women's top-10 - from start to finish, it was a magical day.

To conclude our Trailgating coverage, Tim Tollefson and I convened last night for a deep recap show on Rest Day Live. We did our best to compress 30 hours of highlights into a 90 minute package, sharing our respective takeaways about where this year's edition sits in the 53 year history of the event.

Suffice it to say I LOVE Western States. Co-hosting the live broadcast is genuinely the best day of my annual calendar and I feel supremely grateful to be able to cover the race alongside our team in the way that we do.

Catch the full show where we recognize stalwart performances, contextualize stats, revisit storylines, and generally bask in the afterglow of a special day.

Vincent Bouillard's athletic story is beyond remarkable. Shocking the world to win the 2024 UTMB, Vincent went from relative anonymity to Mount Rushmore status in less than two calendar years.

The best part is, he absolutely deserves it. A gracious and humble champion who avoids the spotlight and takes any opportunity to share credit for his achievements, Vincent embodies the values of Western States and of the sport in general.

The way he won the race tells a story of discipline, restraint, and self-belief. Running in the front pack early, in no man's land in the middle, and then fighting back to the front to take the definitive lead at mile 90, Vincent's execution will be studied by future Western States champions.

Catch our full interview where we recap significant moments, explore competitive intuition, and generally review the formula that led to Vincent's spectacular performance.

The new course record holder, first French champion, and fifth European to win Western States, Vincent is now part of the race's rich history. Exactly where he belongs.

Western States Storyline Snapshots

+ In addition to Jenn Lichter's ridiculous course record in her 100-mile debut, nine of the fifteen fastest ever women's times were ran on Saturday. (FYI, we're planning to record a champion's interview with Jenn later this week)

+ Three men broke the 14hr barrier and four men bestest the previous course record in the 2026 edition. Six of the fifteen fastest times ever were run on Saturday.

+ Jenn Lichter made it six years in a row that the eventual Western States champion has held the lead through the mile-62 Foresthill aid station. This trend has been persistent in twelve of the last fourteen editions. Both exceptions - Yiou Wang in 2017 and Courtney Dauwalter in 2019 - failed to finish the race. In short, if you hold the lead at Foresthill and manage to finish, chances are high you will win Western States!

+ Meanwhile, Vincent Bouillard overcame an eleven minute deficit at Foresthill to become the eventual champion. Aside from Andrew Miller who won in 2016 after Jim Walmsley's famous missed turn, the last time we've seen such a second half comeback was Geoff Roes in the iconic 2010 Unbreakable year.

+ Jenn Lichter vs. Riley Brady was a podium battle for the ages. The above split chart helps us to visualize how things played out on course. In the 4.5 mile stretch from Last Chance to Devil's Thumb (mile 43.3 to 47.8), Jenn managed to swing the lead by nearly five minutes (from a 1:08 deficit to a 4:41 advantage). Though Riley managed to fight back to within 1:37 at Foresthill, and 1:58 at the Rucky Chucky river crossing, they were never able to regain the lead. Phenomenal, brave racing by both!

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