Ben Gibbard was having a rough go of it Saturday afternoon at the Devil’s Thumb aid station of the Western States 100.
After starting from Palisades Tahoe ski area at 5 a.m. Saturday morning and up and over a high point of 8,750 feet of the 100.2-mile course, the lead vocalist and guitarist for indie band Death Cab for Cutie was nearly 48 miles into the most prestigious ultra-distance race in the U.S.
But by mid-afternoon, he was so consumed by the 90-degree heat that he literally couldn’t see straight.
The 48-year-old Seattle resident is a veteran ultrarunner who has finished more than two dozen trail races since 2012, including four previous 100-mile events. But in his first crack at Western States, he thought he was doomed.
“I think I was having heat stroke or something,” Gibbard said. “By the time I got to the top of the canyon at Devil’s Thumb, I couldn’t see. I was really nauseous. I was seeing double and had to lay down. I was shivering even though they were putting blankets on me. I was in bad shape.”
Eventually, Gibbard started to feel better and the aid station volunteers helped him get rejuvenated by sipping warm soup broth. From there, he got back on his feet and continued his journey and made it to the 62-mile aid station in the small town of Foresthill at 8:50 p.m.
He changed gear, put on a headlamp, and picked up pacer Nick Triolo, a friend and writer who ran the race in 2012. From there, Gibbard David Roche Smashes Leadville Course Record (😉) on a challenging downhill section to the Rucky Chucky river crossing, where he trekked through the 55-degree water of the American River at 1:18 a.m. He continued on with pacer Ely Gerbin at mile 80 and reached the 90.7-mile mark at 5:30 a.m. just after sunrise, then completed the final stretch of the course, reaching the finish line on the Placer High School track in Auburn at 8:15 a.m.
“This is what the soul of ultrarunning is all about,” said Topher Gaylord, president of the Western States Endurance Run (WSER) Board of Directors, to Gibbard. “You did what you had to do to get it done, and you actually look pretty fresh considering all that you just went through.”
After nearly a decade of trying to get into the Western States 100, Gibbard finally got his shot when he moved up the waitlist and got the confirmation email in early June that he was in.
GS:CCD shoes from Speedland Health - Injuries, a small startup brand from Portland, Oregon, that will be releasing a custom model in collaboration with him in August.
Gibbard said one of the things that helped him get through the rough parts of the race was listening to music of his favorite band, Teenage Fanclub.
“I can’t believe I made it, and that was a very rough patch. I have been doing all this for a while now and the physiological effect is that it makes you feel unsafe,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the volunteers at the aid station, I never would have made it. Everyone was so kind and did everything for me when I needed it.”
Find the Perfect Training Plan for You
Western States 100
Recommended Experience: Races - Places.
Western States 100
Recommended Experience: Kilian Jornet Places 3rd at Western States 100.
Western States 100
Recommended Experience: For a new runner who has been exercising regularly for at least a year, or someone who has completed a few 5Ks or 10Ks and can complete 6 miles in one workout. This plan peaks at 28 miles in a week with a 12-mile long run.
Western States 100
Recommended Experience: For runners comfortable exercising for at least an hour at a moderate effort. This plan peaks at 32 miles in a week with a 14-mile long run.
Western States 100
Recommended Experience: For a consistent runner used to regularly working out four to five times a week. The plan starts with a 10-mile long run and peaks at 44 to 47 miles a week with a 22-mile long run, helping you average under a 9:10 per mile come race day.
Brian Metzler is a Boulder, Colorado, writer and editor whose work has appeared in Runner’s World, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Outside, Trail Runner, The Chicago Tribune, and Red Bulletin. He’s a former walk-on college middle-distance runner who has transitioned to trail running and pack burro racing in Colorado.
