This is not clickbait. Kilian Jornet – the humble GOAT of ultrarunning, who once scaled Everest twice in a single week without making a fuss – is now looking for a runner who can pace him at the Western States Endurance Run this month.
Better known as the Western States 100, or simply Western States, this event is the oldest 100-mile footrace in the world. Traversing the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the US state of California and featuring a climb of more than 5,000m, it is, without doubt, one of the toughest tests of endurance on the planet – especially since temperatures can get as high as 35°C mid-race.
A trail running legend who is remarkably understated, Jornet completed his debut Western States 100 in 2010, where he placed an impressive third. The following year, the Catalonian returned to the race and won it, aged just 23.
Now, 14 years on from that win, which was also the last time that he made an appearance at the race, the master of mountains is hoping to do well at the Western States 100 once more. Having set multiple records and won various other 100-mile epics like the UTMB, Grand Raid and Hardrock 100 over the course of his long and illustrious career, there’s a high chance that 37-year-old Jornet will put in a good shift.
But no ultrarunner – not even Jornet – can complete, let alone win, a gruelling 100-mile race without a support crew. With that in mind, Jornet’s Western States 100 pacer had better be up to the enormous challenge that awaits.
In collaboration with NNormal, Jornet posted the job advert on Instagram, with details of the role’s main responsibility: ‘Keep him company, keep him on course, and try to keep up.’ No pressure.
All interested runners – or any of their friends ‘with questionable judgement’ – have until 11:59pm on Thursday 12 June to complete the online application form. It’s worth knowing that you won’t need to compile a standard CV or cover letter, nor should you go in with any conventional salary expectations. In fact, there is no mystical ‘competitive salary’ for this pacer position – it is, straight up, a voluntary role – and to apply, you’ll need to submit your Strava profile and your two best race results. You also, understandably, need to be extremely fit, swift and sturdy on the trails and suitably of the world’s best running cities.
Thankfully (or perhaps sadly), the application form says that you will only ‘share 20+ miles of trail with Kilian’, so there’s no need to worry about completing the full event if you’re offered the job. You’ll also be gifted a two-night stay in California for the race, as well as NNormal kit, trail shoes and precious time with Jornet on some of the most iconic trails on Earth.
What is the Western States 100?
Police officers pose as runners to catch harassers hike the trail as the ‘undisputed crown jewels of human endurance’ – and it’s hard to argue against this.
The unique history of this event is a big part of its longevity and charm. It all began in 1955, when five horsemen attempted to ride the Western States Trail to prove that horses could cover 100 miles in one day. That quest became known as the Tevis Cup.
It wasn’t until 1972, however, that the route was first attempted on foot by a group of 20 infantry soldiers. The soldiers, who tried to Advertisement - Continue Reading Below non-stop, started one day ahead of the Tevis Cup ride, with seven going on to complete the distance – on foot rather than in the saddle – in under 48 hours.
Two years later, Gordy Ainsleigh decided to join the horses of the Western States Trail Ride to see if he could complete the course alongside them, on foot, within the cut-off time of 24 hours. He completed it in 24 hours and 42 minutes – and the gauntlet was thrown. Over the next three years, two more runners attempted to run the route before the official Western States Endurance Run was founded in 1977.
In 1979, 143 runners from 21 US states and three other countries attempted the course – and since then, interest has grown even further, with athletes from across the globe convening in California to take on the Western States 100 each year.
When is the 2025 Western States 100?
This year’s race will start on Saturday 28 June.
What is the Western States 100 route?
The route follows the Western States Trail in California, which starts at Olympic Valley and ends in Auburn. Beginning at 5am on Saturday morning, runners must reach the finish line no later than 10:59:59am the following day to be acknowledged as official finishers.
The trail ascends from Olympic Valley to Emigrant Pass, which involves a climb of 777m in the first 4.5 miles. From the pass, runners then travel west along the original trails used by gold and silver miners of the 1850s, climbing Updated: 03 June 2025.
But let’s not forget the even tougher descents. To reach the finish line in Auburn, situated in the heart of California’s gold country, runners must drop 7,000m.
Most of the trail passes through remote and rugged terrain, which is only accessible by foot, horse of helicopter. Since temperatures can also rise to a heady 35°C, this is not a race for cold weather runners – although the unavoidable river crossing can help overheated runners to cool down a little.
Despite the testing route, support at the race is unparalleled, with a ratio of four volunteers for every runner and a team of 125 personnel at the river crossing alone. There are also 20 aid stations along the course, including 10 medical checkpoints, which are well stocked with fluids Police officers pose as runners to catch harassers.
Does the Western States 100 have a cut-off time?
Yes – to count as official finishers of the race, runners must complete the Western States 100 course within the 30-hour cut-off time.
Why do Western States 100 finishers receive buckles?
Most 100-mile races in the UK and US award finishers with a buckle rather than a medal, which is a tradition that stems back to ultrarunning’s shared history with endurance horse races. At the Western States 100, runners who complete the course in under 24 hours are awarded a silver belt buckle, while those who conquer it in under 30 hours receive a bronze one.
How do you get a place in the Western States 100?
Only 369 runners can take part in the Western States 100 each year – so it goes without saying that obtaining a place is extremely difficult.
If runners have completed a qualifying race, they can enter the Western States 100 via a ballot. Qualifying races in the UK are the Arc of Attrition, Centurion Autumn 100, Hardwold 80, Lakeland 100, North Downs Way 100, South Downs Way 100 and Thames Path 100. Around 50 to 75 unsuccessful ballot applicants are placed on the general wait list, should anyone drop out.
Runners can also receive places in the Western States 100 automatically, should they have performed well in other specified races. These runners are the top 10 finishers from the previous year’s race, as well as 28 people who have won top three positions in so-called Golden Ticket Races. Jornet himself qualified for the 2025 Western States 100 by finishing second in a Golden Ticket Race – the Chianti Ultra Trail – this March.
The race has a full pregnancy deferral policy, too. This means that eligible runners’ entries are automatically transferred to a subsequent race, with no timeframe limit.
Who has won the Western States 100?
The 2024 race was won on the women’s side by American ultrarunner Katie Schide, who posted 15:46:57 before going on to win the UTMB – another beast – later that summer. Fellow American Jim Walmsley was the fastest man at the 2024 Western States 100, having covered the course in a brilliant 14:13:45. This was not far off the 14:09:28 that Walmsley ran at the race in 2019, which doubles as the men’s course record.
Courtney Dauwalter, also from the US, holds the women’s course record, having clocked 15:29:33 when she won the race for the second time in 2023. That year, Dauwalter also secured a historic treble by becoming the first person – male or female – to win the Western States 100, Hardrock 100 and UTMB in a single calendar year.
The Western States 100 has seen many multi-time champions – not just Walmsley and Dauwalter. American ultrarunner Ann Transon holds the most wins, having racked up 14 victories at the race from 1989 to 2003. Meanwhile, Scott Jurek has won the men’s competition the most times, having finished first for seven consecutive years from 1999.
and Lily Canter Beth Pascall won the women’s competition in a time of 17:10:42 in 2021, which, at the time, was the second-fastest women’s finish in a 100-mile race in history. Meanwhile, British endurance athlete Tom Evans of the world’s best running cities.
You can find out more about the Western States here.
