Western States 100

Starting from the ski slopes of Olympic Valley at 6,200 feet, you are immediately faced with a brutal opening test: a 2,550-foot climb over 4.5 miles to the crest of Emigrant Pass at 8,750 feet. From this high alpine vantage, the route plunges into the granite-strewn singletrack and subalpine meadows of the high country. Although the event features a net-downhill profile, its roughly 18,000 feet of ascent paired with nearly 23,000 feet of quad-shattering descent make pacing crucial. The terrain transitions from exposed mountain ridgelines to rugged dirt trails, deep forests, and technical jeep roads that will test your downhill resilience.

As you descend from the high country into the Sierra Nevada foothills, the primary challenge morphs from thin air to suffocating heat. The notorious mid-race canyons, including Deadwood and El Dorado, trap midday summer temperatures that routinely soar into triple digits. You will climb out of these furnace-like ravines on narrow, switchbacked trails before crossing the frigid waters of the Middle Fork of the American River at Rucky Chucky. From there, the trail shifts to runnable yet deceptively undulating gold country paths, where fatigue, blown leg muscles, and lingering dehydration demand exceptional mental stamina all the way to Auburn.

If you are flying in, Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) serves as the most practical arrival point, situated roughly an hour's drive northeast of Olympic Valley via Interstate 80 and California State Route 89. Alternatively, Sacramento International Airport (SMF) lies approximately two hours southwest along I-80, making it convenient if you plan to base your crew closer to the Auburn finish line. Staying within the village at Olympic Valley or in nearby Tahoe City along the north shore of Lake Tahoe places you within easy reach of the starting precinct, while Auburn provides practical accommodations for support crews managing the later stages of the point-to-point course.

Plan to arrive several days early to acclimate to both the altitude and the regional climate. Olympic Valley sits well above 6,000 feet, and the earliest miles take you nearly to 9,000 feet, meaning unacclimated runners can quickly find themselves redlining. Late June in the Sierra Nevada features significant temperature disparities; expect crisp morning starts hovering in the 30s or 40s Fahrenheit, followed by fierce midday heat surpassing 90 to 100 degrees down in the lower river canyons. Parking at the Olympic Valley base area is straightforward for athlete check-in and the early morning start, but support crews must be thoroughly prepared with pre-planned routes and permits to navigate the limited, winding access roads connecting aid stations throughout Placer County.