The Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run kicks off in California tomorrow. It's one of the biggest ultras in the US. For the past three years I've followed this race closely partly because of its distance and partly because I lived in California for 27 years. The winter snowpack in the Sierra was higher than normal this year, and the early parts of the race will be extra challenging because of that. On the other hand, in the lower elevations the temps should be cooler than normal, which should make for faster than usual race times. Hayden Hawks is my sleeper pick on the men's side, and Courtney Dauwalter on the women's. The event will be live streamed and yes, I will be watching even though I know I will never run this race (a 50K ultra is my max). Godspeed to all the runners.
