All eyes were on the 2026 Western States 100 lottery on December 6, 2025, as the 11,328 runners in the pool — up from 9,993 from last year — eagerly waited to see if their name would be one of the 254 names drawn to fill out the 369-person field of the iconic 100-mile race from Olympic Valley to Auburn, California. There were 93,003 tickets in the lottery, and you can read more about the numbers behind the lottery process in our in-depth analysis of the 2024 lottery.
Arguably one of the most competitive lotteries for one of the most competitive races on the ultrarunning calendar, many runners wait years to have the chance to run across California’s Sierra Nevada mountains on the historic trail. The route, with its 18,000 feet of climbing and 22,000 feet of descending, takes in everything from high alpine terrain in the first 30 miles to the deep and scorchingly hot canyons of the middle section of the race, to the final fast and runnable miles leading to the Placer High School track. Known for its heat, the race is often one of attrition and ice.
Runners waiting for the start of the 2025 Western States 100. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
While non-elite runners have to take their chances in the lottery system, the front ends of the fields are generally dominated by those with automatic entries, including the top-10 finishers from the previous year and those who’d excelled at one of the six Golden Ticket Races, where the top two or three finishers receive a coveted entry to the big dance.
In this article, we run through the top runners currently on the entry list for the 2026 Western States 100, and we will continue updating this article as the calendar rolls through the remaining Golden Ticket Races.
You can check out all the runners who were lucky enough to gain entry through the lottery, as well as a current entrants list with everyone presently planning on toeing the line.
Women’s Top-10 Returnees for the 2026 Western States 100
As always, the top-10 women from the 2025 race were invited to return. In this case, every single one of them has elected to come back for another crack at the course, and if last year’s race is any indication, it’s going to be tight and fast racing again in 2026.
- Abby Hall – 16:37:16 (post-race interview)
- Fu-Zhao Xiang (China) – 16:47:09 (pre-race and post-race interviews)
- Marianne Hogan (Canada) – 16:50:58 (pre-race and post-race interviews)
- Ida Nilsson (Sweden) – 17:00:48
- Fiona Pascall (U.K.) – 17:21:52
- Hậu Hà (Vietnam) – 17:23:47
- Hannah Allgood – 17:39:02
- Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) – 17:47:26
- Keely Henninger – 17:57:24
- Emily Hawgood (Zimbabwe) – 18:11:05 (pre-race interview)
Abby Hall at Red Star Ridge (mile 15) on her way to winning the 2025 Western States 100. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Men’s Top-10 Returnees for the 2026 Western States 100
Unlike the women’s race, where all of the top 10 from 2025 are planning on returning, both Caleb Olson and Chris Myers, who were first and second last year, will focus on other pursuits in 2026 and won’t return to Olympic Valley. Peter Fraňo (Slovakia) has also opted out. This will leave the front of the field wide open with Kilian Jornet (Spain) as the top returning finisher from 2025.
Caleb Olson – 14:11:25(post-race interview)Chris Myers – 14:17:39(post-race interview)- Kilian Jornet (Spain) – 14:19:22 (pre-race and post-race interviews)
- Jeff Mogavero – 14:30:11
- Dan Jones (New Zealand) – 14:36:17 (pre-race interview)
- Seth Ruhling – 14:59:36
- Ryan Montgomery – 15:54:29
- Hans Troyer – 16:06:52
Peter Fraňo (Slovakia) – 16:10:44- Hiroki Kai (Japan) – 16:22:46
Kilian Jornet, who placed third in 2025 and won the event in 2011, is the top returning runner for the 2026 Western States 100. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Golden Ticket Races Entrants to the 2026 Western States 100
Oftentimes, the race to get into Western States 100 feels as competitive as the race itself, with runners having six opportunities in the year leading up to the event to secure their entry as part of the Western States 100 Golden Ticket Races. Three of the races — CCC, Black Canyon 100k, and Canyons 100k — award the top three men and women automatic spots, and the other three races — Javelina 100 Mile, Tarawera 100k, and Chianti Ultra Trail 120k — each hand out two spots to both the men and women.
If a runner in a Golden Ticket Races spot is already entered in the race, declines the spot, or is otherwise ineligible, the Golden Ticket rolls down to the next finisher, all the way to seventh place if needed.
Here are those who’ve received Golden Tickets for 2026 thus far:
Women
- Addie Bracy – Javelina 100 Mile
- Tara Dower – Javelina 100 Mile
- Martyna Młynarczyk (Poland) – CCC
- Sylvia Nordskar (Norway) – CCC
- Anna Tarasova (Spain) – CCC
Men
- Arnaud Bonin (France) – CCC (pending)
- Will Murray – Javelina 100 Mile
- Francesco Puppi (Italy) – CCC
- David Sinclair – CCC
- Canyon Woodward – Javelina 100 Mile
Tara Dower training for last year’s Western States 100 at home in Durango, Colorado. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Here is the entire Golden Ticket Races schedule:
- August 29, 2025 – CCC (France, Italy, Switzerland)
- October 25, 2025 – Javelina 100 Mile (Arizona, U.S.)
- February 14, 2026 – Black Canyon 100k (Arizona, U.S.)
- February 14, 2026 – Tarawera 100k (New Zealand)
- March 21, 2026 – Chianti Ultra Trail 120k (Italy)
- April 25, 2026 – Canyons 100k (California, U.S.)
Fast Runners With Other Automatic Entries to the 2026 Western States 100
In addition to earning an automatic entry through a top-10 finish or the Golden Ticket Races, a handful of speedy runners gain a spot in the race through auto-entry methods. There are some fast men and women who’ve earned a spot through this pipeline, and we’ve listed the way they secured their spot, if we know.
Women
- Amy Cameron – 7th 2025 Javelina 100 Mile; 2nd 2025 Miwok 100k
- Katherina Laan (Sponsor) – 1st 2025 Cuyamaca 100k; 1st 2024 Cascade Crest 100 Mile; 2nd 2024 & 2023 HURT 100 Mile; 1st 2022 San Diego 100 Mile
- Jenelle Potvin – 1st 2021 Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Mile; 2nd 2021 Silver State 50 Mile
- Marilee Woyth – 8th 2025 & 4th 2022 Run the Rut 28k; 5th 2024 Crazy Mountain 100 Mile
Men
- Jeff Browning (Sponsor) – 4th 2024 High Lonesome 100 Mile; 2nd 2024 Cocodona 250 Mile
- Jupiter Carera (Mexico) – 7th 2025 Canyons 100k; 2nd 2024 Black Canyon 100k
- Coree Woltering (Sponsor) – 1st 2023 Lake Sonoma Marathon; 9th 2021 Bandera 50k; 2020 Ice Age Trail FKT
Jupiter Carera running during the 2024 Western States 100. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Top Lottery Entrants for the 2026 Western States 100
As part of the December 6 lottery, 254 names were drawn. Of them, the following could be in contention at the front of the field.
Women
- Charissa Kenny – 6th 2025 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile; 1st 2024 Bighorn 100 Mile
- Sarah Ostaszewski – 3rd 2025 & 1st 2023 Cocodona 250 Mile; 3rd 2024 High Lonesome 100 Mile; 1st 2024 Cruel Jewel 100 Mile
Men
- Buck Blankenship – 3rd 2024 Mogollon Monster 100 Mile; 3rd 2022 Cruel Jewel 100 Mile; 6th 2021 Tushars 100k
- Zachary Garner – 2nd 2025 & 1st 2023 Bear 100 Mile; 7th 2025 & 5th 2023 Speedgoat 50k; 1st 2024 Trail Andorra 110k
- Justin Grunewald – 2nd 2025 Leadville 100 Mile; 2nd 2024 Tarawera 100k; 3rd 2023 Canyons 100k
- Thomas Hanlon – 2nd 2025 Vermont 100 Mile; 17th 2025 JFK 50 Mile
- Luke Jay – 5th 2025, 2nd 2022 & 1st 2019 High Lonesome 100 Mile; 10th 2024 Hardrock 100
- John Kelly – 3-time Barkley Marathons Finisher (2024, 2023 & 2017); 11th 2022 Hardrock 100
Top Waitlist Entrants for the 2026 Western States 100
Every year, many runners on the original start list drop out before the start date. This year, 75 runners were put onto the waitlist, and many will have a good chance of racing. The following are some fast folks currently on the waitlist.
Men
- Ted Bross – 6th 2024 Wasatch 100 Mile; 4th 2024 Bighorn 100 Mile; 3rd 2023 Cruel Jewel 100 Mile
- Jimmy Elam – 1st 2025 Cascade Crest 100 Mile; 2nd 2023 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile; 1st 2023 High Lonesome 100 Mile
- Kris Tyson – 2nd 2025 Crazy Mountain 100 Mile; 4th 2025 Jemez 50 Mile
Call for Comments
- Were you one of the hopefuls in the lottery this year? Did you get in?
- Who are your top picks to contend at the front of the races in 2026?
