After finishing fourth in last year’s race and fifth the year before, New Zealand’s Dan Jones is looking to move up further at the 2025 Western States 100. In the following interview, Dan talks about why he keeps coming back to this race, his lead up to the event this year with time spent in the U.S., and a hint about his race plan on Saturday.
To learn more about who’s racing, check out our men’s and women’s previews before following our live race coverage on race day.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to access it.]
Dan Jones Pre-2025 Western States 100 Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Bryon Powell of iRunFar here with Dan Jones before the 2025 Western States 100. How are you, Dan?
Dan Jones: I’m very good, thank you. It’s good to be here in Olympic Valley again.
iRunFar: Yeah, you’ve been in the States for a little while now. How long have you been over?
Jones: Yeah, I came over directly after the UTA 50k [Ultra-Trail Australia] race I did towards the end of May, and then I came over for the Memorial States training weekend, which is great to get back on the course. I went from there over to Cedar City to spend some time with the [Hayden and Ashley] Hawks and catch up with them and do some good training as well. It’s good, it’s been a good block.
iRunFar: Probably some solid heat training over in Southern Utah this time of year.
Jones: We had some hot days and some cooler days, and then I was able to get down to St. George to really get some good heat in one of the days as well. So, I’ve had a good mix in with a bit of passive heat training as well. I think, well, yeah, you’re as prepared as you’re going to be at this stage.
iRunFar: Nothing you can change right now, right?
Jones: That’s it.
iRunFar: So, you’ve been fifth here, you’ve been fourth here. What have you learned along the way?
Jones: Hopefully enough to get onto that podium this time around.
iRunFar: [laughs] You’ve done the math on the progression as well.
Jones: Yeah, it’s like plus one, I mean minus one. No, it would be nice, you know, you put together like a solid training block and I think you do almost what you can do in training, and then it all comes down to your mindset on race day and execution of what you’ve put together leading up to it. So, I’m going to have a great crew around me. I’m feeling really positive this year and I’ll just go out there and do what I can do.
iRunFar: Nice. So, I’d imagine after a first time in a race like Western States where there’s a lot of different variables than other races, you learn a lot before the second one. Have you implemented anything new either in training or for race day heading into your third run here?
Jones: Yeah, I think the big emphasis this year has been on heat training and I’ve probably done a little bit more. I don’t think I’ve gotten as hectic as what some people have with massive long runs and over 100-degree heat. But yeah, I’ve certainly practiced like, putting on an extra layer and then a jacket over the top and just sweating a bit more. You know, I think each year I’ve been learning a bit more on my nutrition side of things. Like I’ve really kept my nutrition simple, but practicing, testing the gut, like making sure that I can basically sustain about 100+ grams of carbs in most of my races now.
iRunFar: Per hour. That’s working for you?
Jones: Yeah, it’s worked well. And I mean, I’ve had a pretty solid season so far with title weather at UTA, Lake Sonoma [50] Mile as well. And all of those races, I think, you know, it’s just experience. And through that experience, I’ve learned that I can handle it. I mean, it may be different when it’s over 100 degrees in the canyons, but you know, you’ve got to also be adaptable as well. And you know, that comes with it, comes with racing.
iRunFar: Did you have that 100 gram per hour approach last year at Western States or is that more since then?
Jones: It was probably 90 to 100 grams last year. And I think I did hit about that. But yeah, I think every year as well, like you’re also just trying to test the limits a bit more in training and nutrition with the heat. So hopefully it all just comes together where the stomach is settled and it can just let you push it on race day.
iRunFar: But you’re willing to back off that upper limit if conditions?
Jones: Well, I think you have to sometimes. Otherwise, you might end up spending more time on the side of the track rather than, you know, not.
iRunFar: Yeah, right on. Aside from your success at Western States, you had a great fourth place at CCC, you won Tarawera 100k, correct?
Jones: Yes
iRunFar: Is your confidence building over the years at running successfully at these really long distances?
Jones: Yeah, yeah, the confidence does as well. And I think you do more of these interviews, you just get used to a bit more of the professional-type lifestyle as well. So, I’ve only been with adidas Terrex since just after Tarawera last year. So just over a year now. And I think with their support, I’ve been able to dial in maybe some of those extra 1% at home, just the recovery side of things, the strength side of things as well. I’d say the confidence is definitely high with good performances and just more experience beneath me.
iRunFar: This race is really interesting this year. You have like, really successful people like [Rod] Farvard, yourself, who’ve been consistent, or like, ran really solid races in the past year at Western States. And then you have some more wild cards that have had great success. You have Adam Peterman, who’s won here, but didn’t get to race it for a couple years. David Roche kind of throwing some extreme ideas to the wind. And then, you know, probably the best ultrarunner the last 25 years in Kilian [Jornet] showing up at the line. How do you mix, maybe, a consistent approach that you’ve had at Western States, knowing that there’s these real, you know, the competition is just really strong here?
Jones: It is, but in the end like, I was racing Jim [Walmsley] and Hayden and Rod last year and was definitely in the mix for some of the race. So, the way I see it is that there may be these big names coming through this year, but there’s still that 14-hour kind of time in mind. And I was right there amongst it. And there’s no reason why, just because the big names, you hear all the chat around the race, there’s no reason why it’s not going to play out in a similar situation where we’re all just racing hard for that win.
iRunFar: You said you were up there racing those people at the front. Is there a moment that, if you were to go back in time that, like, you could change? Either to have been more aggressive or to have eased off for half an hour? Are there any lessons you learned in that racing at the very front?
Jones: I don’t think I would have eased off. You know, I always want to put myself in the mix. I don’t go there to race and then like, try and chase too much. And it was really interesting because Hayden, myself, Jim, we all kind of went through Last Chance together, started that descent down to Swingy Bridge. And yeah, I felt it going through the canyons last year. But I just want to almost like, I almost think back thinking, Okay, I think there’s time for me to make up in the last 60k of the course. And whether that’s saving a little bit more energy or just looking after myself a little bit better, I don’t know which one of those ways it will swing this year. But hopefully it’s like, I can still push hard and just be right there in the mix. And then I can just go from there. But I don’t want to give away my race plan, you know.
iRunFar: No worries. I wasn’t trying to get that out of you.
Jones: Everyone’s probably saying the same thing. Everyone says there’s a lot of racing after Foresthill. And of course there is. And I think yeah, if I’ve got the legs, there’s no reason why I can’t finish strong and be in that really good position.
iRunFar: And it’s probably going to take one of those magic days where you run really well for 100k and then still have 60k of racing in your legs to win or be on a podium at a race like this.
Jones: And that’s it. Because, you know, I’ve had those kind of races before. And I think every year that you turn up to, you know, the biggest stage, whether it be UTMB or Western States, then you just hope that race will happen. And you do everything in your power to make it happen. But some days it’s going to be, yeah, you’re going to be at like 97%. Maybe that day will be like 99.5% and you’ll get it.
iRunFar: Nice. I think you kind of answered in the opening. But, so you’ve already run here the last two years. What brings you back for a third straight run at Western States?
Jones: This was, you know, Western States was my kind of dream race going into trail running. As I transitioned from the road marathon to trail running, I was, you know, seeing these YouTube videos, seeing what it takes to win. Or, yeah, just like the effort required to get through that course. And so, I’ll just continue. I don’t know, I say this, I want to just continue having this race on my calendar as long as I can until I get that top performance.
iRunFar: Right on. Well, good to see you and good luck out there, Dan.
Jones: Appreciate it.
iRunFar: Oh, and a bonus question for you, Dan. So, what’s your favorite hobby outside of running?
Jones: I’ve got a few favorites to be fair. Massive into the diving, spear fishing, and then normal fishing and hunting. Yeah. Back home in New Zealand, like the great outdoors is just too good. Try and get amongst it. It’s great cross training and yeah, I just got a massive love for that.
iRunFar: You love being out in the bush and whatever it is.
Jones: I love it. Yeah, exactly.
iRunFar: Right on.
