Riley Brady finished second at the 2026 Western States 100 at their third go at the event. In the following interview, Riley talks about the sensory overload during the initial miles of the race, chasing Jenn Lichter through the second portion of the course and being chased by a fast-closing Caitlin Fielder to the finish, and the stomach issues that slowed them down late in the race.
For more on how the race played out, read our in-depth 2026 Western States 100 results article.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to watch it.]
Riley Brady Post-2026 Western States 100 Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Eszter Horanyi with iRunFar, here with Riley Brady after their second-place finish at the 2026 Western States 100. How does that feel?
Riley Brady: Exciting. I’ve had a couple bad years here and so to have a pretty good year, I’m happy.
iRunFar: Let’s talk about it because 2023, you finished 19th?
Brady: 14th, I think.
iRunFar: 14th. Five hours slower than you ran yesterday. That’s a big improvement right there. When you were looking at your watch, were you like, “This is a lot faster than 2023”?
Brady: I wasn’t looking at my watch that much. I knew it was going to be faster than 2023. I was throwing up a lot in 2023 and I just was like, “This is my first Western States, I need to finish. I need to get through this.” And, yesterday, I was having a much better day than 2023.
iRunFar: We were just talking off camera that you did have a little bit of throwing up going on here. Can you relay that story on camera?
Brady: I think I messed up my sodium pretty early on. I’m a pretty low salt person, but I really didn’t have any. Kind of lost my vision I think because of that and then trying to right the ship with that, I think maybe went a little overboard on the salt and had some puking problems towards the end, but was able to hold on for second.
iRunFar: And very well. Again, a very, very fast time. I’d love to just back up a little bit because earlier this spring you raced Black Canyon [100k]. People could go really fast and were like, “That wasn’t a great result for them,” but maybe not a result you wanted. And then you turned it around in Canyons 100k, you absolutely crushed it. What happened between those two races that turned that around so drastically?
Brady: For me, it’s always the nutrition. It’s always like, “Am I vomiting?” Or if I’m not vomiting, it’s probably going to be a decent day at least. I think with Black Canyon, I just did not feel good from the start. I was puking before the race started, and so I did a lot to try and mitigate that potential for Canyons. Yeah, Canyons wasn’t a perfect day either, but to be able to get further into the race before the vomiting starts is always a good thing.
iRunFar: The vomiting is the limiting factor.
Brady: Totally.
iRunFar: All of it.
Brady: 100%.
iRunFar: What causes it? I’m sure that’s the million-dollar question, right?
Brady: No, I think I’ve been circling the drain on this. I think for me it’s got a bunch of different sources. I think some people are just more sensitive than others and I think sometimes it’s a nutrition piece. Sometimes I think it’s a nervous system piece, like the lights and the noise of things like the Escarpment. I wore earplugs this year and that was really key for me. I was literally covering my eyes going over the Escarpment because the camera people get way down low and they’re flashing in your face.
iRunFar: Sorry about that.
Brady: So yeah, just trying to eliminate that sensory input I think helps keep my nervous system a little more regulated.
iRunFar: And, so, circling back to yesterday morning at the Escarpment, it feels like you ran with the lead group for a while. Walk me through that process.
Brady: Didn’t feel like it. I saw all the adidas girls up ahead and I was like, “Well, see you later.” I didn’t really know where I was in the pack probably until after Devil’s Thumb.
iRunFar: I feel like you and Jenn [Lichter] were passing that lead back and forth. With the hindsight, you guys were passing that lead back and forth and then she put the hammer down going up to Devil’s Thumb. Walk me through that first bit of the race.
Brady: I didn’t know then. I thought Jenn and I were just going back and forth. I thought there was another lead pack out ahead of us. Jenn and I ran together for a little bit through the section right before Miller’s Defeat, and then, she’s just a really good descender, like really put the boots to it down into those canyons. I was really impressed.
iRunFar: Do you feel like you were climbing faster than her to make up those gaps?
Brady: I have no idea. I couldn’t see her. Until I got to the top of Devil’s Thumb, Katie Schide said, “Jenn”s got four minutes on you.” I was like, “Great, well, where’s the rest of the pack?”
iRunFar: Was that the first time you knew you were in second?
Brady: That was the first time I was like, “Am I in second?”
iRunFar: Oh, wow. You had no …
Brady: No clue.
iRunFar: That’s wild. With all the people out there, no one …
Brady: I think just aid stations are chaotic. It’s hard to see out ahead of you and if you exit before other people you’re like, “Well, I know this, this, and this person were running ahead of me and I never passed them.” So you think like, “Oh, they’re still ahead of you.”
iRunFar: What was the reaction like when you learned that you were second?
Brady: I think I was just pretty in the zone. It’s never over till it’s over. You can’t celebrate or feel defeated before the race is done. You just have to keep the hammer down as much as you can.
iRunFar: I feel like that whole middle section of the race, Jenn would open a little bit of a gap, you’d close that gap. I saw you coming through Rucky Chucky and you looked so focused crossing that river, like you knew Jenn was right up ahead. Were you in full chase mode that whole time?
Brady: Yeah. You’re not really getting updates on the Cal Street section, but yeah, crossing the river, my friend Abby, who’s on the media, was down there and she’s like, “Jenn’s 90 seconds ahead.” So I was pushing pretty hard, but at that point I also was trying to manage some nausea. So it’s a balance between the two of try to keep it down because you’re going to slow down if you keep losing calories and fluid.
iRunFar: Did the pukies keep going after the whole second half of the race or were you okay?
Brady: For me, it was pretty good. I think I threw up six times, which feels better than some other experiences I’ve had, but certainly not ideal.
iRunFar: I have to ask, what’s the most number of times you’ve puked in a race?
Brady: Oh, I have no idea, but it was probably my first year here at Western States. I threw up a lot.
iRunFar: I love how talking about puking is just completely normal. “Yeah, we puked. It’s fine.”
Brady: Got to move on.
iRunFar: Got to move on. Then after the river crossing, it felt like Jenn really opened up that gap and took that elastic snap.
Brady: I was losing time with the vomiting for sure in that section. When I was moving, I was moving pretty well, but then I had to stop a few times and it’s just like I couldn’t stop throwing up. It’s pretty violent. I lost time in that section for sure.
iRunFar: Due to vomiting.
Brady: Yeah.
iRunFar: Lots of vomiting. Given that you’ve had a, not troubled history, but you’ve had two not super great races here, coming around that track in second place, what were those emotions?
Brady: It’s hard in the moment. You’re just so focused on getting to the finish line. I don’t think I let myself realize that until I was in the last 100 meters and then I was like, “Okay, we did it. We got here second.”
iRunFar: Did it surprise you?
Brady: I think it’s hard to know. There’s always so much hype before these races and anything can happen in ultras. You never know who’s going to fall or what issues are going to pop up for different people. I knew going into this that I was capable of competing with the front of the field.
I am never going to say, “Oh, I’m the one who’s going to win this race.” You can’t know that, but I was pretty confident I can at least compete with the front of this field. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. We’re all strong athletes and that’s part of the fun of the day is like, “Who has everything click on that day? Who gets their moment?” I went into this expecting to, wanting to be up at the front.
iRunFar: Then with the hindsight of what, we’re less than 24 hours out, do you feel like you nailed it? Are you happy with how you … All in all?
Brady: I feel like I made some mistakes, so I think I’ve got some time on the table.
iRunFar: Is that a hint that next year you’ll be back too?
Brady: Yeah, I’ll be back. For sure.
iRunFar: Riley Brady, congratulations on your second place finish-
Brady: Thank you.
iRunFar: … at Western States 100.
Brady: Thank you.
