In the summer of 2001, when my family and I relocated from Phoenix, Arizona, to Oakland, California, I had no idea that over the following quarter century, I’d become friends with 14-time Western States 100 winner and former course record holder, Ann Trason, or that both of our journeys would bring us back to Phoenix for the 2025 Across the Years.
Watching Ann, who is currently battling rheumatoid arthritis, take her walker 112.8 miles over the course of the six-day event last week showed that while a lot can change over 25 years, some things very much stay the same.
California Years
In 2001, I had moved to Oakland to begin the first administrative job of my career in education, and was early in my ultrarunning journey. I was eager to embrace the local San Francisco Bay Area trail running scene, and luckily for me, the community was one of the most welcoming I had ever met. There was a large Tuesday-night group trail run organized by veteran ultrarunner John Medinger, which met at the Woodminster trailhead in the Oakland Hills. The runs were of all different paces, and the group was as eclectic as you would expect in a diverse place like the Bay Area. More often than not, there were more than a few ultrarunning luminaries who would show up for these group runs, Ann being one of the most notable.
Ann Trason at the 1994 Western States 100. Photo: Western States 100
I remember the first time I met Ann on one of these runs. A small group of us was cruising along one of the ridgelines, and she casually asked who I was and what I was training for. I was admittedly a bit star-struck in the moment, but we chatted for a bit, and from that day forward, we ran together from time to time and saw each other at races — including the Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Mile, which Ann directed — and also at Medinger’s annual “101st Mile Party” each October.
As I became more involved with the Western States 100 community, my relationship with Ann continued to evolve. As the years went by and Ann no longer ran the race, she became an annual fixture at the Michigan Bluff aid station during the Memorial Weekend Training Runs, which also served as the Michigan Bluff Social Club’s annual gathering. Those weekends were some of the best of my running career.
Over the past decade or so, I saw Ann less and less as she developed rheumatoid arthritis and no longer spent as much time out and about as she once did.
Arizona Reunion
Needless to say, I was overjoyed when I learned that Ann would be coming to Arizona to participate in the Across the Years Six Day race at the end of December. When race day dawned, the ultrarunning world lit up as reports and photos surfaced of Ann completing laps of the course with the help of a walker. After the first day, she had completed nearly 20 miles and was well on her way to achieving her goal of a 100-mile belt buckle, which she ultimately earned in the afternoon of the fifth day.
Ann on her way to a 100-mile belt buckle at the 2025 Across the Years. Photo: Jesse Ellis/Let’s Wander Photography
I was honored to spend a couple of hours with Ann on the last morning of the event and was thrilled, after all these years, to share some miles with such a legend. I was also struck by the incredible outpouring of love and admiration that emanated from all of the participants and spectators at Across the Years. You could feel the electricity in the air as Ann completed each lap, doing so with a wry smile on her face and a glint in her eye.
Ann’s good friend and co-Western States race founder Shannon Yewell Weil wrote after the 100-mile finish, “Old ultrarunning champions never die — rather they roll out the walker, crown themselves with a jester hat, and march right back to the start line.”
What an inspiration to us all!
Bottoms up!
Ann, 14-time winner of the Western States 100, covered 112.8 with a walker at the 2025 Across the Years Six Day race. Photo: Jesse Ellis/Let’s Wander Photography
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Legend Brewing Company in Richmond, Virginia. Legend Porter is a rich, creamy Porter with a generous taste of slightly burnt toast and a super smooth finish. Full-bodied with a touch of chocolate and coffee, Legend Porter is a perfect winter beer.
Call for Comments
- Were you at Across the Years to watch Ann? What was it like there?
- Do you have an Ann story you’d be willing to share with us?
