Western States 2025

I had a great time watching the Western States 2025 this past weekend. I woke up at 3am to drive up to Olympic Village, where I got some free pre-race coffee before hiking up the escarpment with Nano. We saw a few acquaintances at the top and continued just over the bump to maybe be the furthest along spectators. 

The runners came by, David Roche in the lead, and GOAT Kilian Jornet the only elite smiling. Then I recognized a few friends, and then somebody recognized *me*, which was crazy since I wasn't the one wearing a bib with my name on it.

"Garret Christensen! I'm an [X] graduate, we went to undergrad together."

"Uhh... Stalk me on Strava!"

"I already tried that!"

All as he was running by. I was able to figure out his name from his bib and the race roster, but it doesn't ring a bell and we haven't yet communicated to figure out what classes we had together.

Nano and I ran a nice look with the Granite Chief Trail, and then drove over to Michigan Bluff, which was already blazing hot. We ran down to El Dorado Creek (mile 53) and hung out for a few minutes in the cool water, and left to go back up just as Caleb Olson and Chris Meyers came in #1 and #2. Several minutes later as we were climbing up, Kilian passed us, and we eagerly cheered him on. He cracked a joke and seemed like he was in control, if not the lead.

Nano and I climbed back to Michigan Bluff as the top 10 men passed us, and we drove back to Foresthill (mile 62). I saw Yuch and Jan who were there to pace Megan. The leaders came by, top 3 in the same order. Just as David Roche struggled back into Foresthill in the wrong direction to drop, I drove to Driver's Flat to go to the river. But the shuttles weren't quick, so I wasn't going to make it to the river (mile 78) to see the elites cross, so I drove way down to Cool to Pointed Rocks aid station (mile 94). There I caught 1, 2, and 3, all in the same order as before. Kilian ended up very nearly closing the gap on #2 but not quite.

It was scorching hot all day, and I'd run 20 miles with 5,000' vert, but my volunteer shift at Foresthill was just beginning. (I was already late.) And unbeknownst to me my volunteer job involved running! We welcomed runners and pacers in the chute, kept crew on the outside, and helped them get what they needed (or just wished them well if they had crew and didn't need anything).

Because I'd gone all the way to Pointed Rocks I didn't get to see my 24-hour pace friends come through Foresthill but I did see friends from Reno and DC who finished in the golden hour (and just a few minutes apart). It was fun to try and give them a boost.

I couldn't stay awake any longer, so I left around 11pm. Somehow I thought I was going to drive home but that was obviously a dumb idea, so I pulled over and slept after probably 15 minutes or less driving. I hadn't brought anything to sleep in or on, but I just laid the driver's seat back and was out like a light. Slept better than I can ever remember in a tiny sedan unable to lie down or straighten my legs.

All in all, a great day seeing so many friends, getting in some good miles and vert, suffering in the heat, and cheering on some of the greatest runners in the world.

If I do it again next year (Kilian, come again! How poetic would it be for you to finish 3rd, then 1st the next year, and then go 3 and 1 again 15 years later?!) I'd want to spend a few minutes less at Foresthill for the elites in order to go catch them again at the river, which I can only imagine is a more interesting place to watch than Pointed Rocks, and would be less driving (but either a bumpy shuttle or a dusty run down the road). And I'd pack my sleeping pad so I could sleep comfortably in the car after volunteering till the very end of the Foresthill aid station.