Yeah, it's very hard to get into WS, so Kate was more than extremely lucky when she got in her first try. There is a limit of 369 runners, and a number of slots are automatically filled:
Automatics. The Western States Board of Trustees has instituted a set of rules around the overall selection process. There are several ways in which a runner may be automatically selected, and not be subject to the lottery. Here is a complete list of ways in which a runner may be automatically selected:
The only way your odds are bettered is:
All other runners’ names are put into a "Hat" and drawn at random by members of the audience at a public lottery held at Placer High School in Auburn each fall.
Each runner who enters the Lottery and fails to gain entry into the Run will have one additional name in the electronic Hat (for a total of two) when entering the Lottery the following year, thus improving the odds of being selected. Every lottery applicant will receive an additional name in the Hat for each consecutive failure to gain entry. As an example: If a runner applies and fails to gain entry three consecutive times, their name will be in the Hat four times when entered in the Lottery the fourth consecutive time. Conversely, if a runner enters the Lottery one year, is not chosen and does not enter the following year, they will not have an extra name in the Hat when applying the year after that.
You have to qualify every year, as well:
The Run is June 29-30, 2013.
Refer to the 2013 WS Qualifying Runs List for the list of approved qualifying events.
All runners registering for the 2013 lottery must complete a qualifying run between Sunday, November 13, 2011 and Sunday, November 11, 2012. Note: A run is considered to be within the qualifying period based solely on its start date. There will be no exceptions to the qualifying window.
All qualifying run results are posted on UltraSignup.com as soon as they are made available. RD's must in turn post their event results to UltraSignup.com prior to the end of the Application period, November 24, 2012. If you have completed a qualifier, but the results have not been posted within a reasonable length of time, contact the event's RD. If you do not have your qualifying time on file with UltraSignup by the close of the application period your name will not be entered into the lottery.
Proof of Qualification is established when the applying runner selects their valid qualifier during the 2013 WS online registration process on the UltraSignup site.
"Invites" will be sent to all "automatics." prior to the lottery.
Eight hours of volunteer work is required from each participant prior to the event. The eight (8) hours of trail work or volunteering at an organized ultra marathon or run must occur between March 1, 2012 and May 15, 2013. The Service Requirement Form(s) must be received by May 15, 2013. There will be no exceptions.
So, like I said, one can always dream.
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
Queen of 3rd Place
Hmmm...I thought that the qualifying runs had to be completed within a certain amount of time, I was told that you had to run WS under 11 hrs for example. I don't see that in what you've posted. And that service requirement, is that a way to get in, or is it something that everyone who will be running has to do? Sorry for my confusion!
Not that I plan to do it, or any 100 for that matter. At least it's not on the radar...not too many years ago if you'd ask me if I was ever going to run even one marathon, I would have said no.
Ex runner
In completing a qualified event, one of the following minimum times must be met:
a) 50 miles in under 11 hours
b) 100 kilometers in under 15 hours
c) 100-mile trail race within the official cutoff (i.e., that race's official cutoff, which would be 30 hours, could be 34 hours, could be 48 hours like Hardrock)
Mt. Hood was a qualifying 50-miler. If I'd completed it in under 11 hours, I would have been eligible to throw my name in the hat for a spot to run WS in 2013.
You have to do the above AND get in the 8 hours of volunteer time. So to run June 2013, you have to have completed your qualifying runs between November 13, 2011, and November 11, 2012, AND you have to complete 8 hours of volunteer work between March 1, 2012, and May 15, 2013.
The cutoff for the race is so you have time to recover and train for the run in June, in case you don't qualify until Nov 11, 2012.
Clear as mud??
Top 'O the World!
So, DH is qualified to throw his name in the hat for WS?! I'll be sure to let him know
Leslie - OK....I get it. Complicated!
I have a wide-open weekend. Since I just gave exams, there are no papers to grade this weekend! Yipeee!!!! Have a great weekend, everyone!
If he gets selected, it's a mere $370 entry fee!
Have fun with your wide-open weekend, Arla.
I've been so pooped lately, that Coach G 2 the V excused me from my 4 miles this morning. Bless his heart! As such, I drugged myself up last night and actually got 6 straight hours of sleep. Woke up and peed and kicked Wilson out at 3:00, went back to sleep 'til right before the alarm went off at 5:00 (was gonna see how I felt), turned it off, and rolled back over for another hour and a half. Haven't had that much sleep in ages! Oh my, but it felt good.
Leslie - sounds like you needed that sleep. You're working out pretty hard lately, aren't you? Plus extra work?
Easy 3 yesterday (those are always a kick, as in "I'm done ALREADY?"), 15 on tap late this afternoon, 8 or so on trails with Mark tomorrow. Going to the fair to eat few extra calories. Oh to heck with it, I'll come right out and say it, I'm going to eat some JUNK!
Trails are hard!
And why else would you go to the fair?
Glad you got a good night''s sleep, too, Leslie. You got to grab them when you can--not always easy.
Made it home about 9pm last night--only 11 nights away. got out early this morning (well, 8am anyway) for my lake loop of 3.1 miles. felt hard, but was pleasnatly surprised to see 9:29 pace. Not anywhere close to fast, but still better than expected, since I did a whopping 1.6 miles during the week after 9 miles last weekend in NC. the rest of the day has been sort of a couch potato day. Hope for more distance and productivity tomorrow.
Need a fast half for late fall. Then I need to actually train for it.
Oh my - I haven't had fair junk food in ages! I LOVED fair corn dogs. I could eat my way from one end to the other on corn dogs alone.
Glad you had a good run, Stumpy. Being a couch potato sounds nice; unfortunately, it'll be a few weeks before I can do that. *sigh*
A good 8 miles with Karen. When running with her, I have to slow down considerably, and GUESS WHAT?!? I always have a better run. Go figure.
Did some grocery shopping, sauteed some carrots, onions, garlic, and bacon for pea soup, am waiting for the peas to finish cooking, and then YUM! In the meantime - you guess it: transcription.
MTA: SOB is a 50k race in Ashland, OR, I have always loved doing in the past. It's a hard 50k, and my best time was 7:45 in 2009, AND I used the early start.
Two years ago, they started a 50-mile race which has a 13-hour time limit. In the past, the 50k runners have always had 9 hours to complete the race, and there was an early start at 6:00 a.m. For 2013, they have instituted a 7.5 hour time limit for the 50ks runners. What??? The following is an email I sent, not that it'll do any good, but I feel somewhat better:
Gentlemen - I felt compelled to write and tell you that I am very much disheartened at the 7.5 hour time limit that has been imposed on the 50k runners in 2013, especially in light of the fact there is no longer an early start. If you are wanting to get runners off the mountain earlier, why the 50-mile race with a 13-hour time limit? Why is a 9-hr time limit for the 50k runners no longer viable? SOB was always one those 50ks with which I had a love/hate relationship, and after two years of being unable to participate, I was looking forward to running it again next year. Your finisher T-shirts are, by far, my absolutely favorites, the course is tough but beautiful, and I always felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment crossing that finish line after the last torturous 3 miles. Unfortunately, I am a solid back of the pack runner, and with the imposition of the new time limit, you have effectively eliminated not only MY ability to run the race, but the ability of many others, as well. Understandably, Ashland is becoming the place for elite runners to train. Perhaps you are looking to cater more to them and it simply doesn't matter if a entire group of dedicated folks is being eliminated. I hope this is not the case as the number of elite runners are fewer than us mid and back-of-the-pack runners and we are the ones who help pay the bills. At some point in the future I hope you reconsider because I truly would like to someday come back to SOB. Thank you for listening. Sincerely, Leslie Ames Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain
Hey Stumpy! Nice running there young man! Nothing wrong with 9:29 pace! What's next for you, life going to settle down at all?
Leslie - that makes no sense about SOB. I hope your letter at least makes them reconsider. Have to say I'm very surprised that they're taking these steps, it seems to me the trail-running community has always been very back-of-the-pack-runner friendly. Glad you had a nice run with Karen, maybe some more slow running might be a good thing! Remember what Lydiard said, it's far better to run too slow than to run too fast.
Didn't get to do my 15 because of some family stuff I had to do for my mom. *sigh* She's getting a little worse about taking care of paperwork and taxes and such, it's a little inconvenient but she's close by and, well, that's life.
But I did get to go up bright and early to Yosemite and do some trail running in crisp, clear conditions. Realized I missed getting out on the trails, so I talked to Mark about maybe doing AR50 again maybe in 2014 and he's definitely game! During our run he regaled me with stories of Leona Divide and Javelina Jundred...after hearing all that, well, I think I'll stick with AR50!
The thing that scares me about Javelina is the fact there's no cover and the weather could be blistering hot one year and a downpour the next. Not the mention sand, sand, and more sand. No, I'm no so sure running a 100 in the desert would be my thing.
Got in 5 miles after church and then helped The Hub with the house painting by putting some coats of primer on window and door frames. He's working so hard at this, and I'm very proud of the job he's doing. Once it's all done, I'll post before and after pics. I LOVE the color!!
Okay - Off to type ~
Wow, is it ever dark still at 6:30 am!!! Must be almost time to dig out the Winter gear ~ including headlamp!!
Hey Stumpy! Great to see you back! I don't know how you do it!? seems these days it takes me 2-3 days to recover from road trips like that of course a few little runs blended with some quality couch potato time always just fixes me right up!
Shoot Leslie! I hope your letter has some effect! More likely they'll need to hear from a lot more folks about it to sway them though. I do wonder why they would do this? Kinda like Vegas RNR going to a 4.5 hr cutoff for both the marathon & half when most of the 28K crowd is btwn 4-5 hrs for the full?! It's a head scratcher when you think about how much $$ they're likely foregoing.
Glad you got your trail run in. Arla We got a brief reminder that those days are numbered this wknd ~ we got snow!! Jim & Lynda got a bit more than we did at either house loc. & this time of year it is def temporary, BUT!!! Get out there while you can! Glad your Mom is close. Mine isn't. And the most competent of the siblings are the ones who live furthest from her she's rehabbing from another back surgery, sooo, after trying to let our resident idiot help her out (we got two weeks out of that!), one of my older sisters has taken an extended leave from work to camp with her for the next 6 wks of her rehab therapy & will be helping sort out her paperwork & stuff while she's there...I have a feeling that by about Thanksgiving, I should look at going out to relieve her for at least a week or so...& then we'll need to chat about longer term solutions.
I thought about a nice longish trail run in the cooler weather of this wknd....really, really wanted to go out with the Denver Trail Runners to Kenosha Pass for a few hrs, but 1) DH just wouldn't budge for the longest time (& then said "no, I don't want to") & 2) I seem to have some type of minor GI bug these past few days :/ body feels good otherwise - I really do feel all recovered from the 50K & trying to be reasonably wiggly before Saturday's race...group run! Can't wait to see Kelly!! We also signed up for a fun little 5K the end of the month - haven't done a 5k in quite awhile! & I don't know how much running will be involved, but the race entry included a gorilla suit! DS#1 & his "friend" signed up too.
Cheers!!
C