Spirit of Western States

Latest episodes

Showing 10 · updated from the feed

The Western States Lottery, Explained: History, Qualifiers & FAQs with Tropical John

Over 11,000 runners entered last year’s Western States lottery, holding more than 93,000 tickets. How did it get this competitive, and how do you make sure your entry cou

Oct 19
56 min

2027 Season Kick-Off: Running OCC, CCC Golden Tickets & Lottery Season Ahead

Carrie and John kick off Year Two of the Spirit of Western States podcast with a first-hand recap of UTMB week in Chamonix — Carrie's experience running OCC, the ope

Sep 11
1 h 00 min

2026 Western States Recap: Records, Record Crowds, and the Sphere of Influence

Carrie Meng and John Trent recap the historic 53rd running of the Western States Endurance Run, from flag raising at Emigrant Pass to the Golden Hour finish. They break d

Jul 10
1 h 09 min

Crewing & Pacing Western States: Trail Angels, Race Rules, and Stories from the Trail

Three weeks out from the 2026 Western States Endurance Run, Assistant Race Director Carrie Meng and board member John Trent dive deep into everything crews and pacers nee

Jun 6
1 h 23 min

Eight Weeks Out — Canyons Golden Ticket Recap, Trail Report, Course Conditions, Waitlist Update, Pacers, and a Major 2026 Entrant Announcement

With eight weeks until the 2026 Western States Endurance Run, Carrie Meng is joined by John Trent and special guest Race Director Craig Thornley for a packed update. The

May 1
1 h 00 min

The Heart of the Run: Highlighting Volunteers & Important Race Updates

Episode 4: Spring Updates & The Road to Western States Welcome back to The Spirit of Western States, the official podcast of the world’s oldest and most iconic 100-mile

Apr 4
41 min

Golden Ticket Double Weekend Recap + WS100 Updates

In this episode, we break down the excitement from last weekend's double Golden Ticket races, where 10 coveted automatic entries to the Western States 100 were hande

Feb 18
1 h 05 min

The History and Evolution of Western States Aid Stations

Aid stations are the heartbeat of the Western States Endurance Run. In this episode of the Western States Podcast, we dive into the history of aid stations and the critic

Jan 18
1 h 15 min

Western States Lottery

Welcome to our very first episode! John Trent and Carrie Meng sit down to talk all things Western States, including the opening of lottery registration for the 53rd runni

Dec 12 2025
47 min

Western States Lottery Recap

We dive into all of the details and behind scenes planning of the Western States Lottery held this past Saturday, December 6.

Dec 9 2025
57 min