Western States 2025: The Grind, the Heat, and the Final Mile

5th place. 14 hours and 36 minutes.

One spot lower than last year, but no less satisfying. Even though my goal was a podium, Western States 100 can’t just be about placing — it’s about showing up, solving the puzzle of the day, and seeing it through. This year, I felt like I gave everything, and a 5th is what I ended up with.

With that said, let’s get into a bit of a race day recap:

Race morning

Race day begins with a 2:30 a.m. alarm. I get up groggily — not a great sleep, but not terrible either, considering. First thing on the agenda is breakfast. Just the standard - two bits of toast with butter and honey, chewing carefully so nothing heavy sits in the stomach. I make sure everything’s properly digested. A coffee follows, then a Precision Fuel & Hydration carb drink sipped right up to the start.

Arriving into Palisades Village, I’m almost eerily calm. The pressure and nerves I’d felt the day before have faded. There’s nothing left to do but race. I know what’s in front of me. I’ve done the work. I’ve got people here who’ve come a long way to help me make this count. And that in itself feels like a privilege.

It’s a stacked field. Lining up beside some of the best in the sport — including my adidas TERREX teammates — is a moment to soak in. But truthfully, I’m not thinking too much about my competitors. I’m focused inward, on my own race.

Paul Lind (coach of Emily and a Western States legend) fires the shotgun and we’re off. There’s an early jostle for position, but the pace doesn’t settle like it normally does — it stays hot. I find myself hiking some of the usual steeper sections while the others run. I try not to burn too many matches. I hit the escarpment about 30 seconds off the front pack. Not ideal, but no panic. The pace has been hard. I stay in my own rhythm, trusting that there’s still time to move later.

Photo credit to @stu.dio.hatlen on instagram

Early grind

Through Lyon Ridge and Red Star Ridge I start picking off a few runners. It felt like I was working hard and strangely, I hadn’t bridged the gap to the front pack — even on the runnable sections, the leaders were really moving this year. Still, I wasn’t panicking. I knew this course rewards patience.

By Duncan Canyon, I’m into a better flow. I see my crew for the first time — Johnny and Sam from Precision have it under control. I get iced up, topped up, and keep pushing.

Adam Peterman and I chat on the way down into the valley — even he says the pace has been spicy. We pass Jeff Mogavero who said he’s going to cruise the climb to manage his heart rate - smart guy. Everyone’s burning energy early. From Robinson Flat onward, I’m hoping the runnable terrain will give me a chance to keep clawing it back.

Robinson is a special checkpoint. I see my parents, the Top Sport Kayaking crew, and my adidas TERREX teammates. It’s not even a third through the race, but the damage is stacking up. I get cooled off, reloaded, and head out — trying to channel last year’s good vibes as I had run with Hayden Hawks on this next section of 4WD tracks.

Into the furnace

From the next crewed aid at Dusty Corners, down into the canyons, it’s baking. Easily 35°C+, maybe pushing 40 in the valleys. At Last Chance, the final uncrewed stop before the canyon plunge, I top up bottles and ice, then descend into what’s always a brutal section.

At Devil’s Thumb, I see Hayden and Ashley Hawks. That lifts me. Third place isn’t too far up the trail. But the climb out of El Dorado Canyon to Michigan Bluff is still one of the hardest stretches of the race. I’m able to run parts I hadn’t before, but it takes everything.

At Michigan Bluff, I’m absolutely ruined. My crew said I looked straight through them. Photos confirm it — blood nose, cooked expression. The heat and effort were real. They reloaded me, iced me, and sent me on. I catch David Roche leaving the aid station, which is a boost. But Seth Ruhling passes me soon after — a little hit to morale, but I try not to dwell on it.

From there, it’s into Volcano Canyon, another tough stretch that I know well from training. It’s hot, relentless, but I’m moving okay. Eventually, I get to Foresthill and link up with Sam Manson to pace me through to Ruck a Chucky.

Foresthill to the river

This is the section I’d really hoped to make the most of smooth, runnable trails where I should be making up time. But after the first 100K in this heat, it’s a grind. Sam does a great job keeping me eating and drinking every 20 minutes. I’m not flying, but I’m moving.

I don’t see another runner all the way to Ruck a Chucky. It’s disheartening. I thought I was moving well, but when I reach the river, I learn I haven’t gained any ground on the front — in fact, they’ve taken time out of me. I take a breath and have an internal reset: there’s still 35K to go. Time to dig deep.

This is where I pick up Cole Campbell my mate and adidas TERREX teammate.

Final push

Cole does great — same drill as Sam, keeping me sharp. At the first uncrewed aid station, we’re smooth. Then I spot Seth again, not far up the trail with his pacer Adam Merry. Time to move. I grab a few deep breaths and go. We make the pass, and it feels good. But I’ve got huge respect for Seth — his first 100-miler, and he holds it together for a really solid day.

At Pointed Rocks, with 10K to go, I see my crew for the last time — my parents, the Precision guys, my adidas TERREX team. They tell me to keep moving, but also to try and enjoy it. These moments don’t come around often. And I try to. I’m not quick through this section, but I keep moving.

Robie Point — one mile to go. Julia from adidas TERREX, Johnny from Precision, my crew — we run it in together. Onto the track. That last 400 meters always hits different. It’s hard to even talk about it now, but of course it’s worth it. That feeling doesn’t fade. I spot my parents in the seating above the finish line, they cheer me through.

After I crossed the line, it’s a real blur. I’ve seen clips from that moment but can’t recall it too well. My cousin probably said it best where it looks like I’m stumbling in search of a chair that isn’t there.

Beyond that moment is the obligation to try do my drug test (rehydrating and waiting for the body to want to urinate) and then it was a real privilege to cheer in my adidas TERREX teammates — Abby Hall, who had an incredible run to win the women’s race (also a fellow Suunto athlete). The women’s team brought it home strong, with Hannah Allgood in 7th, Caitlin Fielder (go Kiwi!) in 8th, and Emily Hawgood in 10th. A massive showing from the squad.

Photo credit to @velofilia_photographer on instagram

What I take away

My time in the end was 14 hours and 36 minutes. I finished in fifth place. One spot down from last year, but still in the mix — still consistent. And in a field this deep, on a day this hot, I’m proud of that. Of course, I want to be further up. But I gave everything. I stayed in it. I feel like I showed up. That’s what Western States is all about.

The guys that I haven’t mentioned too much in this article are Caleb (first), Chris (second), and Kilian (third) and that’s because although close at times, especially to Kilian I never really got to spend much time running with them. Kudos to them for really sticking it. Especially, to Caleb as a new Dad, mad respect to that. It was pretty cool to see his pictures from the finish-line.

And for now, it’s about letting the body & mind recover back home in NZ. It’s far from 35 degrees here, but it’s home and it’s so good for the soul.

If you’re keen to do a deeper dive into my experience, I’ll be running an AMA session with my paid subscribers next Thursday night, 17th July at 7:30pm NZT. Would love to see you there and answer any questions you have on the race itself, nutrition, stats, the heat or whatever will help you on your journey.

Thanks again for all your support