Western States 100 2026 Results: Bouillard RECORD 13h46 (First Frenchman!), Lichter smashes Dauwalter’s mark
Olympic Valley, June 27, 2026. The 53rd Western States 100 — the most mythical ultra-trail in the world, 100.2 miles (161km) from Olympic Valley to the Placer High School track in Auburn, California — will go down as one of the greatest races in ultra-distance history. On a field billed as the deepest of the decade, with Jim Walmsley’s return, Kilian Jornet’s presence and French ambitions, it is Vincent Bouillard (🇫🇷, 32, Annecy) who enters the legend books. His time: 13h46’15” — a new course record erasing Jim Walmsley’s 14h09’28” (2019) by 23 minutes. First Frenchman in history to win the Western States, 7th runner to complete the UTMB (2024) + Western States double, Bouillard takes his revenge after dropping at mile 80 the previous year. The four top finishers ALL beat the old record — never seen before. Among women, American Jenn Lichter (30, Missoula) shatters Courtney Dauwalter’s record (15h29’33”, 2023) during her first 100-mile race in 15h28’05”, 11th overall. Walmsley (mi 62), Jornet (mi 38) and Hawks (mi 62) all drop out — a page turns. 322 finishers out of 370 starters (87%) — all-time record. Official results at wser.org.
Men’s Top 10 — Bouillard and 4 runners under the old record
The scenario is breathtaking. Hans Troyer (🇺🇸, 26) sets a record pace from the opening miles. Walmsley, Jornet, Puppi and Bouillard follow the tempo. Jornet drops at mile 38. Walmsley pulls out at mile 62 in Foresthill with a sore hip (“Not my day”). Hayden Hawks also falls at mile 62. The three stars of the past won’t be at Auburn. Bouillard is patient. He manages, he waits. At mile 85 (Auburn Lake Trails) he moves to the front — and never relinquishes it. He crosses the line in 13h46’15”, beating Walmsley’s record by 23 minutes and 13 seconds, a margin nobody thought possible. Behind him, the next three (Francesco Puppi 🇮🇹, Ryan Montgomery 🇺🇸, Thomas Cardin 🇫🇷) are also under the old record — unprecedented in WS history. Puppi and Cardin achieve this in their first-ever 100-mile race.
| Place | Last Name | First Name | Nat. | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 🥇 | BOUILLARD ⭐⭐ | Vincent | 🇫🇷 | 13h46’15” | RECORD (beats Walmsley 2019 by 23’13”!) |
| 2 🥈 | PUPPI ⭐ | Francesco | 🇮🇹 | 13h51’08” | Under old record! 1st 100-miler! |
| 3 🥉 | MONTGOMERY ⭐ | Ryan | 🇺🇸 | 13h53’55” | Under old record! |
| 4 | CARDIN ⭐ | Thomas | 🇫🇷 | 14h07’58” | Under old record! 1st 100-miler! |
| 5 | MILLER | Zach | 🇺🇸 | 14h20’09” | 1st WS |
| 6 | PETERMAN | Adam | 🇺🇸 | 14h26’11” | — |
| 7 | MOGAVERO | Jeff | 🇺🇸 | 14h38’36” | — |
| 8 | WOODWARD | Canyon | 🇺🇸 | 14h45’24” | — |
| 9 | MURRAY | Will | 🇺🇸 | 15h23’12” | — |
| 10 | KAI ⭐ | Hiroki | 🇯🇵 | 15h26’34” | Tokyo, 10th overall |
👉 Full men’s results — wser.org
⭐⭐ Vincent BOUILLARD (🇫🇷, 32, Annecy): first Frenchman to win the WS, 7th to complete the UTMB+WS double, Hoka footwear engineer part-time, coached by American Mario Fraioli. Total revenge after DNF at mile 80 in 2025. ⭐ Francesco PUPPI (🇮🇹): 1st 100-miler, under the record, 2017 World Mountain Running Champion (32km). ⭐ Thomas CARDIN (🇫🇷, 31, Cognin, Savoie): 1st 100-miler, 4th and under the record! DNF: Jornet 🇳🇴 (mi 38), Walmsley 🇺🇸 (mi 62), Hawks 🇺🇸 (mi 62).
Women’s Top 10 — Lichter 11th overall, closest gap in WS history
The women’s race is equally historic. Seven women within one minute at Duncan Canyon (mi 24) — extraordinary density. Jenn Lichter (🇺🇸, 30, Missoula, Montana) gradually breaks away from Riley Brady, moves ahead at the American River crossing (mi 78) and builds a 7-minute lead by Auburn Lake Trails (mi 85), running ahead of Courtney Dauwalter’s record. She crosses the line in 15h28’05”, 1’28” inside Dauwalter’s record, 11th overall — in her first 100-mile race. A time that would have won the WS in 36 of the previous 49 editions. The gap between the top 10 women (1h17’51”) is the tightest in WS history. Caitlin Fielder (🇦🇩 Andorra — El Tarter!) delivers a remarkable 4th, and Vietnam’s Hau Ha (🇻🇳, Sapa) completes a top 9 spanning 8 nationalities. Abby Hall (🇺🇸, defending champion 2025) drops at mile 80 (Green Gate).
| Place W | Last Name | First Name | Nat. | Overall | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 🥇 | LICHTER ⭐⭐ | Jenn | 🇺🇸 | 11th | 15h28’05” (RECORD, 1st 100-miler!) |
| W2 🥈 | BRADY ⭐ | Riley | 🇺🇸 | 12th | 15h42’14” |
| W3 🥉 | HOGAN ⭐ | Marianne | 🇨🇦 | 13th | 15h51’44” |
| W4 | FIELDER ⭐ | Caitlin | 🇦🇩 | 14th | 15h57’09” |
| W5 | BRINKS | Lotti | 🇺🇸 | 15th | 16h04’38” |
| W6 | DOWER | Tara | 🇺🇸 | 16th | 16h13’07” |
| W7 | XIANG | Fu-Zhao | 🇨🇳 | 18th | 16h25’59” |
| W8 | PASCALL | Fiona | 🇬🇧 | 22nd | 16h32’05” |
| W9 | HA | Hau | 🇻🇳 | — | 16h40’38” |
| W10 | ALLGOOD | Hannah | 🇺🇸 | — | 16h45’56” |
👉 Full women’s results — wser.org
Race Story — Bouillard’s Revenge, the Changing of the Guard
The 53rd edition gets exceptional weather: 51°F (10°C) at the start at 5am, a cool day peaking at 74°F (23°C) in Auburn — the 3rd coldest in history, 16°F below the historical average of 90°F. Perfect conditions for records. The men’s race starts flat out. Hans Troyer (🇺🇸, 26) leads at Emigrant Pass at record pace, pulling Puppi, Walmsley and Bouillard along. Jornet drops off the lead group and abandons at mile 38. Jim Walmsley, four-time winner whose shadow looms over the whole race, stops at Foresthill (mi 62) with a hip problem: “Not my day.” Hayden Hawks, double podium finisher, also drops at mile 62. The three past stars will not be in Auburn.
Vincent Bouillard is patient. He manages, he waits. He runs in a chase group, conserves energy, lets others tire. At mile 85 (Auburn Lake Trails) he moves ahead of Francesco Puppi — and it’s over. In 15 miles he opens an unbridgeable gap. He crosses the line in 13h46’15” — 8’14” per mile on average, over 161km with 5,500m D+. That’s 23 minutes better than Walmsley’s record, long thought untouchable. He becomes the first Frenchman to win the Western States and the 7th runner to complete the UTMB + Western States double. “A year after dropping on this same course at mile 80, I come back and break the record. I’m speechless.” The Walmsley-Jornet generation era is over. The new Bouillard-Puppi-Montgomery-Cardin generation takes over.
Historic Numbers from the 2026 Edition
- 🏆 13h46’15”: new WS men’s record (Bouillard), beats Walmsley 2019 by 23’13”
- 🏆 15h28’05”: new WS women’s record (Lichter), beats Dauwalter 2023 by 1’28”
- ⭐ 4 top men under the old record (14h09’28”) — never seen in WS history
- ⭐ 11th overall: Lichter — her time would have won the WS in 36 of the previous 49 editions
- 📊 87% finishers (322/370) — all-time finisher rate record
- 🌡️ 74°F (23°C) max in Auburn — 3rd coldest day in history, 16°F below average (90°F)
- ⏱️ 1h17’51” gap between the top 10 women — tightest in WS history
- 🌍 8 nationalities in the women’s top 9
Official Full Results
👉 FULL OFFICIAL RESULTS — wser.org · Full race recap iRunFar
- 📍 Olympic Valley to Auburn, California (Sierra Nevada) — June 27-28, 2026
- 53rd edition — 100.2 miles (161.3km) / 5,511m D+ / 7,001m D-
- 370 starters, 322 finishers (87% — all-time record)
- Exceptional weather: 51°F (10°C) start, 74°F (23°C) max — 3rd coldest in history
- Men’s record: Bouillard 13h46’15” (previous: Walmsley 14h09’28”, 2019)
- Women’s record: Lichter 15h28’05” (previous: Dauwalter 15h29’33”, 2023)
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Western States 100 Recent Results
| Year | Men’s winner | Time | Women’s winner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 🏆 ⭐ | Vincent Bouillard 🇫🇷 | 13h46’15” (RECORD) | Jenn Lichter 🇺🇸 | 15h28’05” (RECORD) |
| 2025 | — | — | Abby Hall 🇺🇸 | — |
| 2023 | Jim Walmsley 🇺🇸 | — | Courtney Dauwalter 🇺🇸 | 15h29’33” (ex-CR) |
| 2019 | Jim Walmsley 🇺🇸 | 14h09’28” (ex-CR) | — | — |
| 2011 | Kilian Jornet 🇳🇴 | — | — | — |
FAQ — Western States 100 2026
Who won the Western States 100 2026 men’s race?
Vincent Bouillard (🇫🇷, 32, Annecy) in 13h46’15”, new course record (beats Walmsley by 23 minutes). First Frenchman to win the WS, 7th to complete the UTMB (2024) + Western States double. The four top finishers ALL beat the old record: Puppi 🇮🇹 (13h51), Montgomery 🇺🇸 (13h54), Cardin 🇫🇷 (14h08).
Who won the women’s race?
Jenn Lichter (🇺🇸, 30, Missoula, Montana) in 15h28’05”, new women’s course record during her first 100-mile race (beats Dauwalter 2023 by 1’28”). 11th overall. Riley Brady 🇺🇸 2nd (15h42’14”), Marianne Hogan 🇨🇦 3rd (15h51’44”) — her 3rd WS podium (2022, 2025, 2026).
Did Bouillard set a new record?
Yes: 13h46’15”, 23 minutes and 13 seconds under Walmsley’s old record (14h09’28”, 2019). It is the first WS record broken since 2019. All four top men ran under the old record — unprecedented in the race’s history, aided by exceptionally cool conditions (74°F max vs 90°F average).
What happened to Jim Walmsley and Kilian Jornet?
Jim Walmsley (36, four-time winner and ex-record holder) dropped at mile 62 (Foresthill) with a hip injury: “Not my day.” Kilian Jornet (38, 2011 winner, 3rd in 2025) dropped at mile 38. Hayden Hawks (35, double podium finisher) also dropped at mile 62. The 2026 edition marks a generational shift for the sport.
What is the Western States 100?
The Western States Endurance Run is the oldest and most prestigious 100-mile (161km) ultra-trail in the world, founded in 1974 by Gordy Ainsleigh. It runs from Olympic Valley (former 1960 Winter Olympics venue, in the Sierra Nevada) to Auburn, California, crossing sun-baked canyons and the American River. 53rd edition in 2026. wser.org.
