Koerner ends winless streak; earns top honors at Western States 100mi Endurance Run at Trail Fit

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Koerner ends winless streak and earns top honors at Western States 100

Posted June 25, 2007 at 08:00 PM by Jessica Galvano

Section: Destinations, U.S.A., News, Race Recaps, Trail Running, Ultramarathons

Hal Koerner 2007 western states endurance run champion Sixth time’s a charm. For Hal Koerner, a sixth attempt at the Western States Endurance Run brought a long sought after victory. A five-year streak without title ended for Koerner Saturday night as he crossed a finish lined with spectators. At 9:12 p.m., Koerner received a winner’s welcome from a host of camera flashes and a freshly star-studded sky.

Although he finished third in 2004 and ninth in 2003, Koerner has returned to the renowned 100-miler each year with an eye for first. In his previous races, Koerner had remained with the pack, matching their steady pace rather than setting his own. Saturday, however, the Oregon ultrarunner ran almost every mile without the company of his fellow competitors.
His 2007 strategy: run alone, take the lead and keep it.

After a 5 a.m. start at Squaw Valley, Koerner set out at an aggressive pace, attacking the ascending California trails. He was the first runner to arrive at Lyon Ridge, the race’s 10.5-mile checkpoint. Into the eleventh mile, Koerner had already managed to separate himself from the field. Koerner took an early five-minute lead on Washington’s Phil Kochik, the only top-5 finisher in his twenties; second place finisher Erik Skaden remained eight-minutes back; and last year’s winner, Graham Cooper, trailed the leader by a full ten-minutes.

Koerner’s quick pace—never exceeding an average of just over nine and a half minutes per mile—kept him securely ahead of the competition. Minutes behind a charging Koerner, Kochik, Skaden, Cooper, and Jones-Wilkins battled for the remaining top-5 positions. Skaden moved into second place as he approached the 70-mile Peachstone aid station, a slowing Kochik still on his heels.
The 100-mile race, seemingly endless at the outset, intensified as the runners began to run out of trail. With Skaden comfortably in second place, Kochik, Cooper, and Jones-Wilkins vied for third. In the final seven miles, Cooper rallied with a late surge to settle the contest. Idaho’s Jones-Wilkins was fourth to finish, followed by a fifth-place Kochik.

Lacking the chaotic circumstances of the 2006 finish, this year’s 34th running of the Western States Endurance Run yielded impressive times and consistent performances. After leading the entire competition, 31 year-old Koerner crossed the line at Auburn’s Placer High in 16:12:16. Skaden finished 24 minutes later in 16:36:49 and fellow Californian Graham Cooper took third in 17:11:41.

Research sources and for more information:
[Auburn Journal], [WS100 Official Site]