The 2018 Western States Endurance Run is shaping up to be a banner year for a group of nine rabbit athletes from across the country, and with race day just 4 days out, we wanted to introduce the dynamic group that will represent us across 100 grueling miles from Olympic Valley to the Placer High School track. In part one of our Western States racer preview, we go down the list in bib number order starting with our two Golden Ticket winners.
Photo by Christian Pondella
Kate Elliott (rabbitELITEtrail) - Santa Barbara, CA - #28
Setting her sights firmly on this past February's Sean O’Brien 100k, Elliot remained cool and calm under Southern California’s warm winter sun and went on to a commanding second place finish behind Courtney Dauwalter, claiming a Golden Ticket into Western States. After battling back from an injury this spring, Elliott has been training smart and preparing her mind for her first attempt at the 100 mile distance. With course knowledge from the Memorial Day Training Camp under her belt and a solid race day plan, we expect her to have a phenomenal States, experience competing with the best of the best in an incredibly strong women’s field.
Photo by Howie Stern
Eric Senseman (rabbitPRO) - Flagstaff, AZ - #38
Eric Senseman, like Elliott, secured his entrance into the States showdown in his final opportunity, just two months ago at the Lake Sonoma 50. Taking fourth behind Jim Walmsley, Jared Hazen and Mario Mendoza (all of whom already had spots in WS) Senseman punched his ticket in emphatic fashion on a hot April day in the wine country. With a short time period to recover and get in another block of training in, Senseman enters Western States with a conservative, yet precise plan looking to finish his first 100 miler strong and compete at the very front of the race until the end.
Photo by Eric Schranz
Adam Kimble (rabbitELITEtrail) - Tahoe City, CA - #118
With four 100 mile race podiums and epic runs across the entirety of America and England, Adam Kimble considers himself a hundred mile specialist. Originally from the midwest, Adam now calls Lake Tahoe home, and he’s been dreaming of toeing the line at Western States even before he moved to the Sierras. After a spring filled with impressive race results across shorter ultra distances, Adam has been focused on building a bigger endurance base the last two months to add to his already evident foot speed. Western States is shaping up to be an extremely impressive performance for this endurance guru.
Photo by David Silverander
Kris Brown (rabbitPRO/HOKA) - Santa Barbara, CA - #136
Since October 1st, 2016 Kris Brown has nine ultramarathon wins and in his worst finish in the last 12 months, he took fourth at the North Face 50, a venerable who’s who end of season ultra Super Bowl. Part of the rabbitPRO/HOKA collaboration with Dani Moreno, Brown is also a perfect four for four in his ultra races thus far in 2018. A veteran of sadistically hot conditions (SD100 race report), the forecast for Saturday is playing right into Kris’ methodical and savvy race tactic plan that we know will find him at the front in the final hours of his second 100 miler and first Western States. Catch Brown in a LIVE chat with iRunFar tomorrow, 6/20 @ 10:45a PDT at Coffeebar Squaw Valley or online here.
Keep an eye out for part 2 in our WS100 preview covering our remaining athletes, Rachel Bell Kelley, Dave Odell, Nick Presniakov, Kenneth Ringled & Coree Woltering.
