Dear ,

After a year off we are happy to be back for the Memorial Weekend Training Runs. As vaccinations continue at an impressive rate, and infections and hospitalizations continue to drop, the pandemic is coming to an end here in the U.S. in general, and California specifically. Running and racing are coming back. We look forward to sharing the Western States Trail with you and gathering as a community.

The training runs, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, will be fairly close to normal. You will be asked to fill out this COVID Questionnaire before you run. Please print, sign and bring the form to check-in. Simply, don't run if you are sick. Vaccinated or not, we will all be required to wear facial coverings when gathered at the start and while riding the buses. You don't have to run with a face covering, but please be respectful of others and maintain social distance.

Weather

The forecast is for cloudy weather with highs in Foresthill in the mid 70's each day. Lows on Saturday morning at the start of the run will likely be in the 40's. Sunday and Monday will be warmer as we drop in elevation, and highs in Auburn are predicted to be in the 80s. It has snowed on us in years past so come prepared for all kinds of weather.

The winter snowpack is melting out fast and we don't expect you will run on any snow, unless there is new snow.

These are not races, but full service aid stations will be provided along with a meal at the finish of each run. The trail will be marked with pink ribbons and/or pink pin flags. There will be cut-offs based on 30 hour 100-mile pace (18 min/mile). While it might seem slow, even an 18-minute per mile pace can be a challenge in the mountains. These cutoffs are in place so our volunteers don't have to be out there indefinitely. Please respect their time and commitment if you do find yourself behind the cutoff. We want you to have a good weekend of training and will do our best to facilitate that.

Touchless Aid Stations

The aid stations will be touchless: aid station personnel will glove/tong/spoon nutrition to the runner, and fluids (water/GU/soda) will be poured touchless into bottles/bladders/cups.

Cupless

WSER is cup free. Aid stations will not have paper cups for drinking. GU Energy will provide you with a reusable cup at the start of the training runs. Please carry it with you to use at the aid stations, or be prepared to use your bottles.

Wristbands

You will be wearing wristbands each day (different colors for each day). You must sign in the morning of each run. Please do not get on the buses or start your run before signing in, as you will not be allowed on the bus without the appropriate wristband. As you come back to the finish area, the wristband will be cut off. If you should drop before the finish, please make sure to notify the appropriate aid station crew and make sure that your wristband is cut off. We need and want to be able to account for all runners who head out (making sure you come back in safely). If we cannot account for you at the finish, we will attempt to contact you and/or your emergency contact. And if we are not successful in these attempts, we may initiate a search. So it is imperative that we get your wristband and make sure you are safely back

Please read the details below depending on which run(s) you are participating in.

Saturday Robinson Flat to Foresthill 

Check-in from 5:45 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. at the old Foresthill Elementary School. The buses will leave Foresthill at 7:00 a.m. and deliver you to Robinson Flat.

  • The first aid station will be located at Dusty Corners (7.7 miles). 
  • The second aid station will be located at Deadwood Pump, about a mile past Devil's Thumb (18.5 miles).
  • The third aid station will be located in Michigan Bluff  (25.4 miles).
  • Finish is at the old Foresthill Elementary School (31.7 miles).

Cutoff Times (Distance):
  • Dusty Corners aid station - 10:30 a.m. (7.7 miles)
  • Deadwood aid station - 1:45 p.m. (18.5 miles)
  • Michigan Bluff aid station - 3:45 p.m. (25.4 miles)

Sunday Cal St to Drivers Flat

Check-in is 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the old Foresthill Elementary School. The run starts from the school at 8:30 a.m. Please don't start early so our aid stations have time to setup. The trail from the old Foresthill Elementary School to Rucky Chucky is 16 miles at which point you continue up Driver's Flat Rd to the top where the run finishes.

  • The first aid station is at Cal 2 (8.7 miles)
  • The second aid station is at Rucky Chucky (16 miles)
  • Finish is at Drivers Flat (18 miles)

A shuttle bus will start returning runners from the finish at Drivers Flat to the old Foresthill Elementary School at noon.

Cutoff Times (Distance)
  • Cal 2 Aid Station - 11:15 a.m. (8.7 miles)
  • Rucky Chucky Aid Station - 1:30 p.m. (16 miles)

Monday Green Gate to Finish

Check-in is from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at Placer High School in Auburn. The buses will leave Placer HS at 8:30 a.m. The run will be 22 miles in length, starting two miles above the Green Gate Aid Station and proceeding back to the track at Placer H.S. following the WS Trail.

  • The first aid station is at Auburn Lake Trails (7.4 miles)
  • The second aid station is at Pointed Rocks (16.5 miles)
  • Finish is at Placer High School (22 miles)

Cutoff Times (Distance):
  • Auburn Lake Trails - 11:45 p.m. (7.4 miles)
  • Pointed Rocks - 2:30 p.m. (16.5 miles)

Directions

Foresthill Elementary School: Take Interstate 80 to the Foresthill exit and turn east on Foresthill Road and proceed 17 miles to Foresthill. The elementary school is located on the right side of Foresthill Road at the east end of town.

You can park in the town of Foresthill. A large number of vehicles parking in Foresthill will have some impact on the town. We would like to minimize that impact as much as possible. Please be careful not to block any driveways and do not park in any no-parking zones or directly in front of any businesses. There is a frontage road that runs the length of the town of Foresthill. Between the frontage road and the Foresthill Road is a median. You can park diagonally in the median or parallel park on the frontage road.

Placer H.S.: From Hwy. 80 westbound, take the Hwy. 49 exit in Auburn. Turn right at the signal at the bottom of the offramp. Proceed approx. .4 miles and turn left on Lincoln Way. Proceed .25 miles and turn right on High St. Proceed .25 miles and turn left on Finley. At the split, stay to the right, this will put you on Stadium Way. Park in the large parking lot behind the track.

Address: Placer Union H.S., 250 Orange Street, Auburn, CA 95603

Safe travels.

Looking forward to seeing you Memorial Day weekend.


Craig Thornley
Race Director