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Podcast: Ultrarunning History
Episode: 81: The 100-miler: Part 26 - The 1978 Western States 100
Description: By Davy Crockett
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The 1978 Western States 100 was the second year the race was held. Six years earlier, seven soldiers from Fort Riley Kansas proved that the horse trail could be conquered on foot, and they were awarded with the “First Finishers on Foot” trophy by Western States founder, Wendell Robie (1895-1984). Two years later, in 1974, Gordy Ainsleigh surprised his horse endurance peers when he ran the 89-mile Western States Trail in less than 24 hours.
Three years later, in 1977, Robie decided it was time to organize a foot race on his trail. The inaugural race was ha...