This weekend is the midpoint between the 2 hottest ultramarathons in North America. With the Western States 100 happening final weekend and Hardrock 100 happening subsequent weekend, that is the time of 12 months when all ultrarunners look to California and Colorado.

I’ve been privileged to run each of those iconic occasions, and lately, I’ve traveled to Auburn, California, and Silverton, Colorado, every year to spectate and volunteer. I’ve had the chance to look at and expertise what makes these occasions so totally different from one another and but, on some degree, very a lot the identical.

Kissing the rock on the finish of the Hardrock 100 is likely one of the extra iconic scenes within the ultrarunning world. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks

Vibes

I like to match the vibes of Hardrock and Western States to rock live shows.

Hardrock is that live performance that takes place in a modest venue with just a few thousand seats, assume the Beacon Theatre in New York Metropolis. Consider the final live performance you attended that introduced you near the artist and allowed you to work together socially with different concertgoers. That’s Hardrock.

Western States, then again, is the huge stadium present, assume Kenny Chesney at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. These live shows tackle a pageant environment and produce hundreds of individuals out lengthy earlier than the live performance is scheduled to begin. Loud, chaotic, and celebratory, Western States shares the vibe with these massive stadium reveals.

Full stadium seating across the monitor of Western States 100 provides to the stadium-concert vibe of the occasion. Photograph: Michael Lebowitz

Observe Versus Cross Nation

In my earlier skilled life as a highschool principal I attended greater than my justifiable share of monitor and cross-country meets. Over time I made some observations that remind me of the distinction between Western States and Hardrock.

Observe meets are slick and fancy. Observe athletes put on crisp kits and smooth footwear. Western States is monitor.

Cross-country meets are free and within the woods. Cross-country runners are a ragtag group with unkempt hair and outsized kits. They know the right way to run they only do it a little bit in another way. Hardrock is cross nation.

Tempo

Hardrock weekend strikes at a tempo akin to a small city. Positive, the runners up entrance want to maneuver quick, and people on the again might really feel the strain of assembly the cutoffs, however by and huge, the race strikes at a laid-back tempo. Runners spend time regrouping at help stations, volunteers linger to speak and share tales, and race officers and veterans of the occasion make everybody really feel welcome and embraced by the neighborhood.

The tempo at Western States is extra like New York Metropolis throughout rush hour. Intensely aggressive on the entrance of the pack and difficult with tight cutoffs on the again, there’s little time for dilly-dallying for anybody. It’s an intense, fast-moving tempo, the rewards of that are a shiny belt buckle and large metropolis recollections to final a lifetime.

Neighborhood

Each occasions have fun and embrace neighborhood. The truth is, they each endeavor to nurture a way of neighborhood within the many actions surrounding their occasions. Moreover, the phrases “Western States household” and “Hardrock household” are a part of the language round every race.

As you may count on, Hardrock is a close-knit household — the type the place many nonetheless stay in the identical space, get collectively usually, and share many widespread traits. The Western States household is an enormous prolonged household that’s unfold world wide, getting collectively solely often and with disparate objectives, attitudes, and temperaments. Each households share widespread connections however achieve this in very alternative ways.

A volunteer path work crew earlier than Hardrock 100. Each occasions have path work occasions to present again to the native space. Photograph courtesy of iRunFar/Bryon Powell.

No matter their variations in vibes, sort of race, tempo, and neighborhood, each Western States and Hardrock have earned their locations on the highest step of North American ultrarunning tradition. Despite, or maybe due to, their distinctive traits, these two occasions have been in a position to stand the check of time, doing so in their very own distinctive methods and on their very own unbiased phrases. Consequently, they proceed to be the 2 of essentially the most sought-after occasions in American path operating and ultrarunning.

Bottoms up!

AJW’s Beer of the Week

This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Ska Brewing in Durango, Colorado. Pink Vapor Stew is a bitter ale brewed with beets, carrots, ginger, and apples, producing a wealthy, earthy taste that tickles the palate. At 5.0% ABV, Pink Vapor stew is accessible, crisp, and one of many most interesting bitter ales I’ve had.

Name for Feedback

• Have you ever had the possibility to expertise both of those iconic races as a participant or volunteer? What was your expertise like?
• Do you favor the slower tempo of an occasion like Hardrock or the frenetic vitality of Western States?