Once Upon a Time

nce upon a time, in a land on the left coast of the continent, there existed people considered by some to be wacky, but certainly different. Among them lived a man who decided that he’d race alongside horses across the Sierras for 100 miles, while everyone else rode their mounts. On a day in 1974, he’d finish within 24 hours – 23:42 to be exact – and go on to establish a new tradition. Now, people do it every weekend of every year, in almost every state and in many other places across the globe. Seven years after Gordy Ainsleigh made his trek from Squaw Valley to Auburn and four years after the first official running of the Western States 100, UltraRunning Magazine would have its genesis and I would make my foray into the sport. It was like a fairy tale to me then,