I’m really excited to bring you this episode’s guest. When I began ultramarathoning several decades ago, the only way I could learn about races and people in that space was through a B&W magazine delivered to my mailbox called Ultrarunning. I read about people who became my first idols in the sport like Marshall Ulrich and Roy Pirrung, who I’ve had the great honor to chat with both on this podcast and in-person. But one who absolutely left me in awe who I never got to meet was Ann Trason, who I got to see – briefly – when she zoomed past me on Hope Pass in the Leadville Trail 100 in the 90s. Ann won the Western States 100 a mind-boggling 14 times, twice less than two weeks after winning the Comrades Marathon in South Africa. Western States is considered the most prestigious 100-miler in the US, and Ann, who in 1994 set a course record of 17:37:51, now lives close to the 99-mile mark of the course. Comrades is the oldest ultramarathon in the world, having begun right after WW1, and is so esteemed that the entire country basically shuts down to watch it. Ann set the Leadville course record of 18:06:24 in 1994 that was only broken this past year. She finished 2nd, not just among women, but overall. In 1996, she not only completed the Grand Slam of 100-milers – Western States, Leadville, Vermont, and Wasatch Front – but she won them all. Ann set 20 world records, including for 50M in 5:40:18 and 100K in 7:00:47. All the way back in 1987, Ann became a Nike-sponsored athlete when women’s sports hadn’t taken hold like they have today, and ultramarathoning hadn’t achieved any of the attention and popularity it now has. Ann retired from ultramarathoning in the 2000s due to injuries and the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, which has ravaged her body. As a result of her many accomplishments, as well as her continuing contributions to the sport as a race director, coach, writer, supporter, and much more, she was inducted into the Ultrarunning Hall of Fame in 2020. After a long time out of the spotlight, Ann arrived at an Arizona race called Across the Years, which begins 3 days before New Year’s and finishes 3 days after it, just wanting to engage with the ultrarunning community in her joyous way, and push her walker – with all of its lights and decorations – for some laps around the 1.41-mile looped course. One of the event’s highlights was when she completed 100 miles and earned a buckle – all while pushing that walker. With such a long, colorful career, you can imagine that Ann and I cover a lot of ground in this very fun chat, including her talking with Nelson Mandela after she won Comrades, swapping hats with the Jester, the Grateful Dead, being vegetarian and a race director, including the best way to make PB&J sandwiches at races, the fun of reading that old Ultrarunning magazine, her inspirations in the sport and those who have followed her, her relationship with her parents, and about the joy and gratitude she has for life and the running community.

Ann Trason

Instagram @ann_trason

Bill Stahl
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