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The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning is a set of four of the five most prestigious and oldest 100-mile races contested in the United States, comprising the Old Dominion 100 Mile Endurance Run in Virginia, the Western States 100 in California, the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run in Vermont, the Leadville Trail 100 in Colorado, and the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run in Utah. A small number of people manage to complete four in one calendar year.
The first runner to complete the Grand Slam was Tom Green, 35, of Maryland in 1986 in a combined time of 96 hours, 26 minutes, and 28 seconds. At the time, there were only 4 100-mile races in North America. These were the Old Dominion 100 in Virginia, Western States, Leadville, and Wasatch. Two runners completed the series in 1987 and three in 1988. In 1989, the Vermont 100 was added to the series, and runners could choose between it and Old Dominion. Starting in 2003, Old Dominion was removed from the series. In 2008, Western States was cancelled due to forest fires and the Arkansas Traveller 100 was run in its place. [1] Starting in 2017, Old Dominion was once again added to the series and runners have to complete the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run and three of the other four races to achieve the award. [2]
Today about a dozen runners complete the Grand Slam each year. Entry is limited by lotteries at Vermont, Western States, Leadville, and Wasatch. From 1986 through 2017 there have been 345 official finishers. The fastest time as of 2017 was 69:49:38 by Ian Sharman, 33 of Oregon in 2013. Complete list of finishers. 2013 finishers. In 2015, Junko Kazukawa completed the Grand Slam and the Leadwoman series, becoming the first woman to complete both events in a single year. [3] [4] In 2019, Dion Leonard completed the Grand Slam and the Leadman series, becoming the first man to complete both events in a single year. [5]
Entry into the Grand Slam is administered by the race committee for the Wasatch 100, which is also the last race in the series, normally held in early September. In 2017 entry costs $80 and must be received before the start of the first race (Western States) in late June. [6] Entered runners who complete the first three races are guaranteed entry into Wasatch without having to go through the lottery. Runners who complete all four races but who do not enter the series are not officially recognized. A list of these so-called "stealth" runners was maintained at https://web.archive.org/web/20120715180450/http://run100s.com/stealth.htm [7]
| Year | Name | Old Dominion | Western States | Vermont | Leadville | Wasatch | Total time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Sam Voltaggio, 51, TX | 25:19:00 | 28:59:24 | 26:08:21 | 29:00:46 | 34:27:21 | 117:46:31 |
| 2004 | Rob Apple, 43, TN | 29:11:37 | 28:46:07 | 29:07:32 | 35:08:24 | 122:13:40 | |
| 2005 | Rob Apple, 44, TN | 28:48:32 | 27:43:32 | 29:42:28 | 35:15:46 | 121:30:18 | |
| 2010 | Pete Stevenson, 37, CO | 18:58:42 | 21:48:28 | 24:36:46 | 32:56:19 | 98:20:15 | |
| 2013 | Nick Clark, 39, CO | 16:56:23 | 15:54:32 | 17:06:29 | 20:24:26 | 70:21:50 |
On August 30, 2013, this page was removed, possibly out of concern that Nick Clark might set a course record without being officially recognized when Wasatch was to be held on Sept. 6-7, 2013. [8] In addition, the following text was added to http://www.run100s.com/gs.htm
Kieren McCarthy questioned the legality of the Wasatch committee taking ownership of the trademark rights, noting that the other races in the series are open to anyone and that the trademark is not registered. [9]
An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres. Various distances are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of 50 kilometres (31 mi) to over 100 kilometres (62 mi). 50k and 100k are both World Athletics record distances, but some 100 miles (160 km) races are among the oldest and most prestigious events, especially in North America. Around 100 miles is typically the longest course distance raced in under 24 hours but there are also longer multi-day races of 200 miles (320 km) or more, sometimes raced in stages with breaks for sleep. While some ultras are road races, many take place on trails, leading to a large overlap with the sports of trail running and mountain running.
Dean Karnazes, is an American ultramarathon runner, and author of Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, which details ultra endurance running for the general public.
The Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100, is a 100.2-mile (161 km) ultramarathon that takes place on California's Sierra Nevada Mountains trails each year on the last full weekend of June. The race starts at the base of the Olympic Valley ski resort and finishes at the Placer High School track in Auburn, California. The terrain is quite rugged, frequently showcasing snow on the highest passes and record hot temperatures throughout the course. Runners ascend a cumulative total of 18,090 feet (5500 m) and descend a total of 22,970 feet (7000 m) on mountain trails before reaching the finish. Because of the length, the race commences at 5 a.m. and continues through the day and into the night. Runners finishing before the 30-hour time limit for the race receive a commemorative bronze belt buckle, while runners finishing in under 24 hours receive a silver belt buckle.
Scott Gordon Jurek is an American ultramarathoner, author, and public speaker. Throughout his running career, Jurek was one of the most dominant ultramarathon runners in the world, winning the Hardrock Hundred (2007), the Badwater Ultramarathon, the Spartathlon, and the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (1999–2005). In 2010, at the 24-Hour World Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, Jurek won a silver medal behind Shingo Inoue and set a new US record for distance run in 24 hours with 165.7 miles. Jurek has followed a vegetarian diet since 1997, and a vegan diet since 1999.
The Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run is an ultramarathon 100.5 miles (161.7 km) in length, with 33,000 feet (10,000 m) of climb at an average elevation of over 11,000 feet (3,400 m). The race is held on a loop course on 4WD roads, dirt trails, and cross country in Southern Colorado's San Juan Range, US. The race is dedicated to the memory of the miners who settled in the area and who built the mining trails on which much of the race is run. The race is directed by Dale Garland.
Multiday races are ultramarathon running events which are typically either segmented into daily events of a specified distance or time, or staged so that runners can run as far as they want, at their own discretion, over a set course or over a set number of days. Multiday races can range from continuous 48-hour track events to staged transcontinental treks.
The Leadville Trail 100 Run is an ultramarathon held annually on rugged trails and dirt roads near Leadville, Colorado, through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. First run in 1983, the race course climbs and descends 15,600 feet (4,800 m), with elevations ranging from 9,200 to 12,620 feet. In most years, fewer than half the starters complete the race within the 30-hour time limit.
The Angeles Crest 100-Mile Endurance Run, or AC100, is an ultramarathon 100 miles long that takes place annually along trails through California's Angeles National Forest.
The Bear 100 Mile Endurance Run is an ultramarathon that traverses the Wasatch and Bear River Ranges west of Bear Lake, from Logan, Utah to Fish Haven, Idaho. With 21,986 ft (6,701 m) of climb and an average elevation of 7,700 ft (2,300 m), it is one of the more difficult ultramarathons. Even so, runners of all skill are attracted to it, largely because of its 36-hour time limit and laid-back attitude.
The Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run is a 100-mile (162 km) long ultramarathon held annually in July at Silver Hill Meadow in West Windsor, Vermont. It is one of the five 100-mile races that comprise the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning and one of only two hundred mile races in northern New England. It is also the only known ultra race in the USA where entrants run alongside horses over a similar course, in a separate but simultaneous race. The race has been held every year since 1989.
Nikki Kimball is an American distance runner specializing in the Ultramarathon. She ran her first 100-mile race at the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run in 2004, and was the female winner. She was the winning female at Western States again in 2006 and 2007, becoming only the third woman to win Western States three times. In 2014, she won the Marathon Des Sables multi-stage endurance race on her first attempt. Prior to running, her main sport was cross-country skiing. She was crewed at the 2007 Western States by U.S. Senator Max Baucus of Montana, where Kimball lives. She lives in Bozeman, Montana.
The 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series is an annual series of four 250-kilometer (155-mile) races across deserts around the globe. The races were recognized as the world's leading endurance footrace series by TIME magazine in 2009 and 2010, as the "Ultimate test of human endurance". The series was founded by American Mary K Gadams who founded RacingThePlanet in 2002.
Lisa Smith-Batchen is an ultramarathon runner and Ironman competitor. She was the first American to win Marathon des Sables.
RacingThePlanet (RTP) is an organizer of off-trail and rough-country endurance foot-races, including the 4 Deserts. The company also operates an outdoor products store and a dried foods company.
Karl Meltzer is an ultrarunner and ultrarunning coach based in Sandy, Utah. Meltzer has won more 100-mile ultramarathons than any other ultramarathoner, and has held speed records at major U.S. trails, including the Appalachian Trail and the Pony Express Trail. Meltzer's trail runs have been featured in news outlets from Ultrarunning.com to NBC Sports. Meltzer has been a professional ultramarathoner since 1999, and a coach since 2007.
Harvey Sweetland Lewis is an American ultrarunner.
Kristin "Krissy" Moehl is an American ultramarathon athlete who specializes in trail running. In 2005, Moehl became the youngest woman to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, which included a gold medal at the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run.
Tom Green is an ultra-runner and the first man to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning. He earned this distinction when there were only four 100-mile trail races in the United States.
Junko Kazukawa is a Japanese-born ultrarunner who currently lives in Denver, Colorado, U.S. A two-time breast-cancer survivor, Kazukawa competes in marathon, ultramarathon and cycling events. She was the first person to complete the Leadville series and the Ultrarunning Grand Slam in a single year.
Dion Leonard is an Australian/British endurance athlete and ultramarathon runner, Motivational speaker, and author of New York Times Bestseller 'Finding Gobi', the non-fiction memoir of his story of his dog, Gobi, who ran 77 miles of a 155-mile race across the Gobi Desert. Leonard who grew up in Warwick, Queensland before moving to the U.K. started running in 2013 and has already achieved numerous top 10 finishes in ultra races around the world in the most extreme conditions. Leonard has not only competed in but completed some of the world's toughest ultra running races across the most inhospitable landscapes.