THE REAL RACE
STARTED MONTHS AGO

Words by Henrik Rostrup
Photos by Hans-Kristian Smedsrod

That’s how filmmaker, podcast host and trail runner Hans Kristian Smedsrød kicks off his take on this year’s Western States 100, the iconic 100-mile ultramarathon across California’s Sierra Nevada. In a sport that once prided itself on simplicity—dirt, legs, willpower—there’s now a growing undercurrent of strategy, psychology, and strain long before a single foot hits the trail.

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“I’ve listened to all the prediction shows and interviews,” Hans Kristian says. “Everyone has their theories, but honestly—anything can happen.”

A lot of attention has centered on the emerging rivalry between Kilian Jornet and David Roche. But it’s a rivalry born not on course, but online. “It’s subtle smack talk,” he explains. “Kilian posts an 80k run. Roche sees it and talks about it on his podcast—which Kilian sometimes listens to. Then Roche trains harder. The race started months ago, not on race day.”

Let’s talk Western States. What’s got you excited this year?

Honestly, it’s wide open now that Jim and Hayden dropped out. Not that I wanted that, but it makes the outcome unpredictable. I’ve listened to all the prediction shows and interviews. Everyone has their theories, but anything can happen.

There’s this Kilian vs. David Roche storyline that’s built entirely through training videos and Strava posts. It’s subtle smack talk. Kilian posts an 80k run, Roche sees it and talks about it on his podcast, which Kilian listens to. Then Roche trains harder to “respond.” The race doesn’t start at the start line—it started months ago.

Mind games huh?

Yeah. When Jim beat Kilian at Chianti to earn his Golden Ticket, I think he took Kilian’s soul a bit. Jim was so dominant. Kilian probably thought, “How do I close this gap in a few months?” But Jim got injured, couldn’t train. Kilian recovered and trained like mad. So who knows?

It’s crazy how open ultra runners are. In cycling, no one shares anything.

Exactly. Ultra running’s full of toxic positivity. Everyone’s open, smiling, “playing” in the mountains rather than “training”. But elite sport is something else. Jim has had a private Strava for years. Kilian even deleted a big run he posted, and now we’re here talking about that session he deleted (!). I think this could be the last year we see open Strava profiles from the top guys.

On the women’s side, it’s deep. Not many superstars like Courtney or Katie Scheide, but a lot of veterans with multiple WS finishes. Ida Nilsson might PR by 45 minutes and still place the same because everyone’s improved. We might even see a winner from China. Asia is entering the sport for real.

And the sport is changing.

For sure. Hayden Hawks (3rd last year) overtrained and ended up "DNS-ing" this year's race just imagining what Jim might be doing in training. The psychological pressure is massive. Yes, they are sponsored athletes, and some of them have sparring partners and coaches, but the support system is nothing compared to for example cycling.

And they often don’t have coaches.

Right. Kilian and Jim are self-coached, and Dr. Megan Roche is David Roche’s coach. They seem to always be doing new science experiments on themselves before each race. Kilian had to adjust after his injury—lots of cycling, alternating training types. Roche just trained harder until he got injured.

Finish line at the Western States Endurance Run on a track with spectators on the sides, tents, and trees in the background.
Killian Jornet running on a dirt trail in a forested area with a snow-capped mountain in the background.

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Can training in Romsdal help for Western States?

The terrain isn’t ideal for WS—too steep and not so runnable—but being creative and pushing each other every day makes it work. The local elites who’ve done well at WS (Ida, John, Petter) have also spent time in the U.S. Kilian too, although he tried to simulate the terrain in Mondalen and Isterdalen with easier trails and gravel roads.

What about heat training?

It’s essential now. 40% of your training might be boring—indoors, sweating. But it’s necessary. Rod Farvard said he increased his VO2 max by 11% from one heat block. That’s huge. But mentally draining.

Could that shorten careers?

Possibly. You might see more athletes burning out. Or we might see full-blown ultra teams—like in cycling. Pacers, support staff. A performance system.

But Western States doesn’t even have the most spectacular terrain.

No, but it has soul. The history is there. The film Unbreakable made it iconic. Unlike UTMB, where thousands run, WS has only 360. You can tell every runner’s story. This year, six runners over 70—everyone’s talking about it.

You feel like part of a legacy.

Exactly. Every podcast, race report, adds to the race’s mythology.

What about Kilian? Still a contender?

He’s the only one from 2010 who could still win in 2025. That’s wild. Ida said this is most likely her last time. This might be the end of that generation. New names are coming up.

Key points to watch?

First climb—Escarpment. If Kilian leads there, he could break Roche mentally. Then Forest Hill to Rucky Chucky—river crossing—that’s what Kilian’s trained for. And cooling strategies—Jon used tons of ice last year. We’ll see if others copy him.

What’s Kilian like up close?

Super confident. He doesn’t say it, but he knows he’s better than the rest. His biggest enemy is himself. He’s working on the mental game—trying to access that flow state, going beyond what the brain allows.

That’s next-level stuff.

It is. And the whole season now builds around one or two big races. That’s the norm. The rest are just training races.

Does being around these guys change your perspective?

Definitely. When I moved to Romsdal, I realized how far I was from the top. I might’ve given up trying to be elite because of that. But it’s also inspiring, depending on how you look at it.

Do locals realize how big these athletes are?

Not really. It’s only when they see their names on the Strava leaderboards that they get it. Then it clicks.

Western States 2024 is coming in hot this weekend—literally and figuratively. With scorching temperatures forecasted, unpredictable contenders, and a field tighter than ever, this year’s race isn’t just about running. It’s about patience, pressure, and how well you’ve prepared when no one was watching.

Ida Nilsson sitting on a red folding chair on a lawn, being filmed with a camera on a tripod, with houses and mountains in the background and dark clouds in the sky.

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