Local among top finishers in race

Ashley Nordell was not even born when the first Western States 100 endurance run was first contested on the rugged trails around Squaw Valley, California, but in the 39th annual race, Nordell made her mark with a ninth-place finish in the granddaddy of all endurance races.

Nordell, 32, finished in 19 hours, 26 minutes and 30 seconds over a course that includes nearly 20,000 feet of climbing between the start in Squaw Valley and the finish in Auburn.

This was Nordell's eighth 100-mile race and her second shot at Western States, which she did for the first time eight years ago. She says this year's race went much better than her inaugural 100-miler.

"It was ugly eight years ago," she said. "I actually ran the final 30 miles with ice bags duct-taped to my knees, and it took me six more hours than this year's race."

The Western States 100 attracts runners from throughout the world and is considered a "must-do" by ultra-marathoners. This year's overall winner, however, came from right here in Oregon, as Tim Olsen of Ashland cruised to victory in 14 hours, 46 minutes and 44 seconds.

The top female, Ellie Greenwood of Banff, Canada, finished in 16 hours, 47 minutes and 19 seconds.

Western States is so popular among ultra-runners that only about eight percent of those who enter the lottery are selected to run, but Nordell gained admission by placing in the top two at the Leona Divide 50-mile race in April.

"I raced Leona Divide mostly because it was an excuse to go to California and see old friends," she said. "I didn't think I had a chance to get top two in that race, so it was a bit of a shock to get the spot. Suddenly two months before Western I was training for a hundred!"

With a 1-year-old daughter, Ryah, Nordell relied on the support of husband Josh to prepare.

"Josh really encouraged me to do it," she said. "I knew I could finish the 100 miles, but I wasn't sure if I could race the distance, so the outcome exceeded my expectations, especially since my training mileage for this race turned out to be only about half of what I would normally do."

Nordell believes the unusually cool, wet weather contributed to her strong performance. Temperatures are known to reach 100 degrees down in the canyons on the course, according to Nordell.

"This year the weather was gnarly -  but in a good way for Oregonians," she said. "The first 40 miles we had wind, hail, pouring rain... such an opposite of typical Western States weather. I lucked out because most people do heat training to prepare for this race - either go train where its hot, or sit in the sauna - and I had not been able to do anything like that, so I loved the cool start."

To do a 100-mile race requires a support crew during the race. Nordell had help from a friend as well as from Josh, her father, and Sean Meissner, formerly from Sisters.

Nordell considers the 100-mile distance her favorite and she already has plans for at least two more 100s in the next year. She will run the Leadville (Colorado) 100 in August and will be back for Western States next year since her top-10 finish earned her entry into the 2013 edition of the race.

"There is something about the 100-mile distance," she said. "I have never done anything so challenging, so there is a wonderful feeling when you overcome everything and cross the finish line. The thing about hundreds is, it doesn't matter if you are racing to win or running to finish, just completing it is a great accomplishment."