Ultrarunning
How Tom Evans won Western States 2023
The British ultrarunner reveals that he switched up his training for this year’s famed 100-mile race. It was a decision that paid off, as he sealed the win with the fourth-fastest time in its history.
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Tom Evans has won the 2023 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Race.
Evans put in an incredible performance, completing the course in 14:40:22, the fourth-fastest time in the event's history.
Evans, who placed third at UTMB 2022 despite breaking a bone during the race, had previously set the record for an overseas competitor, with a time of 14:59:44
Tom Evans
© Stefan Voitl/Red Bull Content Pool
There’s nothing quite like the Western States
America's most famous 100-mile race was first run by the near-mythical ultrarunning legend Gordy Ainsleigh in 1974. Starting at 6,400ft above sea-level, the 100.2-mile route includes 18,000ft of ascent and 23,000ft of descent and eventually wends its way to the finish line in Auburn, CA, on the grounds of the local High School.
Here, Tom talks about the race tactics, and the preparation that helped him win the 2023 Western States 100.
01
Race Strategy
Tom on the trail in Chamonix, 2022
© Stefan Voitl/Red Bull Content Pool
I was nervous on the start line, I knew it was my race to lose.
Tom Evans’ success at the 50th edition of the Western States in June 2023 was historic. It made him the first British male to win and he set the fourth-fastest time in the history of the course. But was about more than just executing a pre-race plan.
The win was the result of a year of build-up, including months of training constructed to tackle this specific race.
“I was nervous on the start line,” says Tom. “I knew it was my race to lose. But also, I wasn't that nervous because I’d done everything I possibly could to give myself the best chance.”
But what were the tactics that helped see him to victory in a time of 14hrs 40mins 20secs?
I reined myself in at the start
The first four hours were tough mentally
The urge to shoot off at the starter’s pistol, adrenaline coursing through your veins, is hard for any runner to resist.
“The race started way more gently than I was anticipating,” says Tom. “One guy shot off the front and pulled out a pretty big lead, but I wasn't overly concerned – I ran conservatively in a group of about 12.”
As the race begins in Olympic Valley, the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, the area is usually covered in snow, even in June. This tactic meant that Tom didn't have to waste excess energy trying to navigate through the white stuff. “You could see what lines people ahead were taking in the snow, so I had all the information I needed to choose the best line.
“The first four hours were tough mentally, as I had to go on feel rather than data, which as it turned out is a nice way to do things and probably something I’ll take forward into other races. I'd rather run on feel and than work off split times from the first checkpoint onwards.”
I took the time to change my footwear
I’d had wet feet for long enough, so I thought it was time for fresh socks and shoes
Mile 62: Forest Hill aid station. Things were beginning to hot up – both temperature-wise and in the race. Tom was out in front, neck and neck with US runner Dakota Jones. Both came into the aid station at the same time.
“I stopped to change my shoes,” says Tom. “I’d had wet feet for long enough, so I thought it was time for fresh socks and shoes.” This pit stop meant Dakota took the lead, but Tom was not going to let him out of his sight.
“My legs felt great, so I opened up the pace a little and caught him five minutes down the road.” It took a 5.54 mile to achieve that, though – something that’s not always recommended in a 100-miler when elite pace averages around 8 or 9 mins. “Despite that, my legs felt strong, and I thought, ‘I’ve still got 38 miles to go but I’m in a good place.’ That gave me a lot of confidence.”
I picked the right moment to apply pressure on my main rival
I hadn't planned on making a push at that point, but it seemed like a good opportunity
Tom ran in total for around six hours with Dakota. Both of them were evenly matched, and happy to take turns at the front, working together to break away from the chasing pack.
“He was stronger on the downhills, and I was stronger on the climbs,” says Tom. “Then Dakota went to the front on one of the climbs after he hadn't led any so far. It seemed to me it was tactical – to try to slow things down a bit. I said to him: ‘Don't worry, I'll take this,’ and I went in front and applied a little more pressure.”
Almost instantly, Tom heard the tempo of Dakota’s steps decrease behind him. “I hadn't planned on making a push at that point, but it seemed like a good opportunity to do it.” So he did, and pretty soon turned a 90-degree corner to find he could no longer see Dakota behind him. ‘I thought, ‘Let's go – it’s time to break the elastic.’”
From that point on, Tom was uncatchable.
My extra strength training really paid off
A training tactic that Tom is certain paid dividends in this race was strength training after tough, long runs. The theory was it would build muscle in his quads to carry him through the 7,000m of descent this unique event provides.
“It was quad-focused to make my quads as strong as they could to be able to run downhill,” he says. “It meant I've had some of the worst DOMs and muscle soreness I've ever had in my life, but it paid off.”
I trained with other pros on the road
It meant I could combine all these different skills
Not all of Tom’s training was on the trails – he did plenty of road running, too. “Flat running helps your downhills, as you get a faster leg turnover. For the majority of my training, my cadence is pretty low, around 165 steps per minute, because I’m running slowly. Whereas if I'm running on the road, my cadence might be around 190.”
Also, Tom trained with a variety of other pro athletes who specialise in different distances. “I did some runs with 1500m world champ Jake Wightman, ran with Molly Seidel, marathon bronze medallist at Tokyo, and a couple of long runs with the NAZ Elite marathon runners. It meant I could combine all these different skills and draw from them when needed in the race.”
02
Race Preparation
Tom Evans during the brutal Western States 100 – his first ever 100-miler
© Gary Wang
Below, Tom reveals how he prepared for the 2023 Western States.
I was super-excited – I’d never had a build-up to a race like this before
1. Nap more
If there’s any secret to Tom Evans’ new 2023 training regime, it involves one basic change that anyone can do: nap more. “People always ask what’s my best recovery tip,” he says. “And my answer’s sleep.”
2. No massage guns
This year, he stripped everything back to focus on the basics, specifically to prepare for the Western States. “This includes ditching tech like massage guns and compression boots and instead focusing on sleep, nutrition and heat acclimatisation,” he says.
That’s not to say there isn’t a lot of data-crunching involved, as anyone who’s watched Tom’s Road to Western States YouTube videos will attest. To fully prepare for the mammoth challenge, Tom relocated to Flagstaff, US for two months, getting his body used to the heat and altitude.
3. Run further every week
“There’s nothing quite like the Western States,” he says. “With just 369 competitors, it has a grassroots feel with elite levels of performance.” Despite an amazing debut in 2019, where he came third in what was his first-ever 100-mile race, he says he “definitely wasn’t at my best.”
Back then, in terms of volume, Tom was logging 70 miles a week. In 2023, he was hitting 126. He also focused on training his body’s efficiency in extreme heat – something that’s not easy to achieve in his hometown of Loughborough (average temperature: 10C).
4. Prepare for heat
The changing conditions throughout the 100 miles of the Western States – from zero degrees at 1,900m altitude at the start to up to mid-30C in the latter parts – makes it a one of the world’s hardest races to train for.
“I did a heat protocol at Loughborough University to train my body to perform better in the heat by maximising its cooling mechanisms, which means not sweating so much,” he explains. “This is also while being able to put out the same amount of power at a higher core body temperature.”
Tom has also been doing training runs wearing a long-sleeve top, wind jacket and waterproof jacket before jumping in a sauna for 25 minutes afterwards, “just to keep my core body temperature hot”.
The other benefit to heat training is increasing the volume of plasma in your blood. “Combining that with altitude, you’re creating the perfect storm of data in your body that can perform at all conditions.”
Training in Flagstaff, at an elevation of 2,106m, meant he was able to put in the miles surrounded by less oxygen, while immersing himself in the running culture that the town is famous for, training alongside legends such as Hayden Hawks and Molly Seidel. “I’ve built up some great relationships out here – I live with the people who are going to crew me in the race. It feels like a second home.”
5. Eat!
For Tom, pre-race prep involved mainly “eating my bodyweight in carbohydrates”. “My pre-race diet looks incredibly unhealthy – mainly cornflakes, rice, chicken and bread. I cut out fibre, as it sits in your stomach holding on to water as well as reducing the risk of GI issues during the race.”
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