WESTERN STATES 100 - DUNCAN CANYON AID STATION
The Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run starts in Squaw Valley near Lake Tahoe and travels over the Sierra Mountain Range at Emigrant Pass 8,750’ the high point, then follows original trails used by gold miners towards the west and ends in Auburn, California. Along the way it traverses ridges and climbs down and up 2 major and a minor canyons before dropping to the American River. The runners cross the river at mile 78 and the travel on the canyon wall above the river into Auburn. This event was first done on horse back in 1955 and became the now famous Tevis Cup Endurance Ride. In 1974 it was first done without a horse by Gordy Ainsleigh and the run version was in full swing by 1978. The Western States Run is considered by most ultra runners to be the “grandma” of 100 mile runs basically the first and oldest of the 100 mile runs.
The Quicksilver Running Club has been the care taker for the Duncan Canyon aid station for more than 25 years. The aid stop is at 24 miles in the classic route of the Western States Run. It has been an honor for the club to have this coveted aid station to aid the runners as they come off of Red Star Ridge and start towards the canyons. In exchange for managing the aid station we are given a spot for a runner who can bypass the lottery and get a spot to run the next year.
Quicksilver Running Club has one of the best aid stops along the Western States Run. At 24 miles into the run the runners are spread out enough to be manageable but yet we are open for runners from about 8:15a until 12:30p which are nice hours of the day. To be sure there are massive duties to get ready for 400 runners to be fed, water bottles filled and issues fixed. Many of the volunteers love the tradition of coming up the prior afternoon to set up equipment, BBQ, party and camp. Early race day it is all business and we need at minimum 30 volunteers and up to 50 volunteers can be used. Jobs include traffic control, crew control, runner check in/out, runner handlers, liquid table, food table, sponge buckets, ice control, first aid, very important ham radio operator and captain.
If you would like to volunteer with the Quicksilver Running Club at Duncan Canyon Aid Station, then please contact Aid Station Captain and 1,000 Mile Western States Buckle recipient, Kristina Irvin.
