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Hundreds of runners finish herculean 100 mile ‘Western States Endurance Run’

During the 24 hour race, runners climb over 18,000 feet and descend nearly 23,000 feet.

Hundreds of runners finish herculean 100 mile ‘Western States Endurance Run’

During the 24 hour race, runners climb over 18,000 feet and descend nearly 23,000 feet.

ERIN HEFT WAS THERE AT THE FINISH LINE. ERIN: TRAINING FOR YEARS, SOMETIMES EVEN DECADES. THE WORD ENDURANCE BARELY DEFINES THE HERCULEAN FEET THESE RUNNERS JUST ACCOMPLISHED. >> I CAN’T -- IT IS INDESCRIBABLE. ERIN: LAMONT OF ROSEVILLE ONE OF THE HUNDREDS TO CROSS THIS COVETED FINISH LINE AT THE HISTORIC WESTERN STATES ENDURANCE HUNDRED >> I HAVE IMAGINED IT AND VISUALIZED IT SOMETIMES AND TO FINALLY DO IT IS ALMOST SURREAL. ERIN: RUNNERS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE TRAVELING TO THE SIERRA TO BRAVE 100 MILES BENEATH THEIR FEET. >> I FEEL SO OVERWHELMED. I AM LIKE ON THE VERGE OF TEARS PRAYED I HAVE BEEN ON THE VERGE OF TEARS FOR THE LAST FOUR HOURS. IT’S MY FIRST HUNDRED MILE RACE, AND MY FIRST TIME HERE. ERIN: MEGAN BROWN AND HER TEAM TRAVELING OVER 7100 MILES. >> ALL FOUR OF US FLEW FROM AUSTRALIA, SO I AM SO GRATEFUL TO MY CREW FOR COMING OVER AND SUPPORTING ME. I DEFINITELY COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THEM. >> WESTERN STATES FOR ME IS A BIG DREAM, THIS IS MY SECOND TIME. ERIN: AND ALL THE WAY FROM BRAZIL. >> IT IS CHALLENGING, CROSSING THE FINISH LINE, IT IS A BIG CHALLENGE. ERIN: CRISTIANO AND HIS TEAM, SOME OF THE MANY WHO BRAVED THE OVERNIGHT RACE. >> THAT BIG PART OF THIS IS MENTAL. IT IS PART MENTAL AND PART PHYSICAL TRIP ERIN: THE RUN, KNOWN ACROSS THE LOBE AS THE OLDEST 100 MILE TRAIL RUN STARTING IN OLYMPIC VALLEY NEAR THE SITE OF A 1960 WINTER OLYMPICS, THE RACE ENDS 100 POINT TWO MILES LATER IN AUBURN. CLIMBING OVER 18,000 FEET AND DESCENDING NEARLY 23,000 FEET TO MAKE IT HERE. >> I LITERALLY GOT SO MUCH ENERGY AND I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM. SEEING THE FINISH LINE AND KNOWING I WAS GOING TO BE DONE. ERIN: ANOTHER YEAR IN THE BOOKS. IN AUBURN, ERIN HEFT, KCRA3 NEWS
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Hundreds of runners finish herculean 100 mile ‘Western States Endurance Run’

During the 24 hour race, runners climb over 18,000 feet and descend nearly 23,000 feet.

Runners from across the globe crossed the finish line Sunday morning, completing the world’s oldest endurance run. The race's founders said since its inception in 1974, the Western States Endurance Run represents one of the ultimate endurance tests in the world.The race starts each year in Olympic Valley near the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics and ends 100.2 miles later in Auburn.During the 24-hour race, runners climb over 18,000 feet and descend nearly 23,000 feet.“I feel so overwhelmed, I’m like on the verge of tears, I’ve been on the verge of tears for the last four hours,” laughed Meagan Brown.Brown traveled 7,100 miles to Northern California from Australia to put her body and mind to the test.“It’s my first hundred-miler and it’s my first time here… I am so grateful to my crew for coming over and supporting me I definitely couldn’t have done it without them,” Brown said.“Western States for me is a big dream, this is my second time,” said Brazilian runner, Cristiano Marcelino.“I’ve imagined it and visualized it so many times and just to finally do it it’s almost surreal,” Lamont King, a runner from Roseville said at the finish line.

Runners from across the globe crossed the finish line Sunday morning, completing the world’s oldest endurance run.

The race's founders said since its inception in 1974, the Western States Endurance Run represents one of the ultimate endurance tests in the world.

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The race starts each year in Olympic Valley near the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics and ends 100.2 miles later in Auburn.

During the 24-hour race, runners climb over 18,000 feet and descend nearly 23,000 feet.

“I feel so overwhelmed, I’m like on the verge of tears, I’ve been on the verge of tears for the last four hours,” laughed Meagan Brown.

Brown traveled 7,100 miles to Northern California from Australia to put her body and mind to the test.

“It’s my first hundred-miler and it’s my first time here… I am so grateful to my crew for coming over and supporting me I definitely couldn’t have done it without them,” Brown said.

“Western States for me is a big dream, this is my second time,” said Brazilian runner, Cristiano Marcelino.

“I’ve imagined it and visualized it so many times and just to finally do it it’s almost surreal,” Lamont King, a runner from Roseville said at the finish line.