Modesto native does one of the oldest distance races, 100-plus miles. How he did
Thousands of people a year make running a marathon a goal, training for months for the 26.2-mile race. For many, finishing one is a life accomplishment.
Now, what about finishing more than three marathons? All at one time?
That is what Modesto native Rod Oldfield accomplished over the weekend when he ran The Western States 100-mile Endurance Run.
The 100.2-mile journey starts in Olympic Valley and ends in Auburn at Placer High school. The race took place June 27-28 and is the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race.
Oldfield (55) finished in 28 hours, 20:44 minutes, coming in 235th overall, 188th among male runners and 47th in his age group (Male 50-59).
He qualified at the California Fall Classic 100K at Lake Sonoma.
The Western States climbs more than 18,000 feet and descends 23,000 feet before throughout the course of the trail that equates to about the length of nearly four marathons (3.82).
It was a record year at the Western States as the 2026 finisher shattered the previous course record. In 2019, Jim Walmsley finished in 14:09:28, a time that stood as the best until this weekend. First place finisher Vincent Bouillard of Annecy, France, recorded a time of 13:46:15. Each of the top four finishers beat the previous record.
The women’s course record also went down. The previous record of 15:29:33 was set in 2023 by Courtney Dauwalter, but Jennifer Lichter of Missoula, Montana, narrowly edged the time, finishing in 15:28:05.
