The 2009 Lottery will be held starting at 9AM on
Saturday, December 6, 2008.
The drawing is held in the cafeteria of Placer High
School in Auburn, CA.
The public is welcome to attend.
There were about 1,350 names in the 2008 Lottery.
The complete list is 
HERE.
The results of the 2008 Lottery are posted on the Lottery Results page. |
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| The number of Applications received each year
greatly exceeds the number that can be accepted. The annual Lottery is the
method used to select those who will participate. |
| Everything starts with this: Our permit with
the U.S. Forest Service limits us to 369 runners. Why this odd number? In 1984,
Congress enacted the California Wilderness Act, which created the Granite Chief
Wilderness. The Western States Trail crosses the Granite Chief Wilderness, at
about miles 6-10. Normally, organized events are not permitted in wilderness
areas but, as Western States pre-existed the wilderness designation, we were
able to get the race "grandfathered" into the legislation, with the proviso
that we have no more runners than we had prior to the passage of the act. In
1984, it happened that there were 369 starters and that has been the magic
number ever since. |
| The Forest Service allows us to use a
five-year running average of 369. Historically, we have found that about 10% of
those chosen in the lottery will not make it to the starting line due to
injury, illness, or other "real life" interventions. So, we will typically
choose about 400 runners total. This number will vary slightly from year to
year, depending on where we are on the five-year average. |
| In an effort to provide for the fairest means
possible of choosing the starting field, a lottery was instituted. Runners
must qualify and submit their applications prior to the lottery. It is
important to fill out the application accurately and on time. Each year a few
applications are rejected for failure to include payment, verification of
qualifying, or because they are received after the deadline.
(Note: Checks are not cashed until the lottery date, so
there is really no reason to wait until the very last minute to apply.) |
| A note about the Buddy System: A "buddy
system" is available for those wanting to run WS but only if they can train and
run it with a friend. To qualify, both entries must be received in the same
envelope. Only one buddy is put in the hat at the lottery. If the one buddy is
drawn, both buddies are added to the event. Otherwise, both buddies go in the
reject pile. |
Automatics. The
Western States Board of Trustees has instituted a set of rules around the
lottery process. There are several ways by which a runner may be automatically
selected, and not be subject to the lottery. (All entrants applying as
automatics, will have their entry fee check deposited at the time that their
entry is received). In each instance, the runner must have qualified and
applied prior to the lottery. Here is a complete list of ways in which a runner
may be automatically selected:
- Top 10 male finishers from the previous year’ race;
- Top 10 female finishers from the previous year’s
race;
- Each running club that sponsors and staffs an aid station at
Western States is allowed to designate one runner;
- Certain sponsor agreements specify a designated runner for
the sponsor;
- Members of the Board of Trustees;
- Winners from the previous year’s Memorial weekend and
race weekend raffles;
- Pioneers: Gordy Ainsleigh, who ran solo in 1974 and Cowman
A-Moo-Ha, who duplicated the feat in 1976;
- Nine-time finishers going for their first attempt at a tenth
finish.
Note: Winners of the twice-annual Raffle Drawing also figure into the overall total, but they are
permitted to establish their qualifications after the drawing. The drawings are
held 12 to 18 months prior to the Run for which the winning entries
apply. |
In addition, the Board of Trustees reserves the
right to grant admission to runners whose contributions to the organization
of the event have been unusual and substantial. While this "special
consideration" definition may be broadly drafted, it is narrowly applied. In
the 2008 lottery, 5 runners were admitted via special consideration; the
previous year it was 4, and the year before that 3. No special consideration
will be given to athletes that would greatly enhance the competitive aspect of
the race. Competitive athletes that feel they would greatly enhance the
competitive aspect of the race have the opportunity to gain entry into WS via
the 
Montrail Ultra Cup Series. |
| All other runners’ names are put into a
hat (actually a large GU2O bucket) and drawn at random by members of the
audience at a public lottery held at Placer High School in Auburn each fall.
|
| The number of applicants to the lottery has been
as high as 1,200 in the past. In recent years it has again been bumping
1,000 applicants. Odds of getting selected are a function of the number of
applicants, the number of automatic entrants, and the number of total runners
accepted. For the 2006 race, for example, the odds of getting drawn in the
lottery were approximately 37%. |
| Results of the December Lottery drawing are
posted on this site as soon as available. |
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