Ann Trason

About

Ann Trason is an American ultramarathon runner from Auburn, California, widely regarded as the most dominant female ultrarunner in the sport's history. A standout track athlete at Pacific Grove High School whose competitive college career was cut short by a knee injury, she found her true calling in the mountains, entering the American River 50 Mile in 1985 and winning it outright on debut. Her career became defined by an extraordinary run at the Western States 100, which she won fourteen times, including a 1994 course record of 17:37:51 that stood for eighteen years. In both 1996 and 1997 she performed the legendary 'double,' winning the 56-mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa and then Western States just twelve days later. Across her career she set 20 world records, including a 50-mile mark of 5:40:18 in 1991 that stood unbeaten for 24 years, and from 1988 until her 2004 retirement she finished all twenty-seven 100-milers she started, winning every one of them outright among women. She was named Ultrarunning Magazine's Ultrarunner of the Year twelve times and was inducted into the Ultrarunning Hall of Fame in 2020.

Notable Wins

• — Western States 100 (14x
• — incl. 1994 course record 17:37:51)
• — Comrades Marathon 'double' wins 1996 & 1997
• — American River 50 Mile course record (debut win
• — 1985)
• — 50 Mile World Record 5:40:18 (1991
• — stood until 2015)
• — Ultrarunning Magazine Ultrarunner of the Year (12x)

Race History

Recent Coverage