Runner Abby Hall's Revival Ends in Emotional Western States 100 Victory

Originally posted on Outdoors on SI | By Maria Aldrich | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 10:15 PM ET

At 5:00 a.m. on June 28, 369 elite runners gathered at the Western States Endurance Run starting line at Palisades Tahoe in Olympic Valley, California. Crews, family, friends, and media teams lined the barricades as athletes anxiously lined up, ready for the race to commence. In unison, spectators began counting down as the clock dwindled, ending with one firing to signal the start of the 100.2-mile race.

To cross the finish line, athletes were required to navigate rugged terrain with varying elevation changes. The course is unforgiving, presenting numerous obstacles that challenge even the most capable runners. Out of the 369 starters, only 285 were able to finish the grueling race.

Abby Hall Makes Victorious Comeback at Western States 100

After approximately 16 hours and 37 minutes, 34-year-old Abby Hall of Arizona rounded the corner of the track in Auburn, Calif., just moments away from a colossal Western States victory. Overcome with emotion, Hall proudly grabbed onto the banner and held it high above her head as soon as she crossed the finish line. Her feat becomes even more impressive when considering the brutal injury that she endured a few years ago.

As reported by Brian Metzler of Runner's World, Hall experienced a tibial plateau fracture in 2023. After working through an extensive recovery process, she was slowly able to make a return to her sport with each day following her accident leading up to this very moment.

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"The quote I kept repeating to myself and thinking of this whole week was something like, 'What's for you, will find you,'" said Hall, per the official Western States Endurance Run (WSER) website. "I have felt like I was meant to be here. I pushed through two challenging Golden Ticket events, and I felt so fortunate that the ticket roll-down worked out the way it did. It's surreal."

Halls crossed the finish line and clocked a jaw-dropping time of 16:37:16, shaving roughly six hours off her previous time. According to the WSER website, Hall's time lands her at No. 4 on the All-Time Top 100 Women's list. Still holding the helm at No. 1 is Colorado's Courtney Dauwalter with a 2023 time of 15:29:33.

Halls' monumental victory tells an inspiring story of perseverance, pushing through trials and tribulations. Instead of taking the back seat after suffering a potentially career-ending injury, she demonstrated mental fortitude and endless patience in hopes of returning to her sport. Ultimately, this mindset allowed her to be crowned women's champion with an 11th overall finish.

This article first appeared on Outdoors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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