Eight Weeks Out — Canyons Golden Ticket Recap, Trail Report, Course Conditions, Waitlist Update, Pacers, and a Major 2026 Entrant Announcement

With eight weeks until the 2026 Western States Endurance Run, Carrie Meng is joined by John Trent and special guest Race Director Craig Thornley for a packed update.The crew shares advice for runners in this critical training stretch — heat prep, quad work, long-run nutrition, and how to push without breaking down. Craig recaps the Canyons 100K Golden Ticket race, including Adam Peterman's win, Zach Miller & Hayden Hawks's gritty finish, and the chain of events that sent Riley Brady, Sarah Humble, and Ellaney Matarese to Auburn on the women's side.They also cover key 2025 pacer rule changes, trail work progress including the final year of the Granite Chief reroute, course conditions, and waitlist movement.Plus the headline: four-time champion and course record holder Jim Walmsley is returning to Western States in 2026  joining an already historic men's field.