Article From Auburn Journal Written By: Todd Mordhorst / Special to the Auburn Journal

June 28, 2013

Even the soft-spoken, unassuming Timothy Olson couldn't remain under the radar after what he accomplished on the historic Western States Trail in 2012.

When you run the fastest time in race history at the oldest ultramarathon in the country it's tough to be a wallflower.

A few things have changed for Olson since last June, when he covered the 100 miles between Squaw Valley andAuburn in 14 hours, 46 minutes. He has an 11-month-old son now, making training a bit more challenging. He's also got a new sponsor —The North Face. But one thing that hasn't changed is Olson's passion for Western States.

"It was definitely magical last year," Olson said. "Not every race falls into place like that, but everything came together and I had a lot of inspiration that day. This year's completely different, but Western States is the major race that I've really prepared for the last three years. I'm healthy and I'm definitely confident in my ability."

Olson, a 29-year-old massage therapist from Ashland, Ore., may be the favorite at Saturday's 40th Western States, but he's expecting plenty of company at the front of the pack.

There is a young contingent, led by 24-year-old Cameron Clayton, the winner of a hotly contested Run Rabbit Run 50-miler earlier this year. Miwok 60K champion Dylan Bowman is another youngster with prodigious talent. Though he's 36 years old, Robert Krar has burst onto the ultra scene, breaking the course record at the Leona Divide 50-miler to earn a Montrail Ultra Cup spot in the Western States field.

The veteran star power is staggering. Hal Koerner, a close mentor to Olson and fellow Ashland resident, is a two-time WS champion. Mike Morton is making his much-anticipated return to WS after a 16-year hiatus. The Army Master Sgt. who now lives in Florida broke the WS course record in 1997 and just last year at age 40, broke Scott Jurek's American record by covering 172.4 miles in 24 hours at a race in Poland.

Karl Meltzer is a legend in the sport best known for his 30 wins at 100-milers and dominating at the Hardrock 100 and Wasatch 100 for many years. Colorado's Nick Clark has finished third at WS in back-to-back years and Ian Sharman owns three top-10 finishes at WS. Dave Mackey shattered the master's course record just last year while taking fourth overall and Jorge Maravilla is back after a strong seventh-place finish last year.

"I feel like I'm in the middle ground and it's the legends versus the up and comers," Olson said of the impressive roster of runners. "I'm excited to see what Karl (Meltzer) and Mike (Morton) can do and I'm stoked to see what Krar and Cameron (Clayton) can do as well."

Jacob Rydman is aiming to represent Placer County in the top 10. The Rocklin resident has waited patiently to gain entry to WS and he did so with a runner-up finish (to Olson) at last year's Waldo 100K in Oregon.

Rydman, who works as an assistant cross country coach at William Jessup University, has picked the brains of Jim King and Tim Twietmeyer — two of the most revered runners in WS history.

"Jim King and I have connected here and there and I've talked to Tim Twietmeyer and those are two legends of Western States," Rydman said. "It's really awesome to have them imparting their passion and wisdom. I have a lot of respect for those guys. I feel like I've prepared the best I can to compete with the best on Saturday and hopefully I can throw together a really great performance.