Western States Qualifying Races 2027 & 2028: New Races, Changes and Entry Process
The Western States Endurance Run has released its qualifying race lists for the 2027 and 2028 lotteries. Here are the biggest changes, the new qualifying races to know about, and how the Western States lottery entry process works.
For thousands of ultrarunners around the world, getting into the Western States Endurance Run is a long-term goal. The 100-mile race from Olympic Valley to Auburn is one of the most sought-after races in trail running, and for most runners, the first step is completing an official Western States qualifying race.
The Western States Endurance Run (WSER) has now published its qualifying race lists for both the 2027 and 2028 lotteries, giving runners a much clearer picture of their options for the next two years.
How the Western States qualifying system works
There is an important distinction between the two lists.
WSER updates its qualifying race list once each September, but each lottery has its own one-year qualifying period. For the 2027 lottery, runners must complete an official qualifier between November 3, 2025 and November 8, 2026.
For the 2028 lottery, the qualifying period runs from November 9, 2026 through November 7, 2027.
In other words, having a race appear on the 2028 list does not make a race completed in 2026 a 2028 qualifier. The race has to be completed during the relevant qualifying period.
WSER also makes it clear that a race not appearing on the official list cannot be used as a qualifier, and virtual races are not accepted.
New Western States qualifying races for 2027
The 2027 list introduces a number of new options, including several interesting races outside the United States.
Among the races specifically marked as "new" by WSER are:
| Race | Distance | Country / State |
|---|---|---|
| Beacons Way Ultra | 100km / 100M | Wales |
| Bootlegger | 100M | Georgia, USA |
| Brink Trail Run | 100M | Oregon, USA |
| BTS | 100km / 170km | Indonesia |
| Chester Ultra | 100M | England |
| Cuesta X Trail | 100km | Thailand |
| Fjällmaraton 100k | 100km | Sweden |
| Grampians Peaks Trail | 163km | Australia |
| Great Wall by UTMB | 103km | China |
| Kaga Spa Trail by UTMB | 105km | Japan |
| Mammoth | 200M | California, USA |
| Mogollon Monster | 100M | Arizona, USA |
| Monte Rosa WalserWaeg by UTMB | 122km | Italy |
| Olympic Mountains | 100km | Washington, USA |
| Puglia by UTMB – Sassi di Matera | 144km | Italy |
| Whistler by UTMB | 100km | Canada |
| Xiamen by UTMB | 104km | China |
WSER’s list identifies these races as new qualifiers for the 2027 lottery.
Some particularly interesting additions for European runners
The 2027 changes are particularly interesting for European trail runners.
Monte Rosa WalserWaeg by UTMB becomes a Western States qualifier in Italy, while Puglia by UTMB – Sassi di Matera adds another Italian option. Sweden gets Fjällmaraton 100k, while England and Wales gain Chester Ultra and Beacons Way Ultra respectively.
For runners looking further afield, the new list also expands qualifying opportunities in Asia, with Great Wall by UTMB, Xiamen by UTMB, BTS and Kaga Spa Trail by UTMB among the additions.
There are also some particularly long races joining the qualifying system. Mammoth is listed at 200 miles, while several other qualifiers are well beyond the traditional 100-mile distance. WSER’s qualifying criteria allow races of at least 100km, subject to the organisation’s other requirements.
What about the 2028 Western States qualifying races?
WSER has also published the qualifying list for the 2028 Western States lottery.
The 2028 list introduces another set of races marked as new, including:
- Alpenglow – 100km, Canada
- Badger – 100M, Illinois
- Bay Area – 100M, California
- Big Alta – 100km, California
- Copper King – 100M, Montana
- Dark Divide – 100M, Washington
- Indiana – 150M, Indiana
- Looking Glass – 100km, North Carolina
- Mountain Ultra Trail by UTMB – MUT Miler – 168km, South Africa
- Mountain Ultra Trail by UTMB – MUT – 100km, South Africa
- Nuts Karhunkierros – 166km, Finland
- Oh Meu Deus by UTMB – 167km, Portugal
- Oslo Bergen Trail – 500km, Norway
- Torrencial Chile by UTMB – Pilolcura 100K – 106km, Chile
- Ultra-Trail Great Wall by UTMB – 100km, China
- Ultra Trail Shudao by UTMB – 104km, China
- Ultra Trail Mogan by UTMB – DMG – 114km, China
- Ushuaia Fin del Mundo by UTMB – Epic 130 – 113km, Argentina
WSER marks these additions as “new” on its 2028 list.
For European runners, Nuts Karhunkierros in Finland and Oh Meu Deus by UTMB in Portugal are two particularly notable additions.
Which 2026 Western States qualifiers have disappeared?
There is also a significant amount of movement in the other direction.
A comparison of the 2026 qualifying list with the new 2027 list shows that a number of races that were qualifiers for the 2026 lottery do not appear on the 2027 list.
Examples include:
- Abbots Way – Italy
- Altai Ultra Trail – Russia
- Azores Trail Run – Portugal
- Chiangmai by UTMB Elephant 100km – Thailand
- Craze Ultra – Singapore
- Dalmacija Ultra Trail – Croatia
- EstrelAçor Trail Ultra Endurance – Portugal
- Hardwolds – England
- Montreux Trail Festival – Switzerland
- Morenic Trail – Italy
- Olympus Mythical Trail – Greece
- Oso Negro – Mexico
- Pine to Palm – Oregon, USA
- Puerto Vallarta by UTMB – Mexico
- Pulag Ultra Trail – Philippines
- Scenic Trail – Switzerland
- Täby Extreme Challenge 100 – Sweden
- Trail des Gombak – Malaysia
- Ultra Trail Lago d’Orta – Italy
These races were present on the 2026 list but are not present on the current 2027 list.
There are, however, some important nuances.
The disappearance of a race from one year’s list does not necessarily mean that WSER has permanently removed it. Some races were affected by cancellations, changes to the event calendar or other circumstances. For example, WSER specifically notes that the 2026 qualifying status of some races was affected by cancellations or weather-related course changes.
One particularly interesting example is SkyRun in South Africa. The 2026 list notes that its 2025 edition was shortened because of weather and explicitly states that it was not a qualifying race for 2027.
Similarly, Soria Moria til Verdens Ende appears on the 2027 list but is marked as having no race in 2027, illustrating why runners should always check the actual race and qualifying-year information rather than relying on an old list.
What are the Western States qualifying race criteria?
WSER says its qualifying-race selection is based primarily on race size.
The organisation states that qualifying races must be substantially on trails and have at least 100 finishers at the qualifying distance. The minimum qualifying distance is 100km, while races shorter than 100 miles must have at least 2,500 metres of elevation gain.
WSER also says it does not consider first-year races, although a second-year event can qualify if it meets the 100-finisher requirement.
This explains why the Western States qualifying list includes such a wide range of races. It is not simply a list of the hardest or most prestigious ultras in the world; the selection system is based on specific criteria, particularly participation numbers.
How do you enter the Western States lottery?
For the 2027 Western States, the basic process is:
1. Complete a qualifying race.
You must be at least 18 on race day and complete one of the official qualifying races within the relevant one-year qualifying period and within the specified qualifying time.
2. Register for the lottery.
For the 2027 race, lottery registration is scheduled to run from November 1 to November 21, 2026 through the WSER online portal. Your qualifying result must be available online and you must select a valid qualifier during the application process.
3. Wait for the lottery.
The 2027 lottery is scheduled for December 5, 2026.
4. If selected, complete registration.
Runners selected in the lottery receive an invitation to register through UltraSignup and have 10 days to complete their registration.
There are also automatic-entry categories, but even automatic entrants must complete a qualifying race during the one-year qualifying period.
What happens if you don't get into Western States?
Not getting selected in the lottery does not mean starting from zero the following year.
WSER operates a ticket system in which unsuccessful lottery applicants accumulate additional tickets for future lotteries. The number of tickets increases exponentially with consecutive unsuccessful applications: two tickets after one unsuccessful application, four after two, eight after three, and so on.
Importantly, running multiple qualifying races in the same qualifying period does not give you additional lottery tickets. You only need one valid qualifier to enter the lottery.
Planning your route to Western States
The release of the 2027 and 2028 qualifying lists gives runners considerably more visibility when planning their ultra calendars.
For European runners in particular, there are now a large number of options across France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, the UK, Scandinavia and Central Europe, alongside a growing selection of international races.
The key is to look not only at the race distance, but also at the qualifying time, race date and qualifying period. A 100km race can be a valid Western States qualifier only if it appears on the relevant WSER list and you finish within the specified qualifying time.
And, as always, the official WSER list should be treated as the final reference because the organisation can make changes to qualifying status.
Western States qualifying races: the key dates
| Lottery | Qualifying period | Lottery |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Western States | Nov. 3, 2025 – Nov. 8, 2026 | Dec. 5, 2026 |
| 2028 Western States | Nov. 9, 2026 – Nov. 7, 2027 | December 2027 |
The 2027 dates are confirmed on the current WSER entry page; the 2028 qualifying period is confirmed on the qualifying-race page.
Planning to run Western States?
Check the official qualifying list before choosing your race - the status of a race can change from one year to the next.
Official WSER resources:
