Wayne Ball has been on a journey of constant personal discovery since completing his first trail ultramarathon as a 38-year-old when he crossed the finish line of the Vermont 50K in 2012. Since then, he has completed at least 50 ultramarathons and a dozen 100-milers. In addition to racing, he has been a frequent volunteer, taken over as race director of Seth’s Fat Ass 50K, and organized a run club to share his passion for running with others.

Nearly 14 years after completing his first ultra, Ball added another milestone accomplishment to his trail ultrarunning resume when he took part in the 53rd running of the Western States Endurance Run on June 27-28 in Olympic Valley, Calif.–and he his 100-mile run from Olympic Valley to the finish line on the Placer High School track in Auburn was a celebratory journey for multiple reasons. For one, Ball finally got to toe the starting line at the sport’s original 100-mile footrace and be a part of history. For another, he celebrated his birthday while making that journey.

When Ball started the race alongside 369 other runners, he was 51 years old. By the time he reached the finish line on Sunday, June 28, he was 52. Over the course of 26:25:15 of running, which earned him 175th place out of 322 finishers within the 30-hour time limit, he overcame the ups and downs that the race threw at him, navigated the historic course, and shared the final six miles with his daughter as a pacer.

It was a celebratory accomplishment on a weekend when there were many of them at Western States. The race enjoyed its most favorable weather conditions in years, which laid the foundation for course records to fall–and fall they did.

In the female field, 30-year-old Jennifer Lichter of Missoula, Mont., won in 15:28:05 in her 100-mile debut and clipped 88 seconds off the previous course record that was set by Courtney Dauwalter in 2023. Lichter also placed 11th overall. In the male field, the top four finishers all broke Jim Walmsley’s course record of 14:09:28 that was set in 2019. Vincent Bouillard, 32, of Annecy, France, crushed the record, winning in 13:46:15. Runner-up Francesco Puppi, 34, of Chiavenna, Italy, also went well under the record in his 100-mile debut, finishing in 13:51:08. Top New Englander Ryan Montgomery also went well under the record, placing third in 13:53:55. The 32-year-old resident of Hanover, N.H., finished in the top 10 for the third time in four years. Additionally, while competing in the male category, Montgomery delivered the top performance by a nonbinary athlete in Western States history. Montgomery was one of two nonbinary athletes to place in the overall top 12. Female category runner-up Riley Brady, 31, of Boulder, Colo., (15:42:14) also identifies as nonbinary. Joining Lichter and Brady on the female podium, 36-year-old Marianne Hogan of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec, earned her third third-place finish at Western States and clocked the fifth-fastest time ever by a female runner in 15:51:44.

Seven of the 10 fastest times ever on the female record board were set this year, as were five of the 10 fastest times ever in the male category.

Ball and Montgomery were among a group of at least 10 current or former New Englanders who were among the starting field. Of that group, eight finished. Bertram Johnson, 53, of Burlington, Vt., finished 121st in 23:39:02. Former Boston resident (now living in Flagstaff, Ariz.,) Molly Seidel, 31, finished 28th in the female field and 141st overall in 24:29:27 in her 100-mile debut. Michael Yanchuk, 42, of Chepachet, R.I., placed 167th in 25:55:52, followed shortly after by 54-year-old Karen Benway of Williston, Vt., who was 171st in 26:13:17. Additionally, 55-year-old Neil Feldman of Boylston, Mass., placed 203rd in 27:25:42, and 45-year-old Peter Guza of North Andover, Mass., earned a Golden Hour finish in 29:26:53, placing 294th.

Both Thomas Hanlon of Waltham, Mass., and Coree Woltering of Jackman, Maine, started the race but did not finish. Hanlon dropped from the race after 78 miles and 13:17 of running, while Woltering withdrew after 62 miles and 18:20 of running.