2021 Javelina Jundred Mini-Preview

by Chase Parnell – October 28, 2021

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The Javelina Jundred is the first Western States golden ticket race to take place in the United States for entry into the 2022 big dance. The top two finishers from both the men’s and women’s race will earn their spot on the Western States starting line and sleep well all winter long knowing it’s in the bank. There will be more opportunities for stateside ultrarunners (Bandera, Black Canyon, and Canyons 100k races) but the races will only get more and more competitive (and stressful for Western States hopefuls) as we get closer to June. 

Per the Javelina website, this 100 mile race is a five loop course with trails that feature rolling single track through the Sonoran Desert, past giant saguaro cactus, granite boulders, and dry wash-beds within the McDowell Mountain Regional Park. The forecast is currently sitting at 84 degrees for a high so if you live in a mountain town, I hope you’ve been cooking in the sauna. It’s gonna be hot!

Alright, let’s get into the competition. In the men’s race, we’ve definitely got an interesting cast of characters. Dave Stevens of British Columbia. Ring a bell? He made a splash just a few months ago, winning the Run Rabbit Run 100 in an incredible time of 18h 01m. He ran well at Javelina once already, finishing 2nd in 2018, but will he be recovered enough to nail another 100 miler just six weeks after RRR? We shall see.

“Stringbean” Joe McConaughy is toeing the line as a definite wild card. He has the Northbound supported FKT on the Arizona Trail but can he throw down in a fast 100 miler? He finished 6th at Lake Sonoma 50 back in 2017 so the guy can run, I just have no idea what kind of shape he’s in now. I’d think he’ll be moving well late in the race given his FKT experience.

Check out this dude from Ohio, Arlen Glick. If he can handle the dry heat, he has to be in the conversation. Here are his most recent four races on his ultrasignup:

Uber-talented Cole Watson could win this thing in his debut 100 miler. He has a lot of 100k experience so this won’t be a huge jump for him. His training looks more than solid. Check out this 125 mile week. 

And then really there are another big handful of guys who, if they have a great day, could be in contention for a golden ticket: Ryan Kaiser, Charlie Ware, Jacob Puzey, Matt Belus, Luke Garten, Ryan Montgomery, and more could all be there if the stars align. LFG. 

The women’s side isn’t quite as deep but has more star power. The current course record (14h 52m) holder, Devon Yanko, will be tough to beat. She seems fit coming off a big overall FKT on the High Sierra Camp Loop, a 50 mile route with 7,000 feet of gain that she set on September 30th. That’s a big run four weeks out from a 100 miler! But she’s a veteran and should be ready to roll.  

Despite Devon’s CR, Brittany Peterson is likely the favorite. She runs well in the heat, winning the 2020 Black Canyon 100k and finishing 4th and 2nd at her last two appearances at Western States. She’s fast! After dropping out of UTMB in August, I imagine she’d love a redemption story here. She’ll be fun to watch. 

Camille Herron is in the house! I was feeling like she’s had a bit of a rough couple years but then I looked at her ultrasignup: 1st Black Canyon 100k (2020), 1st JFK 50 (2020), 2nd USATF 100 Mile Championships (2021). Not too shabby! But she’s also had to pull the plug on a fair amount of races, so I’ll say she’s been a little hit or miss, but not necessarily falling off from the top of her game. She did DNF Javelina last year so I’m sure she’d like to get the monkey off her back and have a nice clean race. 

Lisa Roberts, the 2nd place finisher at Black Canyon 100k in 2020, will be making her 100 mile debut and should be in the mix. However, she will be ineligible to gain entry to Western States no matter how she finishes due to a violation of anti-doping protocols during her professional triathlon days. Western States has a strong no funny business zero-tolerance policy. 

Nicole Monette, Meredith Edwards, Susan Barrows, Lindsey Ulrich, Dana Anderson, and more could also shake things up if the favorites falter. 

Okay, that’s it! There is livestream coverage of the entire race by Aravaipa Running starting at 5am on Saturday! Be sure to tune in to watch it all go down live! 

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