Twietmeyer/Trason
For anyone who's interested (and who wouldn't be?), the legacy of the Double T's - Tim Twietymeyer and Ann Trason - at the Western States 100 dates to 1980. Twietmeyer sent in his entry, but didn't make it to the starting line. He asked the race to hold his entry to the followiing year and then began his 15-year finishing history.
By James Raia
Posted Thursday, 11 July, 1996
For anyone who's interested (and who wouldn't be?), the legacy of the Double
T's - Tim Twietymeyer and Ann Trason - at the Western States 100 dates to
1980.
Twietmeyer sent in his entry, but didn't make it to the starting line. He
asked the race to hold his entry to the followiing year and then began his
15-year finishing history.
Twiet's streak has has only one glitch, 1984, when he wasn't selected in the
lottery. His times and places speak for themselves. He says he has had only
two "bad" years, 1982 and 1987.
In 1982, he recalls eating too much sugar and was sick during much of the
last half of the course. In 1987, he entered while recovering from the flu,
but still finished strong.
Trason's tenure began in 1987. She suffered from knee problems at Robinson
Flat, but recalled in an Outside Magazine cover story a few years ago how the
experience was turning point of her ultramarathon career - she became totally
mezmorized by the trail.
The following year was Trason's well-documented battle with eventual winner
Kathy D'Onofrio. Trason and D'Onofrio were both smashing the previous course
record. Trason, however, suffered from dehydration and was adminstered an
I.V. at Highway 49 and was out of the race.
As the saying goes, the rest is history. Beginning in 1989, Trason has been
victorious every year and with remarkably consistent times in a variety of
conditions.
Following are the two legends' year-by-year WS100 finishes and placings:
TIM TWIETMEYER, 37, Auburn, Calif.
1981 - 22 hours, 3 minutes, 25th place
1982 - 22 hours, 53 minutes, 50th
1983 - 21 hours, 4 minutes, 30th
1985 - 18 hours, 40 minutes, 10th
1986 - 19 hours, 2 minutes, 7th
1987 - 20 hours, 59 minutes, 16th
1988 - 19 hours, 0 minutes, 14th
1989 - 17 hours, 6 minutes, 2nd
1990 - 17 hours, 26 minutes, 3rd
1991 - 17 hours, 25 minutes, 4th
1992 - 16 hours, 54 minutes 1st
1993 - 17 hours, 56 minutes, 2nd
1994 - 16 hours, 51 minutes, 1st (personal record)
1995 - 18 hours, 34 minutes, 1st
1996 - 17 hours, 42 minutes, 1st
ANN TRASON, 35, Kensington, Calif.
1987 - DNF (knee problems, Robinson Flat)
1988 - DNF (I.V. given at 49er Crossing)
1989 - 18 hours, 47 minutes - 1st woman (10th overall)
1990 - 18 hours, 33 minutes - 1st woman (9th overall)
1991 - 18 hours, 29 minutes - 1st woman (9th overall)
1992 - 18 hours, 14 minutes - 1st woman (3rd overall)
1993 - 19 hours, 5 minutes - 1st woman (3rd overall)
1994 - 17 hours, 37 minutes - 1st woman (2nd overall)
(PR & course record)
1995 - 18 hours, 40 minutes - 1st woman (2nd overall)
1996 - 18 hours, 57 minutes - 1st woman (3rd overall)