Gordy Ainsleigh, the man who ran with the horses

Gordy Ainsleigh’s feat

At 4:50 a.m. on August 3, 1974, Gordy Ainsleigh left the Squaw Valley area a few minutes ahead of the horses. That year, 198 riders and their mounts were at the Tevis Cup start. Ainsleigh was alone on foot, after having lost his horse in 2023. Ten minutes later, the riders began their own journey across the mountains. Created in 1955 by businessman Wendell Robie (pictured below), it is the oldest endurance horse race. The course links the Lake Tahoe area to Auburn via the trails of the Sierra Nevada, with a 24-hour time limit.

The horses are checked throughout the course and must be deemed fit to continue. Ainsleigh knew this world inside out, having completed the Tevis Cup, on horseback in 1971 and 1972. But on August 3, 1974, he became the first runner to complete the course in under 24 hours. More importantly, he inspired one of the world’s most famous races, the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run.

Other runners had already covered the course on foot, but nowhere near Gordy’s remarkable time. In 1972, 20 servicemen attempted the Western States Trail on foot, and seven of them made it to Auburn. They took between 45 and 47 hours, however. Gordy managed to beat the time limit set for the horses. In 1977, Ainsleigh’s legacy began to take shape: 14 runners from four states took part in the first officially organized Western States Endurance Run, which was still held alongside the Tevis Cup. Only three men reached Auburn.

© Western States 100 miles Endurance Run

A carefully considered plan

Unlike some accounts that embellish Gordy Ainsleigh’s story, suggesting for instance that his horse pulled out and forced him to continue on foot, the plan was carefully thought through. Ainsleigh had prepared for the switch to running, taking part in the Castle Rock 50 in 1973. He could run a sub-three-hour marathon. It was Drucilla Barner, the first woman to win the Tevis Cup and the race association’s secretary at the time, who encouraged Gordy Ainsleigh to try the full course after his horse failed to complete the 1973 race.

Ainsleigh knew the trails. To break 24 hours, he would need to maintain an average pace just above 6 kilometers per hour. Sierra Nevada climbs, steep descents, canyons, heat and long stretches of isolation already made up the essential challenge that would later define the Western States. Ainsleigh had none of the aid stations found at a modern ultra, but he had planned his attempt carefully, placing bottles of sports drink along the course in advance, for example.

Twenty-three hours and 42 minutes after starting, Gordy Ainsleigh reached the finish. Western States now recognizes that day as the first edition in its history: one starter, one finisher. The official Western States Endurance Run website also pays tribute to that legacy.

A passion that still burns

While Gordy Ainsleigh did not invent ultra-trail, he set the bar so high that day that his performance still feels modern. So do his preparation and attention to detail. The servicemen who had attempted the distance took twice as long as he did.

This nature and sports enthusiast, who also holds a doctorate, shares something with Kilian Jornet: growing up in the mountains, becoming hardened by their demands and loving the challenge above all else. It is worth noting that, before becoming known on the trails and establishing himself as a running legend, Ainsleigh was regarded as one of the very best riders on the American circuit.

Gordy remains a much-loved figure among nature and trail fans. His smile and his outlook continue to inspire, and he still takes part in races. At 79, he continues to line up, even though he can no longer race 100 miles, much to his regret… In 2026, a Outside journalist recorded this quote from the man who ran with the horses: « It depresses me most of all because I can’t do it anymore. I wish I could still do it so badly ». He still volunteers at Western States. If you run into him, get a photo!

© Wikimedia