146: The Early LDWA 100-Milers (1973-1979)

Trail 100-milers started to be held in Great Britain in 1973, four years before the Western States 100 was established in America. They were organized by the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA). This piece of ultrarunning history is largely unknown to Americans who have been told for decades that trail 100-milers began first in the U.S. In reality, trail 100s were also known to be held in Mexico among the Tarahumara as early as 1867. Thus, recognition is deserved among several cultures and countries to those who dared to head out into the rural wilderness to achieve the distance of 100 miles on foot.