Caleb Olson Won Western States 100 in the 2nd Fastest Time Ever—While Working Full-Time, Raising a Baby, and Wearing the Wildest Shirt on the Internet

If you follow ultrarunning, you’ve probably heard the name Caleb Olson recently . In 2025, he broke through in a big way, winning the Western States 100 in 14:11:25 , the second-fastest time ever on that iconic course. But his rise wasn’t sudden. Raised in the Seattle area, Caleb was an All-ASUN runner at Liberty University, with PRs of 3:51 in the 1500m and 29:11 in the 10,000m . He entered the ultra world in 2018 and has built his career on quiet consistency and smartcoaching. Now running for the Nike ACG team , working full-time as a software developer , and adjusting to life as a new dad , Caleb is hitting his stride. In the last two years, he’s racked up major results. In 2023 he got his Golden Ticket at the Grindstone Ultramarathon; in 2024 he came in 5th at Western States in his debut, while also securing 2nd at the Madeira Island Ultra-Trail 85K; and then in 2025 he set a course record during his win at Transgrancanaria in a time of 12:17:25. This led to his historic victory at Western States this past July. Trained by Jack Kuenzle and shaped by a background in mountaineering and triathlon , Caleb has become one of the most versatile and mentally tough athletes on the trail scene today. In today's conversation, Caleb takes me through his win at Western States, all that went into it, how he handles doubts and builds confidence, his crazy NIKE shirt he wore that broke the internet, being a new dad, what is next for him, and so much more. Tap into the Caleb Olson Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend! S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs -BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run -Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ -My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz