Age is just a number: Wyoming man takes on Western States at 80

The finish line at Placer High School's Ralph LeFebvre Stadium has seen thousands of runners cross with legs trembling after conquering the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run, but if all goes to plan this weekend, it will welcome a milestone like no other. Nick Bassett, a 14-time finisher and the oldest finisher in Western States history, is lacing up once more at 80 years old in an attempt to break his record and finish the world's oldest and most iconic 100-mile trail race. Bassett, who now lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, is one of four runners over the age of 70 to finish Western States and became the oldest to complete the journey in 2018 at 73, crossing the finish line in 29 hours, 9 minutes and 42 seconds. He ran his first Western States in 1984 and completed his 1,000th mile on the trail in 2000. While he has nothing left to prove, something in the foothills keeps pulling him back to where he ran his first 100-miler in four decades of ultrarunning. "I grew up in Colorado and enjoy the mountains," says Bassett. "I'm not a beach guy, I'm a mountain guy. Some people switch, some people like them both. I'm more at home in the mountains." He's a perfect 14 for 14 in Western States attempts, and while he knows it gets a little bit harder each time as he grows older, he knew he had to return to Auburn to give it another go in search of his 15th buckle. "It's just been a lot of fun," said Bassett. "Now, this time is a little more work than it usually is, but each year, you get older and your heart's still in it. It's an iconic run." While some would believe he may know the Western States trail better than many of the elite runners that will be in action, Bassett disputes that fact after a little hiccup he had in his last go. "When I ran it last in 2018 when I became the oldest runner, I took a wrong turn between Michigan Bluff and Foresthill," Bassett chuckled. "I've been known to do that once in a while; you get distracted when you're with somebody. I mean, there's no way I should have missed it, but I missed it." Bassett got into running at the age of 36 just to lose weight, but it wasn't long before he started trying his hand at marathons and 50k races, working his way up to the world's premier ultramarathon. He recalls starting with leisurely neighborhood jogs with friends before pushing himself to a higher level. Once he started ultramarathons, he was hooked. Bassett ran Western States seven times between 1984 and 1995 and said it was his go-to race at one point. He says there is no strategy on race day and no special approach he takes; he just tries to enjoy the ride and take it one mile at a time. "I've had some good races. I was a working guy, and I worked 50, sometimes 60 hours a week so you can run so many miles, especially when you have young kids and stuff like that," said Bassett. "It was always a challenge when I got a chance to be in good shape to see what I could do, but that doesn't happen every year. If you enjoy it, you're smart enough to just slow down a bit and enjoy the ride." Bassett has finished Western States in under 24 hours five times, most recently in 1998. While the silver belt buckles are nice, he says he really enjoys being in the middle of the pack and getting to know new people on the trails as well as helping other runners. He knows this attempt at Western States will be the hardest he has ever had to embark, but he knows his body's limits and plans to push himself in hopes of making history by Sunday morning. "It's going to be a push, especially the older you get. Sometimes, the mind wants to do something, but the body just says you don't have the same oxygen max," said Bassett. "You have to walk the uphills; you can't run them anymore. Your heart rate just gets in the red zone and you can do that once in a while, but it ends up slowing you down in the long run. You've got to stay within what your body's giving you and hope like hell it's going to get you the finish." Bassett will be accompanied by the same crew that aided him in 2018, led by his significant other Barb, another ultra runner. He will also be aided by his daughter, a fellow runner, and a family friend from Jackson Hole. He said their familiarity will help him along the trails. "I know what they're like and they know what I'm like," says Bassett. "They know when I get crabby. They're going to tell me to keep it up and keep my head in the game. They don't push too hard, but they know when they can push me. It's nice to have company on the trail, especially when you're really by yourself out there." Bassett is thankful for every day he's able to compete in what he considers to be the world's greatest sport and, asked what it is that keeps him going at 80, he said, "I think I'm just fortunate."