Eastern States 100 is over, and if you were watching the race unfold this weekend, you know there was a lot more going on than just who crossed the finish line first. Yes, Kaylee Frederick is the story. She didn't just win the women's race. She won Eastern States outright, becoming the first woman in race history to take the overall win. And she did it on a day when simply getting through 103 miles of Pennsylvania trail was an accomplishment all by itself. At just 21, Kaylee finished in 23:09, setting a new women's course record in the process. She crossed the line around 4:09 Sunday morning after more than 23 hours of running through the Pennsylvania heat and humidity. But we’ll also talk about the rest of the race. Because 2026 Eastern States brought the heat and humidity, and then some more humidity for good measure. This is already one of the biggest 100-milers in the East: 103 miles, more than 20,000 feet of climbing, remote and technical trails, and long stretches where you really have to take care of yourself. Add in a hot, humid day and things get interesting pretty quickly. Effort that normally feels manageable started costing runners more. Cooling became critical. Hydration and electrolytes became a constant calculation. The climbs got harder, the runnable sections weren't nearly as runnable, and eventually everybody had to figure out just how much they were willing to give the conditions. Eastern States has never really been generous with buckles. Historically, only about half of the runners who start make it to the finish. In 2025, 258 runners started and 133 finished. The race's nine-year average finish rate is just 49.8%, and some years have dropped into the 30-percent range. That's the part of Eastern States that can get lost when we're talking about the front of the pack. While Kaylee was out there rewriting the record book, hundreds of other runners were having their own completely different Eastern States experience. Some were racing for a podium. Some were chasing a PR. Some were trying to beat a cutoff. Some were just trying to keep moving when their body was very clearly asking them to stop. Those are the stories that make this race what it is. So this week on The Running Mullet, we're recapping Eastern States from top to bottom. From Kaylee's historic win, to the standout performances that lead to podium finishes, the runners who fought their way through the heat and humidity, the people who surprised themselves, the people who got absolutely humbled by Pennsylvania, the DNFs, the buckle stories, the weather, the strategy, the amazing aid stations, and finally what it actually takes to get through one of the hardest 100-milers around. Because at Eastern States, the winner gets the headline, but every finisher has a story.
