A Historic Debut: Inaugural Bay Area 100 Set to Crown Its First Champions

June 3, 2026

Top National Endurance Runners and Local Legends Clash at Inaugural Bay Area 100 Presented by Mount to Coast

  BERKELEY, CA /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – In its very first year, the Bay Area 100 Presented by Mount to Coast has already commanded national attention, drawing a highly competitive field of athletes from 11 different U.S. states and international registrants from as far as the Philippines. Many of them are elite, top-level endurance athletes arriving from afar to test their limits against a brutally challenging point-to-point course packed with more than 18,000 vertical feet of climbing in the East Bay mountains.

Among the prominent out-of-state contenders are Colorado mountain specialist Jamichael Steen (Lakewood, CO) and Nick Steel (Mankato, MN), both of whom are Mount to Coast-sponsored athletes and are expected to run with the front of the men’s pack. Steel, 23, arrives with a massive experience advantage despite his years, having logged a mind-boggling twenty 100-mile finishes over the last two years alone.

Representing the out-of-staters on the women’s side is Jaide Downs (Fields, OR), fresh off a victory at the 2026 Pulse Endurance Runs 48-Hour event, and Arizona’s Wynonna Fulgham, who turned in a strong performance at the Cocodona-Sedona Canyons 125 in early May.

In a sport deeply defined by epic achievements, there is an undeniable allure to winning a future classic right at its inception. As race registrants and fans alike are saying ahead of the Saturday, June 13, 2026, debut: “There’s only one first.”

The Battle Against the “Local Legends”

As national front-runners converge on the Bay Area for the race, a talented contingent of “Local Legends” are preparing to protect their home turf. While out-of-state elites bring impressive resumes, nearly three-quarters of the race field hails from California, with many living within a one-hour drive of the course. This local concentration is no accident; the Bay Area has been an incubator for world-class endurance athletes since the sport’s earliest days, and this debut gives hometown athletes an incredible home-course advantage.

The wide-open men’s field features local favorite Rob Nachtwey, whose formidable trophy case includes a top-10 finish at last year’s highly competitive Lake Sonoma 100K and an outright win at the local Berkeley Trail Adventure 50K. He will face intense pressure from Patrick Rabuzzi, a runner boasting numerous top-10 ultramarathon finishes alongside a victory at the classic 2026 Quicksilver 50K, a race that compares favorably to the Bay Area 100’s terrain. Adding to the local depth are standout members of the Bay Area Racing Team, including Samuel Cooper, Dean of Students and cross-country and track coach at Oakland’s Montera Middle School, and Brianna Santos, a military mother of seven who knows the 100-mile distance very well and has several top local ultra finishes to her name.

The women’s race also features the mountain-running acumen of Rebecca Heymann (Santa Cruz, CA), who has raced exceptionally well on local trails, including a women’s win and overall podium finish at the Hunter S. Thompson Fear & Loathing 50 Miler less than one year ago. Pushing her is a talented local pack, including Caitlin Boldt (Pleasanton, CA), who recently snagged second place at the grueling Quicksilver 100K and won the 2025 Dick Collins 50 Miler, and Zoe Ray (Walnut Creek, CA), another stellar Bay Area Racing Team member who won the Ruck-a-Chuck 50K and placed in the top 10 at the hyper-competitive Way Too Cool 50K this spring alone. Ray also cracked the Top 5 with a sub-20-hour finishing time at the 2025 Rio Del Lago 100, so the 100-mile distance is not foreign to her. In an added bit of local intrigue, Ray is the daughter of Bay Area 100 Race Director Adam Ray, who could be forgiven if he glances occasionally at the race leader board while ensuring the event provides a world-class experience.

In addition to firsthand familiarity with the terrain; these local runners have trained for thousands of miles on the relentless, hidden cruxes of Las Trampas, Tilden, Lake Chabot, and Redwood Regional Park, all key parts of the course that will reward the right strategy. That understanding of the course’s nuances can translate to spectacular performances over the 100-mile distance.

Bridging Generations

Beyond the race for the podium, the demographic landscape of the field highlights a fascinating contrast between raw youth and seasoned wisdom, beautifully illustrating the multigenerational obsession with the sport and the all-inclusive philosophy of the Bay Area 100.

The next generation is out in full force, led by two fearless competitors under the age of 20 who are skipping shorter distances to dive straight into the ultimate triple-digit test. At the other end of the spectrum, an incredible master class of aging athletes will be proving their lifelong longevity. A total of 17 runners over the age of 60 are registered to toe the line. This inspiring class of endurance enthusiasts includes seven female runners and ten male runners proving that age is just a number when it comes to the century distance.

Race action begins at 5 AM on Saturday morning, June 13.

About Scena Performance:

Scena Performance (www.scenaperformance.com) produces world-class endurance events that celebrate regional trail history, community connection, and athletic excellence.

Media Contact:

Inaugural Bay Area 100 Media Team

Email: info@bayarea100.com

Website: www.bayarea100.com