ORANGE PARK - It took seven years and an extra 26 hours and two minutes and 16 seconds for Mae Barker, a Florida Strider running veteran, to clear off one of the biggest parts of her "Bucket List" with the completion of the toughest trail run in the world in an astounding effort of 26 hours, two minutes and 16 seconds.

"The Western States Endurance 100 miler is one of the toughest races just to get into, let alone be able to finish and I got to finish in front of my entire family and kids," said Barker, 47, who joined husband Zack Hanna, also 47, with finishing the iconic trail run across the California mountain tops; Zach Hanna completing the mission last year. "This is the mecca of ultradistance running. Ultra running is so beautiful in the locations that they are staged; in the forest, up mountains, in valleys and through at least 24 hours of daylight to night. It is quite surreal to see the Earth and its beauty while doing the runs. Ultra runners are also a quirky bunch."
The 51st annual Western State Endurance 100 miler is the world's oldest 100-mile trail race with its start in Olympic Valley, California near the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics and its finish at 100.2 (exactly) in Auburn, California with a crowd-jammed lap around the Placer High School track.
The race entails 18,000 feet of climbing; uphill running, and 23,000 feet of descending running through the California Gold country with an ice-cold river crossing in the Middle Fork of the American River with just a sprinkling of actual paved road running in the final 10 miles.
"To get into the race, you have to first finish a 100-mile trail run within the race year," said Barker, who qualified with the 2024 Indiana 100 with running friend Lisa Adams (Green Cove Springs Junior High track coach, Boston Marathon finisher) running 25 miles with her.
The Western States relies on a lottery of sorts for race entry.
"Runners who finish a 100 miler get a ticket good toward the Western States lottery; run two 100 milers get two tickets; three 100 milers, four tickets and so on, doubling with each finish," said Barker, married 18 years to also marathoner to ultra runner husband Zach with three children. "The tricky part is that the tickets only get you considered and I've run a qualifier for the past seven years. I had 62 tickets over a seven-year racing span before I got into the 2024 race. My husband Zach had 32 tickets and he got picked last year. There were over 50,000 tickets in the lottery for this race and a ticket only gets you the chance to run."
After her ticket was selected, Barker had to wait for another race tradition which was to be selected to actually run the race.
"My bib number was my ticket; No. 201, but the ticket only gets you in to be chosen to run," said Barker. "This is a lock and key race because you get chosen in the lottery and then have to be chosen a second time to compete in the race. There is a waitlist of about 100 people who wait to be chosen."
Barker, who was given her entry in January, hired a coach to guide her; Andy Jones Wilkins, then embarked on a weekly ritual of long runs during the week, then runs of five hours on Saturday and eight hours on Sunday. Barker, who used the Ortega Bridges area for mountain training and some trips to North Carolina for more uphills, noted that fueling the body is as big a part of the training as the running.
"When Zach got his entry, I went to the race and met him at 62 miles to run with him to the finish and this year, he returned the favor," said Barker. "He was such a positive force at a point that I was feeling kind of bad. He kept smiling and telling me I might be able to get the Silver Buckle."
The Silver Buckle is awarded to runners under 24 hours while runners under 30 hours receive a bronze belt buckle.
"We arrived on the Thursday prior to the June 29 race start (5 a.m.)," said Barker, who finished at 7:02 a.m. on Sunday. "At the start, a former winner of the race, speaks of the gratitude of being at the start line and, from that moment, it's pure excitement, until about four minutes in when you start going up. At the top, you see Lake Tahoe and then it hits you, after the beauty of it all, that you "only" have 96 miles to go."
Barker noted that a blind runner near her, running with a guide, fueled her courage to trek on.
"I had no reason to feel bad after seeing that runner, he was so calm and on such a treacherous path," said Barker.
Barker did admit some anxiety as the race progressed with a race tactic flaw in that her hydration plan was not sufficient.
"I made the mistake of assuming that the race's aide stops; about 10 miles apart, would be enough to keep my hydrated," said Barker. "I was getting dry mouth and tired near the halfway mark until I met my coach Andy at mile 55 who encouraged me at the point that I could still get the silver buckle. At that point, I had just finished massive heat and massive up and down hills."
Barker was determined to show off her 47-year-old, three-kid Florida "Bad-Ass" mentality by getting the coveted silver buckle.
"Andy hugged me and asked 'Where did positive Mae go?'," said Barker. "I said 'She died a few miles ago at Double Stone'."
Barker's next motivating moment was seeing Zach at mile 62.
"Once I picked him up at 62, his big smile lifted my mood right up," said Barker. "He told me I was in 31st place of like 96 women. Just pure adrenalin from there."
Now with Zach by her side, Barker pushed to the finish and the lap around the track.
"You finish with a bit of a road segment, then run around the high school track with a crowd of thousands of people," said Barker. "After 100 miles, I actually finished with a strong surge on the track."
In the 2024 results, 34-year-old Jim Walmsley, of Arizona, posted a 14:13:45 time for the win by just 11 minutes over Rod Farvard of California while Katie Schide, 32, of Maine, winning the women's title in 15:46:57 with Fuzhao Xiang, 32, of China, second in 16:20:03.
Barker's time put her in at 113rd place out of 286 finishers.
"I get one ticket to put toward the 2025 Western States and go after that Silver Buckle," said Barker.