Longing to get into the Western States 100? The Order of the Unchosen offers much better odds than the official race lottery.
The numbers for the 2027 Western States 100 lottery are stunning, and they’re only going to get more overwhelming. But UltraSignup has another legitimate way into next summer’s race for one lucky runner.
Based on early registration, more than 10,000 runners have entered the Western States lottery so far, holding more than 109,000 tickets between them for the June 26-27 race (because each prior unsuccessful year doubles an applicant’s odds). Registration runs through November 21, so those numbers are preliminary. The drawing will be held December 5 at the Placer High School auditorium.
But let’s face the facts, it’s an extremely hard race to get into. U.S. Forest Service permit for the Granite Chief Wilderness caps the race field field at 369 runners, which means there will be thousands of runners who miss the cut.
So what’s a perennially rejected ultrarunner supposed to do? Keep the faith. And maybe take a second swing.
The Order of the Unchosen
For the second straight year, UltraSignup, an official partner of Western States, is giving away its single sponsor entry through the Order of the Unchosen. The program is built for runners who have been sitting in the lottery pool for years while staying active in the sport by racing, volunteering and showing up. It’s a separate drawing, but it’s open only to runners who have entered the Western States lottery, so you still need to put your name in the hat.
Each qualified Order of the Unchosen applicant needs to have four or more tickets in the Western States Lottery, at least 1 result on UltraSignup, a validWestern States Qualifier and be entered into the Western States lottery before it closes on November 21.
Here’s how it works. Every eligible runner earns “Forsaken Points,” which act like weighted raffle tickets that favor longevity. Points come from your Western States lottery tickets, the races you’ve run in 2026 and your lifetime race results on UltraSignup.
UltraSignup will randomly draw one winner in early December and announce that winner on the Western States Lottery livestream before the official lottery begins on December 5. If you’re not selected as the winner, you’ll still be in the Western States lottery.
So far, there are 313 pending entrants in the 2027 Order of the Unchosen program, which, although still daunting, means that it offers much better odds of entry for a chance of getting in before the actual lottery. (Note: If you are already on the list, make sure you are officially entered in the Western States lottery before it closes November 21 to be eligible for the Order of the Unchosen drawing.)
Seattle trail runner Jill Hudson (412 points) and Andre Lee of Tempe, Arizona, (391 points) are atop the Forsaken Points list, while Darrin Rice of Reno, Nevada, (323 points) has the most Western States lottery tickets (256) among this year’s Order of the Unchosen entries. However, there are more than 130 runners who have 50 or fewer Forsaken Points and dozens who have as few as two Western States lottery tickets who still have a chance to earn the entry into Western States through the Order of the Unchosen.
“I am getting older and would like one more chance to get in to Western States so I can attempt to complete the race,” said Hudson, 64 who has been racing on the trails for more than 20 years. “Back in 2019 I won a raffle ticket for entry and got to 90 miles before I missed the cut off time. I am much more experienced as a 100-mile runner with 98 x 100-mile finishes. But I still have some unfinished business at Western States.”
Last year’s Order of the Unchosen inaugural winner Heather Huggins shows exactly who this program is for. She had 256 tickets in the Western States lottery and 42 results on UltraSignup, and she had been trying to get into the race for about a decade. She learned she’d been chosen just days before the 2025 lottery drawing.
She’d entered the Order of the Unchosen on a whim, figuring “What the heck?” Turns out that’s not a bad strategy. And by late June, Huggins lived the dream, finishing the race in 26 hours, 51 minutes and 31 seconds.
RELATED: Win a 2027 Western States Entry
RELATED: Amazing Images from the 2026 Western States 100
RELATED: The Most Remarkable Western States 100 Ever
- The Order of the Unchosen: Win a Western States Entry
- Reflectivity and Lighting for Running After Dark
- Hit the Trails for Your Thanksgiving Turkey Trot
- Start Planning Your 2027 Trail Running Season
- UltraSignup Set to Introduce Next-Generation Race Registration Platform, Opening to First Events Soon
- My Earnest Attempt to Master the Art of Wintering
