Ellaney Matarese

About

Ellaney Matarese is an American trail runner from La Cañada, California, and a 2025 Harvard graduate who is the youngest competitor in the 2026 Western States 100 field. At Harvard she was an All-American track athlete specialising in middle distance and steeplechase events. After graduating she pivoted rapidly to trail and ultra racing with striking results: third place at the Kodiak 50K was followed by seventh at the 2026 Black Canyon 100K — in her very first 100km race, competing against a world-class field with barely six months of trail experience. She secured her Golden Ticket to Western States with a fifth-place finish at the 2026 Canyons by UTMB 100K in 10:29:16. Her ascent from Ivy League track athlete to Western States entrant in under a year is one of the most striking athletic transitions in recent trail running memory, and she arrives at Auburn as a legitimate wildcard at 23 years old.

Notable Wins

• — Canyons by UTMB 100K 5th 2026 (10:29:16
• — Golden Ticket)
• — Black Canyon 100K 7th 2026
• — Kodiak 50K 3rd

Upcoming Races

Recent Coverage