Hoka - for the 2026 finishers shirts at Western States

 

For the past few years, HOKA has given a special finisher shirt to every Western States finisher. This year, I was asked to create the artwork, and it was an incredible honor.

I've been running Western States qualifiers for several years now, putting my ticket into the lottery each year with slim-to-none odds of getting drawn.

But somehow, I usually still get to be part of Western States weekend. Over the years I've volunteered at the river crossing, paced, crewed, and more recently joined the sweep team. Some years I'm lucky enough to do several of those things.

This year felt just as exciting as getting into the race.

Working with HOKA on this project was such a fun experience. We went through revision after revision, refining every detail until we landed on a design we all loved.

I'm still a little overwhelmed knowing that hundreds of Western States finishers took home a shirt featuring my artwork. Seeing so many people proudly wearing it around Olympic Valley on Sunday—and hearing how much they love it—has been incredibly humbling. It's something I'll never forget.