It’s 45 degrees at Last Chance Aid Station (LCAS) as the sun comes over the trees. People are returning from their morning runs and firing up their JetBoil stoves to make much-needed coffee. Volunteers have been here since the evening before, ready to dedicate hours to ensure all runners cross the threshold of the aid station and return to the trail with everything they need before heading into the canyons. I was assigned LCAS by the Western States 100 medical team for the specific purpose of being the mental performance resource for runners. My objectives for the race were: assist as many runners as possible with mental obstacles they were facing coming into LCAS, gain a better understanding of the status and limitations of sport psychology within the aid station according to volunteers and to not let a single runner DNF while sitting down.
A Seat for Sport Psychology
Before discussing my observations at Last Chance Aid Station, it’s worth asking a simple question: what exactly is sport psychology? Often used interchangeably with “mental performance,” sport psychology sits at the intersection of sport science and psychology. Its goal is to help athletes consistently perform at the upper limits of their abilities by developing the mental skills that support performance. Sport psychology has become more prominent in mainstream sports like golf and baseball, but has yet to influence ultrarunning in quite the same depth. This is not to say ultrarunners ignore the mental side of running – far from it. Nearly every runner has a mantra (“no one cares, work harder,” said one pacer) and emphasizes the difficulty of getting through the pain cave. The difference is that most runners develop these skills through experience rather than deliberate training. Working with a mental performance professional allows these same skills to be practiced intentionally throughout a training block, so they’re easily accessible on race day.
Volunteers are incredible at encouraging runners, reading body language and focusing on getting runners what they need so they can quickly get back on the trail. A trained sport psychology professional serves a different purpose: rapidly assessing whether a runner’s struggle is primarily physiological, psychological or a combination of both, then selecting empirical interventions that fit the moment. Sometimes that might mean reframing catastrophic thinking or helping a runner regain perspective before getting out of their chair. This isn’t the only place a sports psychologist can make an impact, however. Mental skills like pacing strategies, “chunking” and emotional regulation are far more effective when practiced throughout training, rather than being introduced at mile 42. As the old phrase goes: “Don’t try anything new on race day.” This undoubtedly applies to mental performance.
That was the lens through which I approached my time at Last Chance. I was there to answer a simple question: what happens when a trained mental performance professional becomes one more resource available to runners during one of the most demanding endurance events in the US?
First Time Observations at Last Chance
For most of the day, I wasn’t actively intervening with runners. Instead, I spent my time talking with volunteers and medical staff about mental performance and how it might fit within the aid station environment. The rest of my time was spent enjoying an alarming number of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches prepared by the wonderful food crew. I found that volunteers recognized the importance of the mental side of ultrarunning but also acknowledged the limits of their own training. Several shared that they wouldn’t always feel confident helping a runner through a significant mental block because they weren’t sure what was really happening in the runners’ mind or what the best response might be.
Alex, a volunteer and runner, told me he would be more likely to trust guidance from someone with formal sport psychology training, knowing they could apply evidence-based interventions in the moment and have a greater level of confidence that they chose the right one for the situation. John, another volunteer, said: “People can talk themselves in or out of anything. People in the best shape of their lives DNF, and people who are barely trained are sprinting into the canyons. Mental performance can teach you how to talk yourself into the hard parts.”
Not everyone agreed additional professionals were necessary. One volunteer suggested, “Train volunteers in what you do, and we’d be fine.” I genuinely love that attitude and the willingness to learn. But I also think there’s a difference between learning a handful of mental performance techniques and developing the depth of knowledge that comes with formal training in sport psychology.
Before I go any further, I want to make one thing completely clear. Advocating for the inclusion of sport psychology professionals is not a criticism of aid station volunteers. If anything, spending the day at LCAS only deepened my appreciation for what they do. I never realized the incredible intentionality behind volunteering at an aid station. From the order of the tables, to the greeters who have all run at least a 50k jogging between the trail entrance and the water station, to somehow convincing exhausted runners to get out of their surprisingly comfortable folding chairs and back onto the trail, there was a planned purpose to every action. The captains that lead the aid stations have carefully considered every detail and it stunned me in the pre-runner arrival meeting.
I don’t believe this is an ‘either-or’ conversation. I believe it’s an and conversation. Volunteers provide an extraordinary level of care that makes races like Western States possible. Including trained sport psychologists would add another layer of support to the instincts, experience and compassion that already exists at aid stations like Last Chance.
What’s Next?
As I beelined through the crowds at Placer High School after the race, a runner called out to me. He had recognized me from LCAS. He told me our conversation (and the aid station as a whole) was the reason he stood back up and finished his race. Not only did this moment make me feel incredible, but it let me know that sometimes, all someone needs is a listening ear and to be given the next step.
That benefit wasn’t unique to Western States. Months earlier, while leading a sport psychology workshop and conducting survey research at Mammoth Trailfest, I found that 100% of respondents reported wanting more mental performance education at future trail running events. Runners were interested in understanding how to intentionally train the mental side of performance. That interest also extends beyond recreational athletes. During the Professional Trail Runners Association (PTRA) Talk Series 6, professional ultrarunner Katie Asmuth said, “Ultrarunners know it’s not just our bodies that can take us out of a race – our minds are critical to performance, too. Many ultramarathons already have medical staff at aid stations. The addition of a mental health or psych specialist could provide real-time support for runners during a race.”
Taken together, these conversations suggest that sport psychology is no longer a niche topic within ultrarunning. There is a growing appetite for structured mental skills training, both during race preparation and, when appropriate, as part of race-day support. That doesn’t mean every aid station needs a sport psychologist, nor does it replace the remarkable work of volunteers. Instead, race organizations could begin integrating trained sport psychologists (doctoral level) and mental performance consultants (master’s level) into key, uncrewed aid stations while also connecting athletes with professionals who can help develop individualized mental skills planning throughout training. As an LCAS timing volunteer put it: “Specific people with specific training belong in specific jobs.” Aid stations and race administrations have become exceptionally good at caring for runners’ bodies. The next step may simply be recognizing that their minds deserve the same level of intentional support.