Filming for David Roche at Western States 2025

When I got the chance to help film for David Roche at Western States, I did not hesitate. It was an incredible opportunity to help film an iconic race for an incredible athlete; all I could do was wait for filming day.

My task was as follows: At the top of the escarpment, after the first major climb going into the high country, I needed to capture the David coming through the crowd of roaring fans.

So on that Saturday morning, I woke up at 2:30 AM, put on my hiking boots, strapped my backpack on, and headed out for Squaw Valley. Around 4:20 am, the top of Solitude, the lift where the runners come up and over by, was in view, along with the snake trail of fans and spectators' headlamps.

Once I crested the escarpment and claimed my spot to film along the trail, all I had left to do was wait for the runners. As the sun glared off Lake Tahoe and illuminated the clouds, the starting gun went off, and the race officially started.

My camera storage began to fill up as the crowd created fake cheers about runners coming, but soon enough, the roar echoed so loud that I knew this was it. As I pressed record and checked my mics and exposure, David Roche came blazing through in first place. The crowd was deafening, and a line as long as a football field and as wide as half a sidewalk screamed. As soon as I caught him running through the front of the crowd, I sprinted toward the back and was just able to get him leaving; he was just too fast for me to get more.

Unfortunately, David ended up not finishing the race, but as he later remarked in Breakable, the film about his running of the race, the energy at the top of that escarpment was the best part of his race. Whether or not I film next year at Western States, there is no doubt I will make the hike to the top to experience once again the energy of the heart of the ultra-running community.

Check out David Roche’s documentary, by Cody Bare - Breakable.

Footage of the race below