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libby514
3 days ago5 min read

The Active Joe celebrates 11 years of Sponsoring the Western States Endurance Run

Frisco, Texas – Race production and running outreach company The Active Joe moves into its eleventh year as a sponsor of the Western States Endurance Run and is excited to announce Danna Baxley of Frankfort, KY as its 2025 sponsored athlete.

Danna at pre-race check-in for the DC Peaks 55K in Keysville, Utah, in 2023.


The Western States Endurance Run is the oldest and most well-known 100 mile race in the United States, running along the Western States Trail from Olympic Valley, California, to end in Auburn, California. The Active Joe owner Libby Jones attended and volunteered at the 2012 race and fell in love with the event. A race producer herself, Jones was also impressed with the mission of the non-profit Western States Endurance Run Foundation. In addition to helping set standards in the organization of 100-mile endurance events, they promote trail stewardship and emphasize their role through maintenance and support of the Western States trail. The WSER Foundation also supports medical research into ultrarunning that helps the sport and the community.

As part of the sponsorship, The Active Joe gets to choose an athlete each year from the qualified runners who apply to the lottery, and the chosen individual receives an automatic entry. For 2025, Danna Baxley of Frankfort, Kentucky, will be representing The Active Joe.


Danna Baxley finishing the Yamacraw 40 Mile.


Danna has been a lifelong runner but the slowdown in life and work when the COVID pandemic hit in 2020 left her reevaluating her future goals. She views this as a gift to have that time for self-reflection, and it increased her focus on wanting to run ultramarathons, be part of the running community, be a service to others, and commit to completing the Western States Endurance Run!


Danna has completed 6 Western States qualifying races in the last 4 years. She has a strong focus on training and has improved her finish times over the years, including earning her first sub-24 hour buckle at Javelina Jundred in 2023. Danna ran our event, Monkey Butt Mayhem, in 2022 in the 6 hour hill repeat challenge and won 1st place Female with 52 repeats - that means she had 5,200 feet of elevation gain in only 15.6 miles!! She also set the female course record that year which was broken in 2024 by Sarah Loch-Test who completed 59 repeats.


Danna and her brother Paul at The Active Joe's Monkey Butt Mayhem 2022.


In the last year, Danna has shown a focus on volunteerism that we value as a major part of The Active Joe brand. She volunteered all weekend with us at Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run last year, she volunteered in January at Arches Ultra, and she was part of the Western States Medical Team this year, serving as Foot Care for many at Michigan Bluff at mile 55.7. She then brought those skills to Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run for our 2024 event, captaining the Foot Care Tent and bringing friend and fellow foot care help Gregg Lawson to help treat the feet of lots of runners over the 35+ hours of the event!


Danna and Gregg celebrating finishes at Dino Valley 100 Miler in 2024 where they helped so many with blisters by providing a Foot Care Tent for all athletes.


Danna is also the Director of Conservation for The Nature Conservancy's Kentucky chapter. She has helped provide suggestions to The Active Joe for environmental focuses and sustainability in race production, and she shares, "I’d love to work with Active Joe on a long-term project to set creative precedents in sustainability in trail racing. So much could be done on this front beyond “cupless” races, and this is an area I’m really excited about potentially partnering with Active Joe to move forward."


Danna getting a hug from Andy Jones-Wilkins after getting her sub-24 hour finish at Javelina Jundred 2023.

Danna Baxley was chosen from a large pool of qualified runners who all wrote essays for consideration for the spot. "I couldn’t be more excited to represent Active Joe at the 2025 Western States 100. Active Joe focuses on inclusion, representation, sustainability and individualized care for each and every athlete – from back of the back to front of the pack. This culture is exactly what I love about ultra-running and this community, and it is truly an honor to be a part of it. Finishing the Western States 100 has been a dream of mine since I was 12 years old, and I can not wait to toe the line this June representing a brand that does so much to raise the bar for this sport."


"It's one of the highlights of my year to get to choose a trail runner to receive this automatic entry,” The Active Joe owner Libby Jones said. “Danna is a strong runner who I know will train hard and smart to get to that Western States starting line, but moreso, I admire her giving spirit to others, having witnessed it firsthand at Dino Valley the last two years. When people apply for our spot, I always encourage them to volunteer and give back as it is a major focus of The Active Joe brand. I hope Danna's efforts inspire so many more to get involved in our sport beyond their own racing."

Info on Past Sponsored Athletes:


The Active Joe was founded in 2008 with the mission of providing running outreach to the local community. The organization produces 3 trail events, including a 100 mile running event, the Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run 100 Mile, 100K, 50K, 25K, and 5 Mile each fall. The Active Joe produced the first organized 100-mile trail race in North Texas. The company also has 2 road events and between road and trail, the company helps thousands of participants achieve their goals each year. All events are located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. Owner Libby Jones has been an active member of the leadership of the Dallas-Fort Worth running community for many years and has many ultramarathon finishes herself. For more information go to www.TheActiveJoe.com.

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