Western States Changes Policy on Poles

From the official participation guide:

4. The use of poles is permitted anywhere on the course. Runners may drop or pick up poles at aid stations that allow crew access or have drop bags. There are no restrictions on footwear. Runners may use any shoes of their choice, including ones with built-in or removable traction devices such as microspikes.

It’s been hotly debated online if this means that Western States is becoming even more UTMB-ified, or if Americans are finally realizing the practical benefits of poles on long ultras, or if this a non-issue for elites on the proverbial ‘California carpet’ and this is just a nice benefit of back of the pack runners struggling to finish the race in the allotted time. Either way, I welcome the change.