Last summer, I stood in a crowd of cheering ultra running fans on the inner field of the Placer High School track in northern California, the location of the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run finish line, eagerly awaiting the arrival of renowned ultra marathoner and soon-to-be four-time race winner Jim Walmsley. Watching the 100-mile battle-tested athlete enter the stadium felt like a scene from a movie, and the joyful and celebratory emotions held by me and all the other ultra fans in attendance filled the air with an unmatched energy as Jim rounded the track and crossed the finish. That day, Jim not only won the race, but set the second fastest time in course history, only minutes behind the 14 hour 9 minute and 28 second course record that he had set himself in 2019.
Jim’s accomplishments are in no way limited to his dominance at WSER. He has won numerous other ultra races around the world, and holds course records at the Lake Sonoma 50k, the Bandera 100k, the Tarawera Ultra, and the legendary UTMB 100. He also had a solid high school and college running career, at which he ran for Horizon HS and Air Force Academy, respectively. I have read many articles and watched multiple documentaries on Walmsley, and was lucky enough to see him race and meet him in person, and he has become one of my favorite ultra runners, not just because of his physical accomplishments, but also because of his mentality and outlook on his sport, which is a major reason I believe he is an true American Icon in the ultra world.
With that said, you may be wondering why the title of this article reads “American Icon” in French. Well, if you’re a fan of trail running, you can probably recall that the Arizona native packed his bags and moved to a small town in the French Alps along with his wife, Jess, in 2022. Jim and Jess spoke no French, and it was no doubt a culture shock for the couple. So why move there? The simple answer for Jim was to win UTMB. At the time, this established 100-mile race, which travels through the French Alps, Italy, and Switzerland, had never before been won by an American male, despite some of the most talented US trail runners trying before. Jim had also tried his hand at the race in previous years, securing 5th place in 2017, but unfortunately dropped out a year later, and again in 2021.
Jim was determined to find a way to win the race, however, and he figured that the best way was to acclimate himself to the many trails and mountains of France. He would run miles upon miles through the beautiful French mountains in the spring, summer, and fall, and even took up cross country skiing during the frozen snowy winter months, a sport that was relatively new to him, only to soon start competing in ski competitions. To me is so incredible, the amount of dedication it took to move to a whole new country in order to train hard for your sport is near-unmatched dedication in my book.
“To be able to go into a foreign land where you don’t fit in takes serious courage, and shows how Walmsley sacrifices comfort to truly excel in his sport,” said my friend and teammate Aidan Gossard.
Jim’s wife Jess also deserves a major shout out for supporting her husband’s dedication, they truly have an awesome partnership.
Unfortunately, no matter the amount of training an athlete does, ultramarathons can still go wrong, and after leading UTMB 2022 for a good amount of time, Jim faced some physical problems later on in the race and finished in 4th. He was disappointed, and I watching the race live stream and feeling so bad for him. But Jim still didn’t quit. In fact, he stayed in France another year, training hard with his goal of winning still rooted in his mind. The UTMB win had evaded him for years now, but he was determined to make the dream a reality. Finally, after another long year of prep and training, Jim toed the line of the 2023 UTMB 100. This time, he crushed the race and took home first place while setting a new course record in the process.
That’s one of the things I admire most about Jim. It may take him more than one or even two tries at something, but he doesn’t give up. As a rookie to the Western States 100 in 2016, he was on pace to win, but a wrong turn near the end of the race put him out of the running.
“It was gut-wrenching when he got lost and lost all chances of the record or the win, but he didn’t quit,” said my Mom, who is an ultra running fan. “That says a lot about him and his character.” Jim didn’t let it crush his spirit, and would come back in the following years, where he would become the dominant course records holder that he is today.
Jim is a certified legend in the sport of ultra running in my view because he matches his God-gifted physical talents with dedication and a strong drive. Jim sets race goals and chases them down. No matter what it takes, he always pushes his body and challenges his mind in a sport that demands both from so much. Now, he is readying himself to once again push himself beyond what most think is possible at this year’s Western States 100, and I know the King of the WSER will give it all he’s got. He is a true trail running American Icon.
