It took me 21 hours to run/hike the rim-to-rim-to-rim!
Sad he didn't make the cut. Impressive run at 2:15:05!
1
@Mimie 22nd, and more than five minutes off the pace set by the three eventual qualifiers, Galen Rupp, who finished in 2:09:20, Jacob Riley (2:10:02) and Abdi Abdirahman (2:10:03).
My son was the youngest ultrarunner in the Northern California community back in 2004-2005 -- so young he wasn't allowed to run Western States, even though he had the qualifying time. If he hadn't died at 17 I imagine he'd still be at it. He told me he hated marathons because you have to run too fast.
First, great story. Look forward to the race in Atlanta.
Second, it's Pheidippides.
Awesome article. Rooting for you next week Jim!
"Don't attempt a hike from rim to river and back in one day." Words to the wise. I did that once and fainted that evening while standing in line at the rim restaurant waiting for a table.
I love that he is trying something new.
5
Isn’t there an obvious question here? Why not an ultramarathon in the olympics?
9
@David I've always thought that it's because ultramarathons don't make great spectator events; they take so long that people lose interest when there are dozens of other events to watch. IMO.
Absolutely gorgeous photos, and gripping writing. And what beautiful legs...
5
Thank god he does not have facial hair.
3
If ultra marathon cyclists are any basis for comparison they don't do all that well in the larger world of bicycle racing. I forgot to ask Lon Haldeman, by far the greatest of them all, why this was true. But I suspect some of it applies to this kind of running.
1
Great article.
This too -> Running with Sherman - McDougall
Great respect for Jim Walmsley but to entitle your article "The King of Ultrarunning" is unfair to Killian Jornet. King of American ultrarunning is more accurate. Check out UltraSignup for a comparison. Killian Jornet's overall ranking is 98.21%. Jim Walmsley's is 97.91%. They are tied for age rankings, both at 98.35%. While Walmsley has run more races than Jornet that count toward the ranking (39 to 26, respectively), Walmsley has yet to win the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. Many believe this race is the true test of a "King" of ultrarunning, and it has been elusive to American men. American women have won it three times in the last ten years, including the great Rory Bosio (2013 - world record, 2014) and Kristen Moehl. Mr. Jornet has won that race three times and come in second another time. I don't like trying to argue which of them is better - they are both superhuman and icons for the rest of us - but your article should not have tried to put someone on top. Otherwise, great to see the coverage, and yes, the great ultrarunners should make at least as much money as the great road marathoners.
8
Great article, but I don't know if would agree with the last two sentences:
"He knows what real suffering feels like. He has yet to find it in a race."
I am sure even he has suffered in some of his ultras. In fact, Walmsley made this point in the article:“A lot of people train to have their best day ever,” he said. “In ultrarunning, you learn to train for your worst. I’m looking to get to the most painful spot I can.”
Wishing him the best of luck in Atlanta!
3
My main problem with runners (whether ultra or just your neighborhood jogger) is that when one is out on stroll or a friendly bike run, and meets them on a pathway or the street, they always seem to have either a half snarl or look of the miserable on their faces. Not sure if I'm convinced that this apparent level of suffering or messianic striving is really helping them in the long run.
@birddog Maybe in Oregon . . . around here we usually say hi or wave . . . and some of us are actually smiling!
5
@birddog that's cuz running takes a huge amount of effort, especially if stick to a long-term plan. but the rewards r substantial, and over the long haul, surpass any other singular activity in terms of the efficiency of input-effort to output-rewards. for the majority of runners, when u c them, they're putting out a LOT of effort, and may not always be on the same level of 'sociability' as someone who, say, may be on a more leisurely walk or cycling, etc...but I think you'd find, all things being equal, if u spent any time in the presence of regular runner, you'd find them more friendly, social, and enjoyable to be around. the long-term benefits of running are well-documented, and it remains the most-efficient way a person can improve their mind, body and spirit. also, if you think about it, running is the first 'sport' / 'activity' that ANY person does, so, any / all other sports / activities, are an off-shoot, in a way of running. so, yes, it is absolutely helping them in the long run.
2
KB Thanks you for a wonderful article and thanks to those who wrote comments. I am a runner but the closest I came to an ultra marathon was crewing for a friend at Western States. There was comradery that was special among the competitors. In my mind more parallel to life. Jim is a developing human and I cheer for him and his well being. Running trails can be so meditative and I wonder if he experiences this. Best to you Jim in the trials and in life.
4
Go and watch a video of Jim running. It's something to see. Excited for him in Atlanta.
Also, this photography is outstanding!
8
I loved this article so much! A wonderfully written story about such an interesting person. So many levels of why Jim’s journey speaks to people. More of this! Times, keep this writer!
9
I'm not a runner and never played sports. I'm 73 and am proud of myself if I walk one hour a day along a greenway trail but I throughly enjoyed reading Walmsley's compelling story. It is a fascinating read. I, for one, will be pulling for him to win in Atlanta.
9
This is fascinating. I've backpacked rim to rim. Ultrarunners are amazing, Walmsley is unreal. More power to him for trying a marathon.
He reminds me of the story about Amos Tversky, the famous psychologist, who as an Israeli paratrooper had an exciting moment on a flight abroad, I believe, when he said it was the first time he landed in an airplane.
6
Jim,
If you are reading these comments know that I'll be out on the Atlanta hills exhorting you onward.
People love to see courage and derring do. You've got those qualities in copious amounts.
Ignore the naysayers. I did exactly that during my running career pressing on regardless toward success.
17
Surviving is about accepting suffering, getting up and carrying with it. (Wofenstein Youngblood, the game).
3
Walsmsley is coming to the marathon from running ultra-marathons, but he has the track background. However, he'd have to do better than what his half-marathon time would indicate to qualify for the team.
A couple of corrections: I don't think any elite marathoners, even ones who concentrate more on pace than distance, run only 70 miles per week. And a marathon is 42.195 kilometers, which is longer than 26.2 miles.
2
@David
Although every marathon race course is certified at 26.2 miles, in reality no one runs that exact amount and most people cannot continuously run the SPR (shortest possible route). So everyone is going to be running at least that extra 0.02 of a mile (35.2 yards). If the first 26.2 doesn't kill him, then chances are the last 0.02 won't. And if he loses by 0.02 of a mile, 35.2 yards, then that would be pretty demoralizing. Although there have been marathon finishes that were that close.
5
That’s a good profile and article. I’m a long-time runner and have dozens of marathons and hundreds of races including trail marathons and mountain races. Walmsley’s story is quoted interesting and anyone tracking the sport has been following him over the past couple of years.
A couple points of nuance from between the lines here. Practically no one in the top 30 or 50 of the Olympic Trials qualifiers will have been running 70 mile weeks to get there or to train for the trials. It would be more like 90 to 150 mile weeks for most.
The culture of ultra running and more traditional road and track racing are indeed quite different, but only the most snobbish of runners would call an elite ultra runner a hobby jogger. However, the ultra runners seem to have a stronger and more tightly knit community. The stars intermingle with the mid pack and slowest runners. Whereas in regular road and track running there is more of a hierarchy based on your personal best times and recent results. There is some friction between mid and back of the back ultra runners and competitive road runners because a slower ultra runner might carry might carry more swagger and project more esteem than a very good but sub elite road runner.
Best of luck to Mr. Walmsley on the 29th!
17
I would venture to say that this very much proves what critics of Ultra-Running on Let’s Run frequently argue: that if you take someone who just barely qualifies as an elite road runner and drop them into the world of Ultra-Running, they will dominate.
This is a guy who follows the path of everyone just inside of the bubble at the Oly Trials. He was an NCAA D1 track athlete with a ton of talent. The normal route would be for him to find some measure of success on the roads, then dabble in ultra running if that didn’t yield a lucrative contract. Instead he made the move to Trail running relatively early.
Not to worry, once the prize money in Ultras begins to match the prize money up for grabs on the roads, you will soon see more of the sub-5 min/mile guys showing up at the start of these races and setting records of their own. Right now, most of those elite runners are spending their prime competitive years trying to carve out careers on the roads. Once the money is there, you’ll see the East African training camps start to take a stab at ultra running as well.
Jim doesn’t deconstruct the arguments of those basement dwellers who deride Ultra runners as “hobby joggers” at all. He helps proves them right, whether he intends to or not.
9
Actually, the first way of spelling Phillipedes was the correct one. At least, that's how he spelled it. Otherwise, great article.
@Roger Hamilton interesting, I've always pronounced it with a "d"; seems there are options: "Pheidippides or Philippides is the central figure in the story that inspired a modern sporting event, the marathon race. Pheidippides is said to have run from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of the victory of the battle of Marathon." Wikipedia
what a well written and fascinating article. Thanks for this. Great piece of work. Hope to see more.
4
Fantastic journalism. Inspiring!
3
As someone who watched, photo'ed, and cheered for Jim at USAFA and beyond, first thanks for this superb profile. Jim personifies the type of resilience that the stuffed-shirt AF generals rarely match. I'd go into battle with him (over the above-mentioned) any day. Whether he makes the team or not, he's a winner!
10
Loved the article. really well written--an origin story, the challenge accepted, with great power comes . . ., the second act and a fulfillment of a great destiny, and now the next great test.
Adrian says to Rocky, "Come here . . . " . . . "Win!"
3
Can’t wait to see what happens on the 29th
1
Jared Ward - 209 .... cmon!!!!!!!!
1
I'll be at the trials to watch two acquaintances -- who are VERY talented, or else they wouldn't be there -- compete, even as they acknowledge they won't make the team. Still, I'll be cheering more for them than the front-runners. Now I may have to consider more posters for Jim.
What a story!
And what does it say about our society that so many comments are about trying to drag this guy down and repeat the same tired tropes about how running is bad for you and your knees. Can we all stop being collective Karens (apologies to the good Karens of the world, you do exist) and lift people up -- especially people striving without hurting anyone -- and strive more ourselves?
12
I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. I knew nothing of Mr. Walmsley (including his name) when I started it and by its end, I found myself rooting for him to end up on the podium at the Trials.
10
@Adam Kenny Me, too. I have paid attention, off and on, to marathon and ultra-marathon running news, but had never known of Jim Walmsley until I read this article.
Someone posted a comment saying that, like ultra-marathons, this article is too long. I totally disagree!!! This article was fantastic, and I really enjoyed how it delved into Walmsley's personal life along with his training and racing.
Like Adam Kenny above, I'd love to see Walmsley finish in the top three and make the Olympic team. And I plan to follow Walmsley in the future.
5
This is a great piece of writing. It is indeed crazy that everyone is talking so much about a guy who ran a 64:00 half but the intrigue that Walmsley brings to the Trials is awesome.
6
Just like an ultra-marathon, this article was way too long.
7
The 5Ks of news are articles ad nauseam about you know whom. This was a refreshing change besides long format articles are worth the investment like an album versus a single. Your mileage may vary, of course.
27
@Paul R S Totally disagree. This was a fantastic article, and I highly enjoyed reading it. Took way less time than it would take me to run even a 10k.
17
@Paul R S There's always USA Today.
7
Gosh, I hope this guy wins the whole thing and beats 2 hours while he's at it.
7
Having plodded through 20 marathons at the blistering pace of 8:30-some-odd and slower (much slower), the last one almost 20 years ago, I used to occasionally entertain the notion of an ultra run. The closest I came was when my running/training partner and I went to the local high school track and ran 120 laps, 30 miles, one Sunday morning. After that, my Walter Mitty dreams were fewer and less insistent.
At the pool-table-flat Oklahoma City Marathon one year, my running buddy and I caught up with and ran alongside a man who we both thought would not make it to, let alone beyond, the half-way mark. His name was Jim, and he had a pannus (that's the roll of fat the morbidly obese develop around their waist that can hang to the knees) that flopped from side to side with every step. Jim told us that he had started running to lose weight and that he ran ultras. The OKC marathon was a training run, he said for a 50-miler a few weeks later. After a mile or so we pulled away from him and grudgingly agreed Jim had guts, but, boy, was he dreaming. After the turn-around point we saw him again and waved, shaking our heads.
But about two miles later, Jim had caught up with us, chatted for a minute, then steadily pulled ahead, his belly flailing right-left-right-left with every stride.
I have no doubt Jim did run that 50. I have no doubt that this Jim will perform admirably at the trials, and that his entry has already put the fear of god into the rest of the Olympic hopefuls.
17
Just look at Jim's Strava data. He's putting up 30 mile runs at a 5:30 pace on the weekly. I imagine that come race day he'll be dolling out sub-5's pretty consistently. But, qualify or not, you have to admit the guy's a beast and that he'll likely have a hold on the ultra world for quite some time. I just wish more of the road marathon elitists would try their hand at the 50 or 100 mile distances on punishing terrain. Maybe then we'd see the notion of ultra-runners as "glorified speed hikers" torn down.
Great article!
26
Fascinating bestselling book on ultramarathons for anyone interested - “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall.
4
Correction to my earlier comment:
Great story! 4 guys have actually broken 2:10 and are prohibitive favorites in Atlanta (not 3). Rupp, Korir, Fauble, AND Jared Ward who came in just seconds behind Fauble at 2:09 in Boston, 2019.
2
@Mimi Albert I'm glad that the top American male marathoners have, as a group, gotten much better over the last 20 years. I remember that the USA had only one man qualify for the 2000 Olympics because the winner of the Olympic Trials race in Pittsburgh, Rod DeHaven, didn't finish under the time necessary for us to get three men in the Olympics. (It was, I recall, a record-setting warm day in Pittsburgh that day, which was probably the biggest reason for this happening.)
Even if Atlanta is very warm on February 29th, I feel confident that our elite marathoners are so good now that we won't have the embarrassment of having only one guy on the Olympic team this summer. (I'm assuming that there's still a qualifying time that the winner of the Trials race has to beat in order for us to get three runners, not just one, on the Olympic team.)
1
@Bill Loney you would enjoy reading Running to the Edge by Matthew Futterman. Great recounting of how Bob Larson et al brought the US distance runners back to where they are today.
1
Funny that people find this inspirational.
The guy was in charge of intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads, and he had to cheat to pass his competency tests.
1
@Peter Rasmussen
Sometime back I recall reading an article about the cheating by the officers in charge of the missile silos. The "cheating" was pretty universal, and the job was/is soul-numbing, sort of like solitary confinement with benefits.
4
@Peter Rasmussen
Sometime back I read an article about the cheating by the officers in charge of the missile silos. The "cheating" was pretty universal, and the job was soul-numbing.
1
@Peter Rasmussen
I remember feeling disappointed and worried after reading about the proximity of this widespread cheating scandal to safeguarding our nuclear protocols. A gut punch.
I also find this article about extreme athleticism and mental focus so interesting. I’m going to be paying more attention to what happens in the race later this month. It’s a good story.
2
I cannot begin to fathom running for 50-100 miles. Ride my bike that far? Sure, no problem. But run? The human body is an amazing creation that puts all robots to shame just by sitting on the couch watching Oprah. Fifty to one hundred miles? Mind blowing!
3
Great piece but 4 guys have actually broken 2:12 and are prohibitive favorites in Atlanta: Rupp, Korir, Fauble, AND Jared Ward (2:09 just behind Fauble in Boston, 2019).
2
Really interesting article. What a runner.
The only point which I’d question is the idea that ultra runners are seen in any way as lesser athletes than marathoners. Or that it’s assumed that elite marathoners could just train up easily and win big ultras. In my experience as club runner and talking to athletes - there’s huge respect for ultra distances and the people who run them. They are seen as extremely difficult events with vastly different physical / mental demands.
6
What a wonderful story. Hiked Rim to Rim in October and saw about 35 people running Rim to Rim to Rim. I talked to a 3:08 hour marathoner who took 12 hours. I hope that Jim runs a fast Marathon. These feats are inspiring to me. Of course now John Jepkema is my new hero since he hiked Rim to Rim at 91 years young.
7
@Stu It blows my mind that people can hike Rim to Rim, or down to the Colorado River and back, in one day. I sweat so much when I exercise that I'd have to bring 50 gallons of water with me to have any chance to do what these folks do.
Although, while people do succeed in their quest of going Rim to Rim, or to the river and back, many people die trying to do so. I read a book (that must have been 500 pages long) that had story after story about people who died because they didn't bring enough water, or failed to bring the proper map(s), or both.
1
Elegance of form is a beautiful thing to behold, especially in motion!
6
The worlds best athletes are running as fast as they can away from pain. (Paraphrase lance armstrong, I think)
2
Some years ago, I reported from Greece on the Spartathon, the 250 kilometer ultra run from Athens to Sparta, a recreation of the run Pheidippides made in 490 B.C. An expert on ‘hermerothrome,’ the couriers of Ancient Greece, told me that local tradition has Pheidippides, rather than collapsing on arrival, running back to Athens with Leonide’s refusal of aid. The rest is history.
2
I have a Dutch friend who cycled the entire Tour de France route nonstop in 10 days. It was 4,500 kilometers give or take. He describes climbing the Col du Tourmalet at 3 a.m. and descending in blackness. Physically and mentally, this makes Western States sound like a walk in the park.
4
It is not unreasonable to posit that athletic ability is a normal distribution- that entails that the more competitors into a sport the more likely that the top 1% of that sport truly represent the greatest potential for that sport.
That being said - the logical corollary is that low-participation sports are not likely to emerge with the greatest results given the pool of the entire world.
That is partly true for marathons [how many marathoners did you grow up with versus basketball participants] and doubly true for ultramarathoners.
I wish him well and I will certainly watch - but I am doubtful he will be in the top 100 in the world .
btw - the top 2019 American male marathoner is currently 87th.
6
If he doesn't wear Vaporflys he'll be giving up, what, a minute? two minutes? What will his shoe sponsor demand of him?
4
@rms
I'd guess that Hoka has already made him a custom pair of shoes that are branded Hoka with all the bells and whistles of the VaporFlys. Shoe manufacturers aren't stupid or slow to capture market trends. I'm guessing they have had their hands on more than one pair of Vaporflys and have already deconstructed them.
oh goodness, a times writer is picking marathon winners. truth is, the best unmedicated american runs 2:10 while the cleverly doped one goes several minutes faster. this much we know is true, courtesy nike, incorporated. meanwhile, east africans (doped or not: will we ever know?) continue to close on the two hour barrier. we purists who care about such things, we're the real ones lost in the woods.
7
I ran my first marathon during my first ultra (50k). Absolutely loved it. Cold and sleeting. No support, fanfare, or swag. Just slogging along in a national conservation area.
During the “race” I heard and felt a loud, earth-shaking rumble. I looked up to see the side of a mountain shear off and slide into the valley below. Amazing.
28
Go Jim! I am rooting for you. Sadly you are sponsored by the wrong shoe company. The top three will all be wearing the Nike Vapofly which gives 4% -6% advantage to their runners. This equates to over 5 minutes for a 2:10 marathoner. That is an enormous barrier to beat.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/sports/olympics/nike-vaporfly-shoe-ban.html
8
@D. Renner -
As for the time improvement, the best data point I know of is Eliud Kipchoge, who ran as fast as a could for Nike, in 2017 before vaporfly, and in 2019 with vaporfly.
2:00:25 vs 1:59:40, and improvement of 45 seconds or about 0.625 of a percent. A lot, or a little? For the top of the field it's the difference between a top advertiser and getting just enough stipend to live. For the average amateur the difference is lost in the noise.
2
@Craig H. Actually, Kipchoge's 2017 run in Monza was with a custom pair of Nike Vaporfly Elites, very similar to the Vaporfly 4%. The shoes he wore in Vienna in 2019 were the slightly improved Vaporfly Next%. The fastest Kipchoge has run in a real marathon race is his word record win in Berlin in 2018, where he wore Vaporfly 4% and ran 2:01:39.
It is hardly the case that Vaporflys are 4% faster than every other shoe. They certainly are not 4% faster than the already very fast shoes that marathoners were wearing a few years ago, or very fast shoes of different brands that many runners still use.
3
@D. Renner same reply as to rm above:
I'd guess that Hoka has already made him a custom pair of shoes that are branded Hoka with all the bells and whistles of the VaporFlys. Shoe manufacturers aren't stupid or slow to capture market trends. I'm guessing they have had their hands on more than one pair of Vaporflys and have already deconstructed them.
Hands down best comments section I‘ve seen on an NYT story. Go Jim!
9
It's a new genre -- running porn! Beautiful photos and a story to give us something new to watch for in the trials.
14
Photos are especially excellent.
3
At the end of the day, I like his competitive fire. May it burn brightly for him in Atlanta.
23
Wonderous article and photographs! Thank you. That image of him at the Grand Canyon is particularly striking. One amazing body of nature set against another.
Good luck to him.
25
@EB That photo is one of the best I've ever seen.
1
Jim Walmsley is already an elite of the elite and right on the cusp of peak age performance for marathoners.
It's said that advancing one's fitness to a high level requires getting out of your comfort zone by a lot for long stretches. I'm not sure this amazing athlete and competitor even has a comfort zone.
Training for your worst day in the Olympic trials may make sense after the 3rd place finisher crosses the line.
8
Beautiful article and photos from Messrs Bien-Kahn and Montgomery - thank you.
I look forward to the Marathon trial!
19
You're talking about the difference between an endurance athlete and a time trial athlete. The mental game is completely different.
In endurance, you're not competing against anyone else. You're only competing with yourself. If you happen to finish faster than other people, great. However, attention on this aspect misses the point. "Racing" as an endurance sport is simply a means to an end. You'd go run the Grand Canyon anyway. Finding someone else to pay for it simply helps.
A time trial athlete conforms more to team sports and competition in general. Even as an individual, you are playing a game against other people. Strategy matters. You're no longer hiking the trail for your own limits. You're hiking the trail to test your limits against someone else. That's a really different ball game.
11
I’ve never run an ultra marathon, but I find stories about ultra running pursuits to be a really inspirational part of my marathon training. I follow a number of ultra marathon runners on Strava, and my long training runs (up to 22 miles) always feel psychologically easier when thinking about what Ultras have to go through.
I love the quote from Ultra Marathon runner Dean Karnazes. I try to embrace the spirit of this every time that I run:
“Struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you're not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not demanding more from yourself - expanding and learning as you go - you're choosing a numb existence. You're denying yourself an extraordinary trip”
27
As someone who has straggled triumphantly to the finish line in half marathons, I'm always amazed to read the stories of these super ultra-runners. I'd be interested to hear about his dietary regime. The photography accompanying this article is gorgeous.
18
@Maureen I straggled triumphantly to the finish line of many half-marathons before taking a shot at an ultramarathon. It seems like a bigger leap than it is. Join us!
10
I've been running for about 35 years. I'm an organizer in a local running club. I know about 20 or so ultra marathoners, and well over 50 marathoners.
I've really never heard anyone say that an elite marathoner would beat the elite ultra marathoner in a 100+ mile race. They are considered different beasts.
The marathon runners I've met and read about aren't as elitist as the author makes them out to be.
23
I totally agree with what you said and have had a similar experience as you. I have never know someone who raves exclusively marathons to believe they can succeed above others in an ultra and was surprised the article suggested such.
5
Nice article, It reminded me fondly of another ultra that sadly passed several years ago. His name was MIccha,or Cabello by the Mexicans or Guatemalan where he did much of his running. He ran for pure pleasure,
3
@tom Yes, I also read "Born to Run" by McDougall. What else do you have to share?
2
@David I will have to check out the book. I only knew the man,Micca, with his big toothy smile and up beat attitude.
**JW's ultra performances are spectacular.
**His finishing-times & overall-results are unimaginable when compared to just five-years ago.
**Add me to the list of those who'll be cheering him on at the trials!!
Some other issues on the article: the endurance, focus & strength required to simply finish any trail-ultra, or marathon, is extremely demanding.
But I take exception to the idea, reality or not, that marathoners look down upon ultra-marathoners. To the contrary, in my experience, it's the other way around.
Trail-Ultra's are what marathoner's 'graduate' to as the 'final-frontier.'
And until there's sufficient data of elite-marathoners who completed and won enough trail-ultra's, it's unfair conjecture to dismiss as 'eccentric', trail-ultra's.
For the 'bottom' 99.99% of distance-runners who aren't Olympic-Marathon qualifiers, but who'll none-the-less 'put out' the same intensity & effort whether running 26.2, 50.0 or 100.0-miles (in differing frequency & amplitude,) completing a trail-ultra is a greater-accomplishment than completing a marathon.
Trip over a rock on a steep downhill in 18" of snow in 20-degree weather on mile 31 of a 50-miler and you'll understand.
Though both the marathon and trail-ultra's are running events, they're different sports.
But MOST important: whether a runner is a sprinter or ultra-runner, young or old, running is the most efficient & best thing any person can do to improve their mind, body & spirit.
27
It is not just his success, but the joy he brings to long distances, the Walmsley smile, and the lightness of his gait that makes him an inspiration, someone you just want to pull for.
18
That is why we have trials, so the best three that day go on to Japan. Should make a fun day. And you never know what may happen.
4
Ultra runners have a saying - “pain is inevitable; suffering is a choice”. Walmsley knows how to manage both. Can’t wait to see him cross the line in ATL - regardless of his time.
10
“pain is inevitable; suffering is a choice”.
The quote is from a book by Japanese writer and runner, Haruki Murakami. The last word is translated as "optional" in the book.
8
Great article! I'm looking forward to seeing how he does in Atlanta and hoping he does well enough to qualify. I realize it's a long shot but there is a mental edge there given all these brutally hard ultras he has run that may just quell those insistent whispers long enough for him to pull it off.
5
I read Harvard Special Health reports . Once in awhile they have a story where a 7 day a week runner permanently damaged his both knees and compromised his immune system. This dark side of to much exercise needs to be included other wise you will suffer the consequences. Every thing in moderation.
2
@D.j.j.k. Including moderation!
8
It's runners like these that lend credence to the theory that early humans were persistence hunters. In almost every way, humans are physically inferior to other animals except for the ability to run long distances and throw objects accurately.
12
Stories such as this remind many of why the label "lonely distance runner" and all its characteristics stick to many competitors. Best of luck to Walmsley! Thank you for such an amazingly written piece.
3
Terrific story. Makes me interested in the outcome of the trials.
Though I wish the author hadn't perpetuated the myth of the dying messenger. A few days before the Battle of Marathon, a hemerodromos ("day-long runner," perhaps the same one though probably not) ran from Athens to Sparta in a little over a day and a half to seek Spartan support for the upcoming battle. About 150 miles over bad roads without the benefit of modern-day cushioned shoes.
Spartans said not yet--by law they had to wait until after the full moon--so he quickly returned with the bad news over the same route.
The legend of the dying messenger didn't crop up for several centuries and it's hard to imagine that a trained messenger would have had difficulty negotiating the relatively short distance of just over 20 miles from Marathon to Athens (the standard 26.2 miles wasn't established until 1908).
There is, however, a definite antecedent to the modern marathon. After defeating the Persians at Marathon, the Athenian army had to return home as quickly as possible to forestall the remainder of the invaders, who had boarded ships and hoped to arrive at the defenseless city before the victors.
So what was history's first mass marathon began out of necessity. The troops--tired from a battle and many nursing wounds--hurried back. They arrived in time to defend the city.
The Persians lay offshore for a while, then went back home. Ten years later they would return.
13
"Distance running is always a negotiation; it’s about quieting a compelling, insistent whisper telling you to stop."
Anybody who has trained for and completed a marathon, knows this spot on.
8
Great article and a similar sotry about Courtney Dauwalter would be even better because she is even more dominant internationally, winning the UTMB last year by 30min.
I have followed Jim for the past 4 years and have a sneaking suspicion that he will do better than expected in the trials and if he can keep healthy, much better in the Olympics. If he did a 1/2 marathon in 62min 2 weeks ago, he will place. Competing with Kipchoge and Bekele is another matter...
but its great to so him try!
9
If this guy does make the team he could do well in Tokyo. Expect very, very hot, humid and unconfortable conditions at the Olympic Marathon this year. In July I would run every morning at 5am and the heat and humidity, even then, was insufferable. This guy can go into a very dark place and still do well. Should be interesting if he makes the cut in Atlanta Feb 29th.
6
Good Luck Jim. I raced (a long way behind) in Sierre Zinal last August - although he got beat by Kilan Jouret. They are both fantastic runners and incredible athletes. He tracks his runs, it is worth checking out - https://www.strava.com/pros/1635688 - he has definitely got the pace in my viewcertainly for the US record at 2.05!
4
Wow! Magnificent article!
Best of luck, Jim!
2
What fun! And of course you can't find any topic on the planet without people carping at one another--marathon v. ultras. You go Jim; best of luck!
2
Jim! You are rocking it man. Keep it up. Great feature story.
1
Hadn’t realize Ultra marathons included less than 200 miles. At SF Jump School in Missoula Montana the legendary SFC Lee Daws was given a hard time by the instructors for his relatively slow 12 minutes for two miles.(A bit over 3,000’ altitude and had just received 3/4” of ash from Mount Saint Helens 600 miles away.)
He quite serious offered his paycheck against theirs that he could run, speed walk with back pack non stop to Ft Lewis faster than any of them could without packs. Checking up on him it was found that he led a recon team of 2 Vietnamese and 5 GIs for a nonstop, except fill canteens, five days pursued by 5 different NVA teams alerted by their two agents in his team. And had 3 combat jumps without a chute as one chopper at 150’ was hit by an RPG, another at 120’ by anti aircraft fire, and one just at 60’. (A 3 star confirmed this. Lee has grabbed small branches and spread his body out, mimicking what Davy Cricket once did escaping hostiles when he jumped 60’ to a small tree.
Some guys just don’t quit. And some of us even enjoy it. My best was with the U of Maryland physicist Ed Schmall and I as students hiked King’s Canyon CA and under unusual circumstances had but 6:45 hours to make it just over 23 miles, starting at a plateau of ~6,000’ and three passes, 10,000, 12,000, and 12,000 and then down to the only road and make a ride that was leaving. Otherwise it was another 70 miles and late for the start of Santa Clara U.
It was glorious fun. Boots, 66lb Pack
4
I am rooting for Jim. I think he will surprise many, but since he is sponsored by a company that doesn't make the Nike Vaporfly I don't think he will qualify for the Olympics. My prediction is that only athletes wearing Vaporflys will qualify, but I hope I am wrong.
7
I love his drive and his optimism.
1
Funny that people find this inspirational.
The guy was in charge of intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads, and he had to cheat to pass his competency tests.
5
I met Jim briefly in the witching hour of a desert 100 miler. He and (life long vegetarian) Sage Canaday handed me grilled steak while volunteering at an aid station. The steak (and irony) carried me to the finish line. I like Jim’s story partly because it resembles my own, but mostly because it’s about dreaming big and executing. He will not be told what he can and cannot do. His quote “In ultrarunning, you learn to train for your worst. I’m looking to get to the most painful spot I can.” is something the detractors and armchair coaches at letsrun.com don’t fully appreciate. To me the outcome is inconsequential, he tries where so many others would not. Godspeed my friend. You have the aspiration of 70,000 "hobby-joggers” behind you.
10
It is worth noting that the Olympic Trials Marathon will not be held over “26.2 flat paved miles” as the reporter asserts. The course in Atlanta will be the hilliest Trials since Pittsburgh in 2000, and should play to Wamsley’s natural strengths.
David Monti, Editor & Publisher
Race Results Weekly
8
Excellent read! What a nice break from . . . well, you know.
16
"I explained that he was Jim Walmsley, America’s best male ultrarunner. I told them he once ran from rim to rim to rim of the Grand Canyon — 42 miles with 12,000 feet of climbing — in under six hours."
As impressive as the distance is, it's the climbing that is utterly mind blowing to an ordinary and common runner like myself.
12
more of these stories!
3
I am currently embarked on a personal quest of walking -- not running -- the equivalent of the Appalachian Trail at a YMCA near where I live.
The Appalachian Trail is 2200 miles long.
I try to walk 2 miles every day, with an occasional break of a few days to gather the bits and pieces of myself back together again.
No speed demon am I.
I walk with the help of a cane.
It takes me about an hour each day to accomplish, so Roger Bannister’s record is quite safe from eclipse by me.
Assuming I don’t break down somewhere along the way, I figure
I can get the job done in about 3 years.
I can already visualize the Page 1 headline in the Times this will earn me.
“83 year old man finishes fake Appalachian Trail walk. Is not attacked by a bear or awarded a trophy. Says he will next try to climb Mt. Everest.”
61
Thank you for making me chuckle! I love your goal!
1
A distanced he's never raced. Certainly he's run 26.2 on his way to 100. Sheesh.
1
@Sara C Its a fair observation. Covering 26.2 miles of distance during an ultra is a very different discipline than *racing* a marathon. I run 10 miles a day but I've never raced a 5K. I have no experience with pacing myself for that distance. Walmsley needs to run that 26.2 distance so that when he crosses the finish line he's used every iota of strength and endurance he has (and not one bit more). That's a skill that isn't really honed in the context of a longer race.
8
To me, 26.2 miles is "Ultra" enough. To run for 12-24 hours over rocks and streams seems a kind of self-flagellation.
2
His only chance is to use his metronome pacing skills to even out his mile times. He has to be clearly at the front before 20 miles and force the others to catch him.
1
Good stuff. Water in the desert even the Times is becoming.
But.
Selling this depressive outsider loner thing I am not buying.
Same story can be told as medicine man sweat lodge spirit journey. Which is not my way of thinking but it is closer to the mark.
And the story comes to mind because those photographs are nice enough as editorials or art if you must
but
whoever has been down the south kaibab while in the present knows that the world those photographs come from is not on the south kaibab but somewhere far far away.
It fits the depressive theme. Sure. But I don’t buy it. Just go down the south kaibab. Or through the Sierra Nevadas. Or even Death Valley in the summer. Just listen while there. That is why I don’t buy it.
appropriate that the trial is on Leap Day!
1
This is a beautifully written article with stunning photos. Here's to Jim Walmsley finding his purpose through running, and I personally love his DIY ethos. My fingers are crossed for a strong showing at the trials.
3
Great article and photos. James also benefits from living at altitude at Flagstaff (and with some severe winter weather) and then coming down closer to sea level in Phoenix to train in the extreme heat. If it's unseasonably warm or cold in Atlanta for the trials, he might be at a serious advantage over the competition. He's certainly my personal favorite to win.
7
I’ve done my share of races, both running and cycling. My last hurrah before succumbing to atrial fibrillation was training and competing in a 24 hour solo mountain bike race.
My training partner and i had our own ideas on how to train. Luckily we decided to use an online coach. A woman who was a 24 hr racer as well as an experienced coach. Her training program was very different than we ever imagined.
The science behind endurance training is very sophisticated. Despite the raw talent, it seems doubtful that his DIY training will yield success.
1
@LDJ His DIY experience, while tuned for years towards trails, isn't so easily dismissed. You seem to presume that he's accomplished what he has strictly through raw talent. He got where he is by way of his talent and years of training. And foregoing a coach doesn't mean he's ignoring training principles, as the article points out by mentioning "Inside a Marathon."
And who knows. Maybe an Olympic QT isn't necessary for Jim to deem his race as a success.
9
The possibilities are exciting.
This is a great story about the human capacity to run extraordinary distances, but Mr. Bien-Kahn missed the true historical connection that puts Jim Walmsley side by side with the all-time greats. There is actually little evidence that an ancient messenger ran the 25 miles to Athens from the Battle of Marathon and immediately dropped dead after announcing a glorious victory. But what did happen back in 490 BC was much more impressive, even by Walmsley standards. According to the near-contemporary Greek historian Herodotus, an ultra-runner known as Pheidippides was dispatched to Sparta, 150 miles away, to seek immediate aid against the Persian invaders. He made the trip over rough and unlit mountainous terrain in a day and a half, was politely turned down, and did the return journey in the same time -- without dropping dead when he recited the bad news. En route, Herodotus says, he had a encounter with the god Pan, which sounds a lot like fatigue-induced hallucination to modern readers. This original ultra-marathon is commemorated by an annual Athens-Sparta race called the Spartathlon (record time: 20 hours, 25 minutes). So, in short, not a lot of connection with what we now know as the marathon with its flat courses, fancy shoes and legions of pacemakers. But much more like the daily routine of Jim Walmsley.
12
Jim's ready to run 2:09. Normally you would expect someone who has maintained the heavy workload he has, and suffered through countless hours of difficult racing (watch him soar and struggle in Western States 100 miler), to lose his pop and be flat at the shorter distances. Not so here. He was able to turn it over very well in the half, and because of his strength/endurance base/mental toughness he will do well over the marathon distance. After all, the longer the race, the better for Jim. Not true with a lot of the other competitors. Unknown is how many others will run sub 2:09. If past performances at the trials is any indicator, the answer is not many. Jim's only weakness is a lack of experience in head to head racing at an elite level on the roads.
7
Thank you for covering athletes accomplishing so much outside of mainstream sports. A 75 year old uphill ski racing, a kayaker and now an ultra runner. So glad to see these athletes and sports getting acknowledged. Keep it coming!
30
@gowyo couldn't agree more!
1
I was stationed with Jim, and I remember him casually telling me how he was heading down to Bozeman to just run the top of the Bridgers for fun.
Now a few years later he's on top of the game.
Jim's the real deal and one of my favorite people I met at Malmstrom. I'll be cheering him on, for sure.
77
This is very inspiring. Having recently run my first Ultramarathon ( 50K) , stories like this of hardwork and triumph inspires us. Running a distance of more than 26.2 miles on a rugged , rocky, rooty trail is hard, very hard specially for a rookie ultra runner. I truly believe an endurance runner becomes a different person when they cross the finish line - I certainly did !
7
My mom who is now 83 yrs old, ran and finished the Western States 100 three times in 1982-1984. I think she first ran it in 1981 but didn’t make the 30 hour cut-off and was pulled from the course. My siblings and I (there are 6 of us) were her support crew each year. I was driving our family van as her support vehicle and the first year she ran it, after meeting her at one of the support spots in the mountains, I drove down the wrong mountain dirt road and our van broke down. It was a random isolated dirt road, but luckily someone eventually came along in an RV going up the mountain who was able to help us. I am the eldest of my siblings and I was 20 in 1981. My younger brothers took turns running portions of the race with my mom during the night. In 1981 they were 10, 12, 18 and years old. It was definitely a different time back then. We were all runners. At 83 my mom still walks marathons.
108
@Sara B - What a great way to grow up. Your mom was an inspiration.
2
I love that she still participated in marathons!
1
@sara be that’s an amazing story!
Great writing, incredible photos. A breath of fresh air from politics. Thanks.
34
Aging marathoners should be cautious before attempting these ultra marathons. I lost an acquaintance who started running marathons
In his mid fifties. He paid the ultimate price
On a 50 miler in the Bay Area at the age of 63.one should note the differences between ultra long distance and regular marathons , especially at an advanced age.
6
Could you give more detail? It’s implied that the running killed him. Even fit athletes however have been known to have heart-attacks. Life is risky...
4
@Pedro Greenberg
Many a 63 year old has died in their recliner...that's the thing about life, there is always an end. I'd rather reach that end doing something I loved than sitting around waiting.
1
Great story! Such a breath of fresh air to read something inspirational.
12
I honestly hadn’t realized that the participants in marathons were running so fast. I guess I just figured they were pacing themselves a little bit more.
1
I started running ultras in my late 50s out of curiosity about my limits, and I usually end up in the middle of the pack, ahead of about 3/4 of the entrants but hours behind the leaders in a long race. Ultra running is all about mental toughness and resilience; it's about attitude (which is what interests me about it). As more serious runners join ultra races--people who are coached and are training really hard--regular guys like me will fade even further back.
A marathon is a different beast; the pace of the elite is simply stunning -- for two hours, they're running faster than most people can sprint -- and the sport is much more Type-A, about tiny tweaks and advantages. Yet it's hard to appreciate how fast Walmsley's 8:30 pace is until you've tried (and utterly failed) to come anywhere near linking 100 of them back-to-back in the mountains. It seems approachable: "Hey, I can run an 8:30 mile!" But it's not. His accomplishments are amazing by any standard, and I wouldn't count him out.
64
@Gkhan you may think his 8:30 pace is good, but his recent training is around 5:30 - up the mountain...
his weekly 50k was run in 2:53 and included 1700 feet of climbing up a mountain trail. The world record is 2:43 downhill en route, and the American record is 2:46 on a flat track...
1
I don't care if he makes the Olympic team-- what a story! I will definitely tune into the trials now to see him run with the elites in their speciality.
I think this article overly inflates the attitudes of road runner towards trail runners. I know lots of both, and enjoy both types of races, and I haven't seen the kind of antipathy described here. Then again I'm primarily a triathlete so what do I know.
18
@Liz same. I am both a road racer and trail racer (including a couple ultras) and I've never encountered road racers looking down at ultra runners at all. In fact, they usually are really astonished at how long ultra runners can be out there. This is a weird take I have zero experience with and haven't heard about in the ultra community, but maybe it's just a thing with the elites (which I am the farthest from).
4
@Liz I wonder if the writer is thinking of the attitude of elite road racers. Why suffer for 14 hours in an 100 miler when glory and financial security can be had for less than 2 hrs 10 minutes over the marathon distance. Twist here is it appears that Jim was just drawn to the ultra distances (normally post college talented runners like Jim first take a shot at the marathon distance, and then never try a longer race.)
2
@B Bingo. I had some success with road running, 10ks and 10 milers, t shirts, podiums, but the long cross country runs were always my love. I enjoyed the competition of the road races, but I ran the back country for fun.
The marathon is a cruel race, a long, extended speed run. Even some of the most elite runners of the past 10 years, like Mo Farah, needed to race at least a few marathons to get an understanding of pacing, weaknesses, and how to race most effectively.
Walmsley's best hope at the Trials is a steady paced race to the finish. He will not be much affected by the hilly course in Atlanta. If the race proceeds too slowly, the fastest guys will drop him in the final few miles by hammering to the finish. If the race is fast during the first half, it could be strung out and too fast for Walmsley to stay in contact.
Good luck to him.
5
Great story! Thanks NYT! I look forward to hearing how he does in the trials.
15
TY to NYT for this amazing; well covered story. As a mixed runners (some halves and 1 marathon - Boston - fortunate to receive an exemption bib), I sill take great pride in do-good stories that highlight endurance, strengthen and will! Jim's accomplished so much already but maybe this is last mile if you will. Something that came to me reading the story, what's the diet like for ultra runners? Anyway best to all the runners especially Jim, millions are rooting for you!
14
My brother is an accomplished ultra runner, and while he’s surely an amateur challenge seeker, he’s also a bit insane to run 100 miles at a stretch through the day and night and following day, and admirably so. It takes guts and character to want to push oneself that way, and then to do it. Most of us never will.
I’m sure he read this article, and if he’s reading the comments: DO YOU WANT TO GET SOME COFFEE TOMORROW?
87
@Anna I wish my brother was both an ultrarunner and coffee drinker! You lucked out :)
3
He’s top notch. We had coffee and donuts this morning.
6
I cannot admire or respect competitors whose results ride upon what type of shoes they are wearing or other similar externalities. This man apparently does none of that. I am filled with admiration and respect for him. I hope he achieves his goal but whether he achieves his goal or not my admiration and respect is already baked in.
38
The people I know who have completed the WSER and RAAM have both a calmness and an intensity about them required for hours of high-speed monotony alone on the road or trail. The hoopla around the Olympics and Trials and its pack racing is a very different environment. I wish Mr Walmsley well and hope his mental training is at least as rigorous as his physical efforts.
14
As someone who has been running since my teenage years, I loved reading this story. Fantastic writing and photography. Good luck to Jim in Atlanta!
42
At the Western States Lottery drawing in November, Jim Walmsley (standing beside the Marketing Director of HOKA OneOne) told me he had heard my lottery chances for getting into 2020 (my consecutive 3rd try) was under 5%. When I confirmed same, he then announced that I was HOKA's choice for their Sponsor runner, and I would in fact be running 2020. On race day, I will be 'just' 73. Humbled, shocked, and grateful, I'm training hard to finish this memorable top-of-my-bucket-list run. But what stands out to me about Jim is his quiet demeanor, and complete lack of braggadocio (given his amazing ultra accomplishments). His already-proven determination, continual laser focus on the trails, capacity for managing pain and incredible grit are all truly exceptional. With knowledge of the marathon (having run a score of them) and knowing what it takes to run 100 miles, my advice to all the skeptics: don't underestimate Jim Walmsley.
226
@Eric Spector
GREAT! Very cool Eric. Though many of us are far away from the track at Placer - we will be looking forward to seeing you cross that line at some point.
All the best to you.
40
@Eric Spector tjhat's awesome and a Jim is a true representation of what the ultra community is like. Go get that buckle, sir!
6
@Eric Spector
At 73 I know, just as you do, that finishing the WSR in less than 24 hours is a long shot, but with reasonable weather, it's certainly possible and if others more knowledgeable than I didn't think so, you wouldn't have been HOKA's choice. Besides, you are probably familiar with Teddy Roosevelt's "In The Arena" story
With regards to Walmsley doing well in the marathon, I'm not so sure his will to win will be enough; the dynamics of winning marathons and 100 mile races is quite a bit different. It would be encouraging to see him do well and I look forward to the race and learning how de does.
3
Great read and fantastic photos to go with it.
25
What a great story! i love the NYT for this kind of stuff. i look forward to hearing how he does in Atlanta.
45
Awesome story. Worth the year’s subscription !
34
As a Flagstaff resident, I still dream of meeting Mr. Walmsley or Rob Krar (who held the Western States record before Walmsley beat it).
At 75 I don't run anymore and I rarely even hike on trails where I might be likely to meet elite runners since I am always accompanied by my three dogs and wish to make my disturbance to others as small as possible.
I never ran a 100 mile race. I entered the lottery for the 1979 Western states (when the odds, at 50% were still reasonable) but didn't make it. I lived in San Jose at the time and cherished the days I spent training on the Western States trails.
Long distance running has been in my blood since I first discovered it was possible to run more than six miles without stopping back in 1976.
And one is never too old to dream......
119
@Richard Phelps
Ack! Just to keep the record straight, it was 1997, that I entered the lottery, not 1979 as stated above.
3
Sorry for him. He simply doesn't have the speed of a top marathoner. They run sub five minute miles for a little more than two hours. I do wish him luck and go ahead and prove me wrong.
8
I think him running a 62 minute half a couple weeks ago would disagree with you. Not to mention runs like last Saturday’s trail run, 31 miles, 1700 feet of climb, 5:34 pace with an average heart rate of 153.
49
@Greg Hanson
Yes, exactly. He ran like 4.44 pace for 13 miles. He can clearly take his foot off the gas and float 5 minute pace.
4
@Donald Luke
That's more or less my conclusion, as well. If he tries to stay with the big boys, he blows up and runs...whatever; if he runs it right, and his legs have adapted to the faster pace, he runs 2:12-2:16, which is still impressive.
The US is so spotty in the marathon that it will be nice to see a name and be able to match a face and a story with it.
2
This was a great story with wonderful pictures. A treat for this very amateur runner. Looking forward to watching Walmsley (from afar!) in Atlanta.
50
He has definitely run the 26.2 miles before — he’s just never STOPPED there before. A marathons for him might be like speed training for regular athletes. It’s likely to take him out of his comfort zone, but I don’t doubt he might surprise us with his performance!
34
The outlier should not be discounted. The vast majority of those at the trials will have no chance of representing the US. Jim will have the boot-camp background, and requisite track experience, often required to prevail, and in a race that is often unpredictable after 20 miles, even for the veterans. If he can stay close, with his obviously incredible determination and strength, he could surprise the pundits. I wouldn't bet the house on Jim Walmsley but I'd say his chances are better than some might think.
48
Beautiful feature! So inspiring! I would love to read more articles by the writer. Stories like these is why I pay to read the nyt.
193
@Sam I couldn't agree with you more. Spot on with your comments.
1
The military is always looking for scapegoats. While these guys got the answers to the tests one has to realize that the military is just like society. I wonder how many generals and colonels have cooked the truth......we know quite a few in Afghanistan and Iraq, of course, but how many more. The military is not devoted to the truth......if it were it would disband. I am voting for whoever seems best suited to take on the military industrial complex.....and Trump has failed the test......Good luck and godspeed....Walmsley......you inspire me!!!!!
19
Everyone here in Flagstaff will be cheering for Walmsley and other Flag elite runners as they compete for the upcoming Olympics.
35
actually he has run 26.2mi. You have to in order to get to 50 or 100mi, hes just not stopped at that distance
17
@Chris
In all likelihood he has stopped at 26.2: he's just never entered a formal marathon race before. I've run multiple marathons, and done many training runs of 13-14 miles, but I'd still say I've never done a half marathon.
1
@Chris Yes, but the question is, at what speed? Just because he runs 50 miles at 8:30 min/miles doesn't mean he can run 26.2 at sub-5:00 min/miles. We'll all find out soon enough - should be exciting to watch!
5
Yes, If 8:30 were his 50 mile pace we could very accurately say there is no chance of him running a ~2:10 marathon, but his 50 mile pace is in fact a world record 5:48. (4:50:08). Of everything he’s accomplished this 50 mile time is the one that to me makes his path to a 2:10 marathon seem the most plausible.
At any rate, great story. One of the better running feature pieces I’ve encountered. The descriptions of the nuances between ultrarunners and marathon runners, as well as the complexities of the questions about how elite marathoners could do at the 50-100 mile distances (and vice versca) were spot on. As a former professional ultrarunner I always figured there were certainly elite marathoners who could also be top level ultrarunners, but there were also almost certainly many who could not. A percentage of world class 5k runners are also able to be world class marathoners, but for many the distance is just too long for them to still be competitive with the best in the world. The same holds true for marathoners stepping up to ultra distances. More than just a few very solid marathoners have tried, with some having a lot more success than others.
22
You don't have to win everything to enjoy it.
47
Jim Walmsley, good luck! Train and win.
21
That was different from the usual NYT but a great read.
43
Every Ortho. type doctor, surgeon should gets this guy's phone number ASAP.
In a short time they will almost certainly be making a fortune off of this guy with countless procedures and operations with wrecked knees, feet, etc.
Running ultra marathons can be just as unhealthy as pigging out on a couch.
2
@Paul Having run 41 marathons, many more half-marathons, other races, training for all of them and reaching the age of 76 (and still running), with knees, mostly intact, I have developed a theory. It is somewhat facetious, but I believe that running is bad for people who are prone to knee injuries from running. If you are one of those and persist, you will end up with bad knees. The other ones, who are bio-mechanically lucky, can run long distances for a long time with little negative effects.
63
@Rick F. I'm a life-long runner with a little over 50,000 miles completed and 44 years of running between 5 and 6 days/week. I don't know why but there is this fallacy or belief that knees wear out and that some horrible knee injury is inevitable. If you pay attention to the type and wear of running shoes and avoid direct contact injuries (football or even something benign like kneeling to garden) there is no reason why you can't stay active until you are 80 or older
11
@Paul
I’m reasonably certain that pigging out on a couch doesn’t require much in the way of training, rest, diet, etc.
Point taken though: joints and feet can surely be put at great risk.
2
All I can say is WOW!! My longest was 10 miles doing 50 or more is mind-boggling!!
8
@MAK
Spoken as somebody that's done 25+ marathons and a handful of 50k, 50 milers and 125k's - all I can tell you is that you could do so yourself, if you were so inclined. In all likelihood, you'll never run with the likes of Walmsley and the rest of the elites - but ultra distances are within the grasp of the majority of folks. All it takes is training and will.
Cheers.
3
"In stark contrast to most other athletes, ultrarunners love to fixate on the absolute worst element of their sport: the intensity of the suffering"
Suffering isn't pain. It's what you do with, how you react to, the pain.
17
Very little chance that he will be among the fastest in the country. Very very little.
1
@Michael Browder
I'll bet you that he'll be fast enough to best the national record marathon times of at least 2/3 of the nations on earth.
2
Who can argue that having Walmsley in the race makes it far more interesting than it otherwise would be. All the best of luck to Jim Walmsley. Dream big and go after it.
119
@Col Flagg
Well said...the race is indeed more interesting especially for those that have read this article.
Great photos, great story. You go, Jim.
62
Awesome writing and photography. Walmsley's odyssey, well captured by Bien-Kahn, is more than about running and reminds me of an African proverb: "No matter how fast a man can run, he can never chase his shadow and catch it." Good luck and Godspeed in Atlanta Walmsley, I hope one day you catch your shadow.
39
Thank you for the proverb. I will past it on to my athletes. And will try to find the best spot to watch the Atlanta trials.
2
Great story. Anyone who knows about ultras understands that setting the WS 100 course record is a mental test of extended suffering.
Finishing top 10 would be a huge achievement for Walmsley.
22
@Woody Guthrie knowign Jim and how hard he's trained, I'm sure his goals are farther ahead than any of us imagine.
"...The typical elite marathoner can log as little as 70 miles per week...", "As little"? As a once marathoner, (over 30 completed), my training program maxxed out at a 45 mile week. Granted, was only a mid pack finisher, "pb", personal best of 3:17:06. Still,to train at a 70 mile week is staggering. Both figuratively and likely would be literally for this mere mortal. A inch beyond 26.2 miles almost inconceivable to me as well. All the best to you, Jim Walmsley. You already have my respect.
31
The answer is probably no. With all respect there is a speed element in 21st c marathoning that may well be a “wall” even for someone with an amazing distance resume.
4
@Kirk Cornwell he can run a half in 63? the speed is there, and he obviously has endurance...
There is nothing more satisfying than an article bestowing the virtues of the absurd. Highlighting single-mindedness in the form of extended movement and affixing its personal, internal value here is one of the rare moments of truth we find in our modern society. The Sisyphean tale, as running into the void, in all of its nihilistic glory makes ME grin.
24
I'd think that the hardest part of all this for him would be learning to run at a fixed pace for more than 2 hours, which is completely different than what he does when trail running. The Olympic trial marathon will be more interesting thanks to him.
23
Jim Walmsley is a very good runner but some of his fans made him to a mystical figure which brought speed to ultrarunning.
The truth is that Walmsley won some trail ultras but lost some too.
With a 1:04 Half Marathon time, he was literally the last man to qualify for the Olympic trials. It's very hard to imagine that he will be one of the top contenders.
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@Two in Memphis he purposely ran a 1:04 though. He didn’t taper, he Was in the middle of a 150 mile training week. He could have gone faster if needed, he didn’t need to..
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Would also add that the half marathon is the tougher way to qualify. If one accepts the author’s equivalency of doubling the half time and adding 6 minutes, then a 64 min half is roughly equivalent to 2:14 marathon - or the ‘A’ standard. For reference, 64 guys qualified with the A standard at the marathon distance, while 27 qualified with a half time.
Obviously, Walmsley ranks last among half marathon qualifiers (on qualifying time alone) and there are 50 guys who qualified with a time of 2:14 or better in the marathon. As the author notes, he has gone on to run 1:02:13 at the Arizona Rock and Roll Half Marathon in January but unfortunately an incorrect cone placement meant the course was 285 meters short (or 50 seconds), so 1:03 adjusted. Call that a 2:12 marathon equivalent. On qualifying times alone then there are 30 guys who have run quicker than 1:03/2:12. He is definitely not among the favorites, but perhaps ‘in the discussion.’ The fact that he hasn't raced a road marathon before, but comes from a mega-endurance training background makes this a compelling story to follow. The kind of story professional running is crying out for. Pooh Pooh his chances all you want (and I do) but in an increasingly predictable sport, this is a fun wildcard to watch.
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@Nick the 1:03 was probably in a week of huge training as well. The top guys focus everything on the perfect day and probably stress themselves out of a good race. With an attitude like Jim's he can be relaxed enough to enjoy the race and still compete. It will be fun to see what his strategy is and if he is able to translate massive endurance training to a short fast marathon.
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The study of Walmsley's self-reflection, his resilience, and his quiet, mostly humble fortitude are one reason to recommend this feature article; the haunting beauty of the black and white photos is another. The match of the two made this a memorable article, and created a desire in me to learn more about ultra running.
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Go Walmsley! I miss the amateur aspect or sports. In my personal experience, transitioning from mild ultra marathoning to marathons gives you tremendous power and tenacity. Look for him to make a late move at mile 20 when the the regulars are deep into the race and he is just warmed up.
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Mr.Montgomery's photographs are simply brilliant.
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