Jim Walmsley

About

Jim Walmsley is the defining figure of modern American ultrarunning, combining military precision with an uncommon competitive edge. Born in 1990, he graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and served as a nuclear missileer at Malmstrom AFB in Montana before his discharge and a subsequent move to Flagstaff, Arizona, where he worked at a bike shop while quietly transforming into one of the world's best trail runners. His early Western States attempts became sport legend — a wrong turn while leading by over an hour in 2016, and a late-race collapse from the lead in 2017 — but Walmsley responded with dominance: four Western States 100 victories (2018 course record 14:30:04, 2019, 2021, 2024), and the most significant breakthrough of his career in 2023 when he became the first American man to win UTMB Mont-Blanc, finishing in a course record 19:37:43. In 2025 he added the Trail World Championships Long Trail title. A four-time UltraRunner of the Year and Hoka athlete, Walmsley continues to set the standard for what is achievable in 100-mile racing.

Notable Wins

• — Western States 100 2018 CR
• — Western States 100 2019
• — Western States 100 2021
• — Western States 100 2024
• — UTMB Mont-Blanc 2023 CR
• — Trail World Championships Long Trail 2025
• — Lake Sonoma 50M 2022
• — Transgrancanaria 2021

Upcoming Races

Race History