Kami Semick

About

Kami Semick is an American ultrarunner and two-time UltraRunner of the Year from Bend, Oregon, who came to the sport unusually late — running her first ultra at age 37 — and reached its global summit within a few years, winning back-to-back World Championship titles. She ran collegiately at the University of Alabama and remained competitive in road racing through her thirties, winning the 2008 Portland Marathon in 2:45:54, before discovering ultra-distance running. The transformation was immediate and spectacular: in 2009 she won every race she entered, including the IAU 100K World Cup in Belgium and the IAU 50K World Championship in Gibraltar, and was named both UltraRunner of the Year by UltraRunning Magazine and USATF Ultra Runner of the Year — a double she repeated in 2010. Her record at the Miwok 100K extended to five wins, she placed fourth at the Comrades Marathon in 2010, and her first female and third overall finish at the Vermont 100 in 16:42 demonstrated her range across trail formats. At the 2011 Western States 100 she finished second in 18:17:34, sharing the podium with winner Ellie Greenwood and fellow American Nikki Kimball, in a race that represented the peak of competitive depth in women's 100-mile racing at that time. A model of late-career development and intelligent racing, Semick demonstrated that elite ultramarathon performance peaks far later than most athletic disciplines and that high-level road speed can translate directly to world-class mountain results.

Notable Wins

• — IAU 100K World Cup 2009
• — IAU 50K World Championship 2009
• — Miwok 100K ×5
• — Vermont 100 women's win 2010 (16:42)
• — Western States 100 2nd 2011 (18:17:34)
• — Portland Marathon 2008 (2:45:54)
• — 2× UltraRunner of the Year (2009
• — 2010)
• — 2× USATF Ultra Runner of the Year (2009
• — 2010)

Race History