Jim Walmsley breaks 50 mile world record!

[nadra's babydaddy]

https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a27364706/jim-walmsley-50-mile-world-best-hoka-one-one-100k-challenge/

4:50:07.

[Fast Eddie]

   My one and only ultra of 50 miles took me about 8:40 to finish.   

[nadra's babydaddy]

So I wrote a lot more but apparently the server gremlins hacked off most of my post?

something-something-5:48 pace-something-something-ho hum. 

Apparently he's also gunning for the Marathon OT next year and going for 2:11:30.  Very different ballgame from what he's been doing, but he's also got a sub 14 5k, so he definitely has some wheels.  I don't know how well 2:11 will hold up with the current depth we have, but in many previous editions, he would've had a shot at the olympic team for sure.  Especially if Rupp suffocates inside the darth vader mask he's probably going to wear.  It'll be interesting to see what develops there.  I don't know if we've ever had such elite level crossover back and forth between ultras and normal short races.  There have been very talented marathoners who have switched to ultras, but to have a guy breaking ultra records who also has at least an outside shot at the olympics is pretty impressive. 

[Coyote Mas Loco]

Walmsley gets an inordinate amount of attention on social media. So does Sage Canaday. Partly because of their ultra-trail crossover appeal, ultra-running's culture (a lot of backers working hard to make it relevant), and maybe partly their own personalities and media savvy. Anyway, other than Rupp Walmsley is probably the most talked about male distance runner these days, and that includes Olympic medalists like Matthew Centrowitz, Evan Jager, and Paul Chelimo.

As for other runners who have done it all, check Max King (featured below) or Joe Gray (more of a mid-range trail runner, but has mid-low 28 10K speed, US XC Champion, and a number of world mountain medals to his name.

Max King (runner)


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Max King (born February 24, 1980) is an American ultra-marathoner. He was the winner at the 2014 IAU 100 km World Championships and the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships.[1] King earned the bronze medal at the 2016 NACAC Cross Country Championships / Pan American Cross Country Cup.[2][3]

He has also won numerous national titles at various distances ranging from half marathon to ultra marathons.[4] In addition, he has won multiple national runner of the year awards.[5]

King graduated from Cornell University in 2002, where he was a member of the Quill and Dagger society.

References[edit]


1.^ "Max King and American Men Take World 100K Titles | Runner's World". Runnersworld.com. 2014-11-24. Retrieved 2015-11-01.
2.^ 2016 NACAC Cross Country Championships results
3.^ 2016 Pan American Cross Country Cup results
4.^ All articles by Brian (2014-11-22). "Max King Wins 100K World Championships, Leads U.S. To Team Title - Competitor.com". Running.competitor.com. Retrieved 2015-11-01.
5.^ "USATF Mountain, Ultra & Trail Runners of the Year Announced". USMRT. 2015-01-20. Retrieved 2015-11-01.

[nadra's babydaddy]

Ah yes, Max is another stud. 

Ultras have also gained significantly more popularity in the last decade or so, which has undoubtedly boosted the crossover numbers a bit.  Take my perception for what it's worth, but it seems like in the early 00s and sooner, it was mainly restricted to older oddball folk.  You just didn't have a lot of young talent or guys who were elite standouts in high school/college moving right up to that level, since all the money and the best sponsorship type deals were at the shorter distances.  Then Scott Jurek seemingly figured that out and broke through the wall, and then it was basically the Jurker show for several years.  Then we had studs like Killian and Geoff Roes and Tony K breaking all kinds of records and suddenly it became cool and a lot more mainstream.  Now we have more sponsorships, more races offering decent prize money and more sites like Irunfar with a large media presence dedicated exclusively to ultrarunning.  The landscape has changed for sure, now that we have a lot more younger guys like Walmsley with raw talent and track speed who are devoting most of their peak running years to crushing the ultra scene. 

[Coyote Mas Loco]

I think the ultra runners get a ton more sponsorship money than traditional track and field distance/mid-d runners. The cream of the crop, Olympic medalists or podium winners at World Major Marathons (e.g., Desiree Linden and Jordan Hasay) can make big bucks (mid-6 to 7 figures a year), but those trying to break through (say mid-high 2:20s for women's marathon) just get a stipend and some travel money, and sometimes still need a part time job. 

[Coyote Mas Loco]

I think Walmsley's 1:04 half marathon translates to about a 2:13:30 marathon, and the 50 mile time was only a 2:28. He's got a ways to go, but has a genius at being the focal point of discussion--as in here we are. Talking about Jim Walmsley.

If he continues his current training (mixing in ultra training and racing with the marathon) he's maybe good for 2:14-2:17 at OTs and top 10 finish. If he's really serious about the 2:11:30 and making the team he'd have to drop the other events and get his half time down to about 1:03:00, 10K to 28:30. Otherwise I think that established stars like Jared Ward and Scott Fauble (2:09 PRs and top 10 finishes at NYC and Boston in the past half year), and up and comers like Brogan Austin (2:12 and improving) are going to eat his lunch in Atlanta, not to mention the Kenyan ex pats now training in Colorado Springs with the WCAP. 

[nadra's babydaddy]

Great analysis.  I was wondering how the hell he qualified in the first place, but I forgot about the 1:04.  I could see him performing better comparatively on a tougher course if conditions are bad, but yeah, definitely not at the same level as some of the aforementioned guys who've been laser focused on the marathon for some time, with sub 2:10s at Boston to prove it.  I think a highly plausible scenario is that he shoots out with the leaders before imploding around 17 and gamely shuffling home somewhere in the 2:30s.

A genius at being the focal point of discussion is a great way to put it.  He's either a love him or hate him kinda guy.  At first it seemed annoying, but he's hard not to root for with his persistence and especially now with the 100 mile results to back it up.  Almost seems like the Prefontaine of ultrarunning. 

[Coyote Mas Loco]

I hope he does well, it's always fun to have a level of intrigue from a non-traditionalist. But I'll stick with a top 10, and very very very long shot at a podium and ticket Tokyo.