Jim Walmsley

Jim Walmsley, born January 17, 1990, is an American long-distance runner and ultra-trail specialist whose wins include the JFK 50 Mile in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the Lake Sonoma 50 in 2016 and 2018, the Tarawera Ultramarathon in 2017 and the Western States 100 in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2024. In 2023 he became the first American man to win the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, in a course record of 19:37:43. He attended the US Air Force Academy, where he ran cross country and track, and in 2019 he set a world best for 50 miles of 4:50:07, besting a 36-year-old mark held by Bruce Fordyce. He has set seven Fastest Known Time records, including the 44-mile Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim crossing of the Grand Canyon, and was named UltraRunner of the Year in 2016 through 2019 and again in 2023 and 2025.