How Jim
Walmsley Trains.

Who is Jim Walmsley

Walmsley ran at the US Air Force Academy and came to ultras with fast road and track legs. He also ran a 2:15 marathon and qualified for the US Olympic Trials. To learn the steep, technical European mountains, he and his wife moved to Arêches-Beaufort in France. In 2026 knee pain forced him out of Western States.

How he trains

• Very high volume. He has shared weeks well above 100 miles, about 160 km, in big blocks.
• Specific terrain. For UTMB he trained on the same kind of long, steep climbs and descents he would race.
• Speed from the road. Faster running and tempo work keep his runnable pace high, which wins on flatter courses like Western States.
• Learning from losses. He failed at UTMB several times before winning, and changed his training to match the race.

What trail and ultra runners can take from it

• Train for the course. Climbs, descents and surface should match your race. See hill running.
• Keep some speed. A road runner's economy helps on every runnable section.
• Fuel the long days. Practise race nutrition in training. See how many gels you need.
• Volume with patience. Build weekly volume over seasons, not weeks. Start with weekly mileage by goal.

Sources: Western States Endurance Run results (2018, 2019, 2021, course record); UTMB results (2024); iRunFar and RUN247 on his 2026 Western States race.