A Journey of Resilience and Running
Jim Walmsley is a man who thrives on movement. He admits he hates sitting still and finds downtime challenging. This restlessness has shaped his career as an endurance athlete, where he runs up to 140 miles a week—mostly on trails and hills. For Walmsley, running isn’t just a sport; it’s a way to channel his energy and find purpose.
Currently, he’s recovering from a lingering knee injury that had him worried about his upcoming races. However, the setback is now behind him, and he’s gradually increasing his training mileage in preparation for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Spain and the Pyrenees in late September. This return to training has not only improved his physical fitness but also boosted his mood.
“I get to do longer runs that take me to fun places,” says Walmsley. “I’m back to a happy part of my relationship with running and being able to do enough that’s quite satisfying.”
For Walmsley, ultrarunning has always been more than a career or a hobby. It has been a refuge during some of the darkest times in his life. After graduating from the Air Force Academy, he was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force base in Great Falls, Montana, working 24-hour shifts as a nuclear missileer. The job was isolating and didn’t allow much time for running, which he had previously done in high school track and cross-country.
Despite the challenges, Walmsley found solace in running whenever he could. However, his time in the military was short-lived due to a proficiency test cheating scandal and an earlier DUI charge, which led to his discharge. Following this, his mental health declined, and he struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts.
“It was a tough time,” he recalls. “I haven’t looked back on it too much. Sometimes it’s still a triggering time, and I like being more in the present.”
After seeking professional help and taking a job at a bike shop in Flagstaff, Arizona, Walmsley rediscovered his passion for running. Creating a routine around his training gave him stability and a sense of purpose. He began to see progress and found joy in the process.
“Running became a bright point in my life,” he explains. “It made me happy, and I liked talking about it. The positive feedback from running helped me come out of a difficult period.”
Ultrarunning, defined as any distance longer than a marathon, is often seen as a different pursuit altogether. Races are held in harsh conditions and can last many hours or even days, pushing participants to their physical and mental limits. For Walmsley, the sport has become a way to challenge himself and embrace the beauty and brutality of long-distance running.
His background in track, road, and cross-country running is unique within the ultrarunning community. In 2020, he competed in the US Olympic marathon trials, placing 22nd. However, it’s over the trails and longer distances that Walmsley has truly excelled. He once held the world’s best 50-mile time and is a four-time champion at Western States, an iconic 100-mile ultramarathon.
Walmsley’s journey hasn’t been without setbacks. His debut at Western States in 2016 saw him take a wrong turn and finish 20th. But since then, he has grown into a seasoned trail runner, becoming the first and only American man to win the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), one of the most prestigious and challenging races in the world.
“Getting brought up in American running culture has set me up to have a bunch of fallacies and fail in a lot of different ways in ultrarunning,” Walmsley says. “I’ve learned that walking up steep inclines is often faster and more efficient than running. I’ve also learned the importance of fueling properly and staying patient, even when my instinct is to push harder.”
For Walmsley, ultrarunning is a deeply personal experience. He values the moments of doubt and questioning that every runner faces, as they often lead to motivation and perseverance.
“I think 24 hours is a really long, beautiful length of a race because you’re racing one day, one rotation of the Earth,” he explains. “It brings you to the present, focusing on going forward. That simplicity is a special feeling we can have as humans.”
Walmsley will compete in the OCC at UTMB week on August 27, one of several races staged alongside the full-distance event. However, a recent knee injury has forced him to skip the main event at his doorstep. Now a resident of Chamonix, he’s frustrated but focused on future-proofing his knee from further injury.
“I would rather find myself healthy and competing for UTMB again,” he says. “But this year, I’m more afraid of regressing, and I hope to move past this injury.”
Patience has been a key lesson in his ultrarunning career, and it’s now essential for preserving his future health. Despite the challenges, Walmsley has no plans to stop running. He hopes to remain a lifelong runner, finding mental and physical benefits in the act of moving forward.
“I think I’ve learned that about myself—that it helps me a lot mentally to keep moving.”