One of the best ultra marathoners in the world, Jim Walmsley, 29, had initially discovered ultra running somewhat by accident.

His Running Background

Said Jim, “I grew up running track or athletics as a kid in high school and university. So I kind of had a running background. But after graduation, I joined the air force and stepped away from running for some time.”

He continued, “But then, my job brought me to Montana in the United States and I was trying to figure out new, fun things to do there. With the wide, open landscapes there, I did things like cycling and hiking. I also tried out a 12km trail race.”

After that, Jim did not do another trail race for a whole year, but then the following year he became more daring and ambitious and tried a 30km trail race. It was this race that escalated his passion for trail running, following which, he signed up for his first ultra distance run, and then began to look for bigger mountains to conquer.

Said Jim, “As I got more involved in trail running, it became like a fun and addicting outdoor adventure. I really liked the process of it, and this kept me in the sport.”

He continued, “These days I find it enjoyable to be out there on the trails for hours, whether it is by myself or with friends, challenging myself with tough routes and seeing cool places.”

Discovering Trail Running

When Jim left his military job in February 2015, he took up a retail job at his local cycling store, while engaging in his passion for trail running at the same time, hoping to make running into a viable career.

Said Jim, “I decided to commit several years of my life towards trying ultra trail running and just see where that would take me, but it wasn’t till the second half of 2016 that I could actually consider ultra running a viable career.”

He added, “My running experience during my younger days gave me a good edge, but it was still a steep learning curve for me, and success did not happen overnight. I have bad races too like everyone else and when I was still an unknown in the sport, it was fun to be the underdog and surprise everyone with a big, breakthrough race. But I soon began to gain steam and pick up experience and started to find success more quickly.”

A Professional Contract

One thing led to another and Jim soon got his first professional contract in 2016, and became a Hoka One One ambassador soon after that.

He said, “The Western States Endurance Run 2016 was the tipping point and cornerstone in my career.”

During that particular 100-Mile race, Jim had gone in as the hot favourite, and he went out aggressively, going at a pace 40 minutes ahead of the then course record (14 hours 46 minutes 44 seconds) but he made a wrong turn at the 93rd Mile and got lost, finishing in 20th in a time of 18 hours 45 minutes 36 seconds.

Explained Jim, “I thought that I had nailed my training and that I was well prepared for it, but I made an agonising mistake late in the race that caused me not to finish as well as I had wanted to. I took a lot away from that race.”

Jim eventually got his revenge, too, when he returned to the 2018 edition of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, winning the race in a new course record of 14 hours 30 minutes 04 seconds.

Continued Jim, “Still though, my efforts were enough to get me noticed and I had more leverage to pick up a contract. And Hoka One One’s offer had been the best choice for me in terms of fitting in with the lifestyle that I wanted to build with my running, so I went with them.”

Jim’s Favourite Hoka One One Shoes

So this means Jim has been running in Hoka One One shoes for the past few years now. What are his personal favourites?

Said Jim, “The Singapore trails are very runnable and the EVO MAFATE is good for that. They are squishy and comfortable and can tackle a variety of terrain. It also feels really quick, too. In fact I think that this is a great, versatile shoe for trail runners in Singapore.”

Jim had recently been brought in by Hoka One One to Singapore, where he spent time mingling and interacting with the local runners here. And it had also been during this period that I had the opportunity to meet and interview this Ultra Running legend.

The SPEEDGOAT comes in at a close second for trail running,  with Jim’s favourite Hoka road shoe being the CLIFTON 5.

Runs 64 Minutes At Houston Half Marathon

And Jim, never to shy away from challenges, recently used his Hoka One One road shoes to take part in the Houston Half Marathon in January this year… and he completed it in 27th position, with a time of 1 hour 04 minutes 00 seconds, the exact time required to make the “B” standard for the U.S. 2020 Olympics Marathon Trials.

Said Jim, “It’s interesting because I have made my impact and gained success in ultra running and to go down to the Marathon is impressive and unexpected in the U.S. running world.”

He continued, “But then, for me to take that a step further and race a Half Marathon, which is a lot faster per mile than the Marathon, that makes a statement that I have versatility as a runner. It also challenges the status quo that ultra runners are slow and that we hike and jog everywhere. 64 Minutes is a very respectable Half Marathon time; it is not world class but it is good enough for me.”

Keeping Injuries Away

And Jim credits the squishiness of the Hoka shoes, too, in terms of helping him to keep injuries away during his training sessions and his runs.

He said, “I run a ton and I have tried a lot of running shoes in my career. Some have different grades but most are snappy and have a smooth toe-off feeling that I enjoy. I have been 100% healthy in Hoka One One shoes and that is the best that I have ever felt in my running. To work with a shoe company that I can stay healthy with, is one of the most important things for my career as a runner.”

Continued Jim, “But then, while part of my ability to remain injury-free definitely contributes to squishy shoes, the other part is about listening to my body. So whenever I feel as though something is aggravated, I will immediately treat it, by using ice cups on the Iliotibial Band and the Achilles, as well as rolling out my muscles with a foam roller.”

At the same time, Jim also believes strongly in eccentrics, which are a form of strengthening exercises, for his calves and groin areas.

Said Jim, “Those were areas that were overworked last year and after discovering the benefits of eccentrics back then, they got better rather quickly so I have been able to continue running.”

Periodises His Run Training

Indeed, staying free from injuries is important for an ultra runner who needs to be fit and healthy to clock large mileage on a regular basis. And so that he does not overwork his body, Jim tries to periodise his training with big races.

So this means that if he’s doing a longer race such as a 100-Miles event, he will do slower, longer work on trails that mimic as closely as possible, the elevation of the race, but if it is a shorter race, he will clock less mileage but at a significantly faster pace.

Said Jim, “My training is always specific to the course that I am targeting. I do my training at Flagstaff and I pick trails that are similar to the course profile and elevation that I will be attempting.”

Jim’s Mileage

His actual mileage depends on the race that he will be running, though.

For instance, if he’s preparing for a marquee race such as the Western States 100-Miles Endurance Run or the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, which is also around 100-Miles, Jim will build to about 140 to 150 Miles per week and then he will try to hold it there for about three to five weeks before then tapering for the race. But for shorter trail races, his mileage will build to about 120-Mile blocks.

But for the Half Marathon, however, his training regime was completely different to his usual ultra running programmes.

Said Jim, “I started training for the Half Marathon six to eight weeks before the race, in December, and I was doing one threshold workout, one track workout and one faster long run per week. I topped out at 120-Miles for three weeks. It was very different to have this type of structure.”

He continued, “I have to say that while it had been fun at first, Half Marathon training got stale and I lost the motivation after three weeks. Ultimately, I still like the process of training for longer trail races, much better.”

How He Sets His Course Records

Nonetheless, this dedication to his training, together with adequate race preparation, has resulted in the many course records that Jim has set in his ultra running career.

Besides his course record timing at the 2018 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, some of his other course records also include the 2018 Lake Sonoma 50-Mile Run (5 hours 51 minutes 16 seconds), 2017 Tarawera 102km (7 hours 23 minutes 32 seconds) and the 2017 Speedgoat 50km (5 hours 4 minutes 55 seconds).

Said Jim, “It is because of all the little experiences I have picked up when I run that makes the whole racing process more reliable and seamless, resulting in my course records, but if I were to choose anything, it will be making a really good race plan, where I would sit down and analyse the course profile and elevation and mark out the aid stations. Then based on these information about the race, I will plan an accurate nutrition and water strategy to carry me through the event. That goes a long way.”

Race Nutrition

Generally Jim relies on powder for nutrition during his runs and at most, he uses the aid stations as water refills.

Said Jim, “I have not got to the point where I need real food at races yet. Maybe I will consider that for 24-hour plus races though. Usually I am taking in gels or mixes and I plan how much I need to carry in order to get to the next aid station and which parts of the course are slow and fast.”

Short Term Running Goals

But in the short term though, Jim is not planning to venture out into much longer races. Rather, he is hoping to make his mark in road ultras, as well as continuing to stick to his strengths in trail running.

Said Jim, “Though I will be running the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2020, in the long term, that could very well be the first and last Marathon that I will be taking part in. If I somehow make the U.S. Olympic Marathon team, and I think there is a less than one per cent chance of that, then that means I will have run two marathons in my career.”

He added, “But I would prefer to take Half Marathon and Full Marathon training and apply that to more road oriented Ultra goals, then I would be able to start a new phase in my career – actually, I would love to see how well I can run Comrades Marathon and also challenge for a win at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc at the same time. Those races are kind of a career trifecta for Ultra Runners and it would be amazing if I could pull off wins at all three. Though I admit that my heart still lies in trail Ultras.”

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