Ultra marathoners chase 100K world marks

An elite field of ultra marathoners will attempt to break the world or U.S. 100K records Saturday on a loop course in Chandler.

Jim Walmsley of Flagstaff is among 14 men and six women who are taking aim at world records held by Japan’s Nao Kazami (6 hours, 9 minutes, 14 seconds) and Tomoe Abe (6:33.11) for the 62.1-mile distance.

The U.S. records are held by Max King (6:27.44) and Ann Trason (7:00.48). Trason’s record is the oldest of the four, standing since 1995.

Walmsley, who turned 31 Sunday, is a two-time Western States 100-mile champion and unofficial 50-mile world record holder (4:50.07), set during the 2019 Hoka One One Project Carbon X 100K Challenge.

The Project Carbon X2 Challenge will be held on a modified version of the course used for The Marathon Project race in December where Sara Hall of Flagstaff ran the second fastest U.S. women’s marathon (2:20.32) and seven men broke 2:10.

“It’s nice to be back in a race atmosphere,” said Walmsley, who dropped down in distance to compete at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing 22nd in 2:15.05. “It’s about dialing in a pace to be around 3:04 at 50K then at 40 miles trying to wiggle that pace a little quicker depending how I’m feeling.

“It’s a bit nerve wracking to consider that pace for how long we’re running and a little humbling. But it gets me excited to try the impossible.”

Others entered include Hayden Hawks and Camille Herron, winners of the JFK 50-mile in Maryland in November. Hawks ran 5:18.43, bettering Walmsley’s JFK record.

“I go out there and run my race and whatever I can do is all I can do,” Hawks said. “My best self is hard to beat, but you never know. I’m planning on working with Jim for most of the race. We both want to win and both want to be the world record holder. We might duke it out at the end.”