Wrong Caleb Olson, those times are from a Liberty runner in 2022/23. He did a 5k TT back and November and ran a 15:56.
Are you sure it’s not the same guy? World Athletics says the Caleb Olson that ran a couple of 29-low 10,000s is now 29 years old. The ultra runner Caleb Olson also is 29.
If only there were pictures of them both online...
The Caleb Olson that won WSER went to BYU and didn't run competitively. He's now a software developer. His sporting background is in mountaineering, he has summited Denali, Kilamanjaro, Ranier and who knows how many more peaks.
Caleb Olson’s Build to a Course Record at Transgrancanaria Caleb Olson’s Build to a Course Record at Transgrancanaria - Evoke Endurance https://share.google/mS8ZMtccHGgYPQt2c
Western States Caleb: Outlines Caleb's training. A lot of training with weighted vest. Strong man.
"The other Caleb Olson" from Liberty University, 29:11 at Stanford.
They look similar, but the Liberty guy wears spectacles.
So, this means Olson, Western States, has no track pedigree, but hiking and mountaineering. That's interesting...and shows that decent running stats, eg 2:20.00 type marathoner, is not a pre-requisite to success at ultra running.
"The other Caleb Olson" from Liberty University, 29:11 at Stanford.
They look similar, but the Liberty guy wears spectacles.
So, this means Olson, Western States, has no track pedigree, but hiking and mountaineering. That's interesting...and shows that decent running stats, eg 2:20.00 type marathoner, is not a pre-requisite to success at ultra running.
This means that my original title for the thread should be taken down or changed because it is attributed to the Caleb Olsen from Liberty University, another individual totally.
My apologies for the mixup but it's an unusual situation to have that name, Caleb Olson, (first and last name!), represent two people at elite level in sports. Extraordinary coincidence.
Here's a longer interview with Caleb post-race. He doesn't plan to come back to WSER in the forseeable future because he wants to run more mountainous races. Presumably a multi-year UTMB push will be the next step.
Some context: the interviewers are close friends and training partners of his so they are very familiar with him.
I’m about five years into running mountain ultras after 15 years of road races. I would say that success in a flat road marathon correlates about as well with success in a mountain 100k as success in the 400 hurdles does with the steeplechase. There are similar skillsets involved and it doesn’t hurt to be good at one before doing the other. But they are fundamentally different sports.
I’m about five years into running mountain ultras after 15 years of road races. I would say that success in a flat road marathon correlates about as well with success in a mountain 100k as success in the 400 hurdles does with the steeplechase. There are similar skillsets involved and it doesn’t hurt to be good at one before doing the other. But they are fundamentally different sports.
I concur. Having been a long time "typical letsrunner" in my disdain for ultras, i know realize that shorter races just are not correlative with ultra performance outside of a basic amount of running economy.
The idea you can't overcome low speed in HS or college is also pretty dumb. We all remember 10min HS 2 milers Brian Sell qualifying for the olympics in 2008 for the marathon, ahead of Khaled K., Meb, and right behind royalty like Dathan and Ryan hall. Also, pretty disingenuous to caveat a major achievement like winning western states with someones old PRs from HS or college...anyone try to set their 5k PR during marathon training? it is close to impossible (assuming you actually trained specifically for a 5k in the past)..
John Kelly currently attempting the FKT for the AT has a 2:26 PR for the marathon in his late 30s (like 3 years ago) Stringbean aka Joseph McConaughy, who is famous for looong fkts and 200+ ultra wins, ran at Boston College and had a mile PR there of 4:12, 3:52 1500.
Kilian has 90+ VO2 max, and there is literally no one who can hang with him on ~2hr mountain efforts...i would guarantee that he would dominate the best track runners in the world at sierre zinal, for instance, which he has won 11x, he is simply the best mountain runner that has ever lived.
Walmsley said in an interview recently with singletrack podcast at WSER that he was in sub 61 HM fitness over the winter based on some LT testing he had done...this just indicates his potential, not saying he would do it, but and i would say he is one guy who prob would have been a 2:05-2:10 guy on the road for flat marathon. But he is GOAT of ultra trail (with kilian the mountain running goat), with way more money from hoka and other sponsors than prob all but the best paid american marathoners (and maybe more)..so why the hell would he want to go and just get stomped by east africans at big city marathons when he can be the dude at every race he enters. no brainer if you ask me.
These dudes are physiological freaks in different ways than track guys are. The physiology is different in ultras and performance is simply not limited by VO2 max or running economy in the same way it is at faster speeds. things like sweat rate, durability, strength, metabolism, etc. come into play. I would say anyone who can bang out caleb's training (160+weeks and all the rest) could be successful in ultra...but go ahead and try that and see how you do.
You should run an ultra and time yourself against them. They will all pass you by after your shot your wad 10% into the run.
I did, I beat every woman at canyons last year by like 30 minutes. When I run marathons Ill get chicked every once in a while. Marathons are competitive, ultras have maybe 20 guys at a competitive race who actually train and hoards of others who wanna go camping and call it a race.
I’m about five years into running mountain ultras after 15 years of road races. I would say that success in a flat road marathon correlates about as well with success in a mountain 100k as success in the 400 hurdles does with the steeplechase. There are similar skillsets involved and it doesn’t hurt to be good at one before doing the other. But they are fundamentally different sports.
Walmsley said in an interview recently with singletrack podcast at WSER that he was in sub 61 HM fitness over the winter based on some LT testing he had done...this just indicates his potential, not saying he would do it, but and i would say he is one guy who prob would have been a 2:05-2:10 guy on the road for flat marathon. But he is GOAT of ultra trail (with kilian the mountain running goat), with way more money from hoka and other sponsors than prob all but the best paid american marathoners (and maybe more)..so why the hell would he want to go and just get stomped by east africans at big city marathons when he can be the dude at every race he enters. no brainer if you ask me.
These dudes are physiological freaks in different ways than track guys are.
Hold up. Jim Walms ran a 2:15 marathon and a 1:04:00 half marathon. That's what he ran. As his best times. C'mon now that is not even close to "2:05-2:10" territory! This is exactly the kind of crap that makes ultra runners sound like idiots. Saying that is just as ridiculous as David Roche claiming he is a "sub 4-min Miler". smh.
Jim is good of course. But honestly Caleb was only 2-min off his CR time on a hotter day. Caleb's performance was actually better. And he's certainly not a "2:05-2:10" marathoner either.
Agree. For a sport that is so obsessed with the nuances of distance, it is strange that posters here find it so difficult to comprehend how different ultras are. If there is a huge difference between the 400 meters and the two mile, why is there not an enormous difference between any distance event and and UTMB? They are completely different sports and I am not convinced that any elite distance star today would dominate or even win UTMB. Despite being a niche sport in the U.S. one could make the argument that UTMB is the greatest race in the world. Huge participation and hype, great atmosphere and unparalleled scenery. Would an elite marathoner win it? Very doubtful. Running economy etc all go out the window as other factors come into play. How well do you climb? How well do you run down hill? How does your body do in the cold and the heat? How does your stomach hold up? Elite track stars could be sub-elite ultra runners, so the analysis goes both ways.
Caleb Olson the ultra runner ran 2:44 at Boston in 2019.
With or without weighted vest? Not very impressive, with all due respect, but I'm guessing he did not prepare specifically.
I watched Western on YouTube , and I'm thinking this guy can run a 2:26:00-2:30:00 thon with 2-3 month buildup. His form and mechanics are fine. Looks more muscular and heavy compared with average marathoner, though.
Walmsley said in an interview recently with singletrack podcast at WSER that he was in sub 61 HM fitness over the winter based on some LT testing he had done...this just indicates his potential, not saying he would do it, but and i would say he is one guy who prob would have been a 2:05-2:10 guy on the road for flat marathon. But he is GOAT of ultra trail (with kilian the mountain running goat), with way more money from hoka and other sponsors than prob all but the best paid american marathoners (and maybe more)..so why the hell would he want to go and just get stomped by east africans at big city marathons when he can be the dude at every race he enters. no brainer if you ask me.
These dudes are physiological freaks in different ways than track guys are.
Hold up. Jim Walms ran a 2:15 marathon and a 1:04:00 half marathon. That's what he ran. As his best times. C'mon now that is not even close to "2:05-2:10" territory! This is exactly the kind of crap that makes ultra runners sound like idiots. Saying that is just as ridiculous as David Roche claiming he is a "sub 4-min Miler". smh.
Jim is good of course. But honestly Caleb was only 2-min off his CR time on a hotter day. Caleb's performance was actually better. And he's certainly not a "2:05-2:10" marathoner either.
Fun hypothetical, but if Jim focused on marathon during his prime, last 7 years or so, he 100% could have broken 2:10 in a fast city marathon. He has run exactly 1 marathon, the 2020 trials. Placed 22nd on a hilly course in atlanta, less than six minutes behind rupp. Went out in 1:05 for the first half. Beat Jared Ward (Olympian and 2:09 guy) and was one second behind Sam chelanga (60min half guy). During that time, and when he ran the 1:04 to qual he was training for and winning ultras (2019 was his western states record). You have to be pretty dumb not to think focusing on just marathon training for a few years would make jim one of the better marathon runners in the US, top ten or so. Don’t be daft.
Lol how many college kids run 29 minutes or faster these days? 150? He wouldn't even make D1 regionals.
This is comparing apples to oranges. Yeah on a track, they wouldn't be that impressive compared to D1 or Olympic standards. But for example Matt Carpenter was a different animal when it came to running uphill, especially at altitude. Matt Carpenter only had a low 2:20 marathon personal best if i recall correctly. But his vo2 max measured in the 90s. Of the 5k personal best yesterday of the top ten at western states, Caleb Olson was on the slower end of the spectrum out of the top ten. These mountain 100s care more about strength, resiliency, durability and grit. 5k personal best not so much, I do think Caleb Olson should be capable of a sub 15 min 5k, but he's getting paid by Nike to run in the mountains. So what's the point, improving flat speed will only help so much in ultras.
"different animal" have you heard of Jakob Ingebritsen or Kenenisa Bekele? lol Those are actual "different animals"
That's hilarious. Because he climbs hills good? lol 90% of top elites train at altitude as well. That's not a unique thing. 2:20 is a time that our top US women run, and still get dusted by 10 minutes.
