I believe she was a skier in college, so there’s no record to draw from. However, Camille Herron ran a 240 marathon at age 29.
I would put the over/under for Courtney at 17 min.
According to her wiki page she was a 4-time state nordic skiing champion in HS and went to U of Denver (top-3 program) on a XC skiing scholarship. So she already had a deep endurance base when she started running ultras. But that doesn't necessarily translate into speed on the track.
Gwen Jorgensen ran 15:08 in her mid-30s after switching over over from tri, but that was after a few years of specific training as an elite runner. My guess for Courtney would be around 16:30 for a 5K.
She is a natural endurance monster.
So many "guys" on this thread are challenged by that. Their hero losing to a woman like her several years ago sends them into anger.
I believe it was confirmed Walmsley received a 200k bonus from Hoka for his CR at WSER. You guys are hung up on 'no prize money' meanwhile these sponsorships are paying quite well as trail running is becoming hugely popular to white people and you guys are living under a rock.
Fixed it for you.
You're talking about sponsorships, something that isn't really helping African athletes as much as you think. I think you're the one living under a rock. Also, remind me what happened when Walmsley ran the Olympic Marathon Trials again? 2:15? Gee, I hope Ethiopia has a response to that!
Also, 200k? Show me the article. You're actually proving my point. Walmsley getting 200k is part of the problem.
Maybe take a look at how popular trail running is becoming in Asia before attempting to sound like you know what you're talking about.
The point is that the money is there. If any elite Africans were interested in trail, there is nothing stopping them from signing up. You are making it sound like its some expensive endeavor for an elite sponsored athlete to assemble a few people to crew them at a race, a crew that would mostly likely just be provided by their sponsor. Do you think Tom Evans didn't have a whole team of Adidas guys there helping him? He had to pay thousands of dollars of his own money to go and run Western?
Maybe take a look at how popular trail running is becoming in Asia before attempting to sound like you know what you're talking about.
The point is that the money is there. If any elite Africans were interested in trail, there is nothing stopping them from signing up. You are making it sound like its some expensive endeavor for an elite sponsored athlete to assemble a few people to crew them at a race, a crew that would mostly likely just be provided by their sponsor. Do you think Tom Evans didn't have a whole team of Adidas guys there helping him? He had to pay thousands of dollars of his own money to go and run Western?
How many Asians ran the race last weekend? Just curious.
I dont know the full breakdown but there were several elites from Asia in the field. But idk what that has to do with the money making potential of trail, you know, the thing being discussed.
Maybe take a look at how popular trail running is becoming in Asia before attempting to sound like you know what you're talking about.
The point is that the money is there. If any elite Africans were interested in trail, there is nothing stopping them from signing up. You are making it sound like its some expensive endeavor for an elite sponsored athlete to assemble a few people to crew them at a race, a crew that would mostly likely just be provided by their sponsor. Do you think Tom Evans didn't have a whole team of Adidas guys there helping him? He had to pay thousands of dollars of his own money to go and run Western?
How many Asians ran the race last weekend? Just curious.
It’s a nice little niche sport for middle class white people looking for adventure.
If it were worth it for Kenyans and Ethiopians, they would’ve already taken it over by now.
The male winner of Western States is a 14 min 5K guy, respectable but not world class. That’s why he went into Ultra where the competition isn’t as stiff.
I dont know the full breakdown but there were several elites from Asia in the field. But idk what that has to do with the money making potential of trail, you know, the thing being discussed.
So because one person made 200k (supposedly) and some Asian people run the race you think you proved some sort of point? lol done with you.
I think you don't understand how markets work. ie companies are making bank off of trail running gear and they pay out lots of money to athletes to promote their gear.
If its so easy for any elite road runner to obliterate all of these races I would imagine it would take a single phone call to their sponsor to say they want to run XYZ trail race, how much is it worth. And you think the answer is 'no money' meanwhile trail athletes are traveling the world running these races full time and collecting 'no prize money'. You are completely delusional if you think these athletes are all working some job to pay their bills or are just 'rich white people who can afford to not work and only run'.
I dont know the full breakdown but there were several elites from Asia in the field. But idk what that has to do with the money making potential of trail, you know, the thing being discussed.
So because one person made 200k (supposedly) and some Asian people run the race you think you proved some sort of point? lol done with you.
I think the broader point is that a) there is money to be made in ultras & trail running and b) people other than trucker-hat-wearing middle-aged white guys are doing the sport.
If you think about the race scene in Africa (Comrades) and Europe (UTMB), you know that there are elites moving into the sport.
The fact that they aren't "elite" marathoners is like saying the 5km is soft because none of those guys can run a good 100m or 200m.
It is just a different sport and as it grows, we will see more participation by elite runners.
Notice who came to Austria to compete in this event... there must be money if people are traveling from East Africa to the Alps to race:
And the point about Asia isn't 'how many elite Asians are there running in these races' its 'how many Asian consumers are there with money to spend on trail shoes/gear'.
I swear, some people just don't understand WHY there is money being paid to athletes in the first place. Like its just there as a 'prize' like 'good job, heres some money'. Athletes are paid money because other people make money off of them.
The male winner of Western States is a 14 min 5K guy, respectable but not world class. That’s why he went into Ultra where the competition isn’t as stiff.
God forbid someone train for an event they're good at instead of one they're bad at. Do you also suggest that sprinters and and gymnasts and F1 drivers and jugglers also transition to the 5k?
And the point about Asia isn't 'how many elite Asians are there running in these races' its 'how many Asian consumers are there with money to spend on trail shoes/gear'.
I swear, some people just don't understand WHY there is money being paid to athletes in the first place. Like its just there as a 'prize' like 'good job, heres some money'. Athletes are paid money because other people make money off of them.
I think you keep fixating on this money thing and ignoring my larger point.
These runners are only impressive to most because they're WILLING to run super far. It's not impressive how "fast" they are.
If there was truly so much money already in this sport, the real runners would be bothered to run it. Lauren Gregory literally jumped into a mountain race shortly after the NCAA mile and won it. That was a mountain race too, which seems to be some fantastical outlying factor that separates these runners.
The male winner of Western States is a 14 min 5K guy, respectable but not world class. That’s why he went into Ultra where the competition isn’t as stiff.
God forbid someone train for an event they're good at instead of one they're bad at. Do you also suggest that sprinters and and gymnasts and F1 drivers and jugglers also transition to the 5k?
No, this is better compared to F1 drivers willing to take up go karting against 15 year olds. The 15 year olds are the ultra runners.
God forbid someone train for an event they're good at instead of one they're bad at. Do you also suggest that sprinters and and gymnasts and F1 drivers and jugglers also transition to the 5k?
No, this is better compared to F1 drivers willing to take up go karting against 15 year olds. The 15 year olds are the ultra runners.
I laughed 😂
As an aside, a local runner who is about a 36 min 10k in top shape beat a Western States Female winner at the JFK 50.
This post was edited 8 minutes after it was posted.
I believe it was confirmed Walmsley received a 200k bonus from Hoka for his CR at WSER. You guys are hung up on 'no prize money' meanwhile these sponsorships are paying quite well as trail running is becoming hugely popular and you guys are living under a rock.
Good to know but most very good trail runners don't earn much and one injury will stop even that. I always lough when somebody says this is a trail running professional. They just get a pair of shoes and a bunch of trucker hats for the most part.
Ultrarunning Mag posted a survey recently regarding the incomes of "professional" trail runners. I have my issues with their methodology and conclusions, but it's worth reviewing. About 7% of their surveyed pro ultra runners make more than 75k per year (but that's only about 14 runners, given their sample size).
We recently conducted a survey aimed to collect data from numerous professional runners from around the globe. This anonymous survey was filled out by nearly 200 athletes and was designed to gain insight into some key issues...
Maybe take a look at how popular trail running is becoming in Asia before attempting to sound like you know what you're talking about.
The point is that the money is there. If any elite Africans were interested in trail, there is nothing stopping them from signing up. You are making it sound like its some expensive endeavor for an elite sponsored athlete to assemble a few people to crew them at a race, a crew that would mostly likely just be provided by their sponsor. Do you think Tom Evans didn't have a whole team of Adidas guys there helping him? He had to pay thousands of dollars of his own money to go and run Western?
How many Asians ran the race last weekend? Just curious.
A few. But note that the 4th place male was a Chinese competitor running his first 100. There are some beastly chinese ultrarunners.
Even if WS100 had a $10,000 purse, would it be worth the effort to train for it? Of course not. But winning WS generally puts a person in a position to make a substantial amount of money off of corporate sponsors, speaking engagements, book deals, etc.
I think you keep fixating on this money thing and ignoring my larger point.
These runners are only impressive to most because they're WILLING to run super far. It's not impressive how "fast" they are.
But that is exactly what my sprinter friends say about the 5000m and up. They can't believe you can be a called "runner" when you are soooo slow. They think the 5 and 10 are glorified jogging events.
Do what you love. Follow the races you love. Don't worry about sprinters who can't even finish 5km! Or ultra guys who can't even break 14 in the 5km! Not everyone cares about the 5km. But you do you!
