UTMB: JIM WALMSLEY AND AMERICAN RUNNERS GO HOME DEVASTED!!!!1

Mizuno fanboy wrote:

Has there been any official explanation of Walmsley's DNF so far?

Kilian: got stung by a bee, he's alergic, had bad reaction

Hernando: hurt his ankle

Tollefson: sustained a deep cut from a fall

Miller: took a fall, I think he hurt a knee

Magda: another fall

Chaverot: hypothermia

Jim probably just quite because he wasn't able to hold the lead anymore.

Snowflake Jim wrote:

Mizuno fanboy wrote:

Has there been any official explanation of Walmsley's DNF so far?

Kilian: got stung by a bee, he's alergic, had bad reaction

Hernando: hurt his ankle

Tollefson: sustained a deep cut from a fall

Miller: took a fall, I think he hurt a knee

Magda: another fall

Chaverot: hypothermia

Jim probably just quite because he wasn't able to hold the lead anymore.

Fairly early in the race, Walmsley said he was "Okay. Just okay." Later, at the Courmayeur (78km) checkpoint, Walmsley told irunfar.com that “Nothing showed up.” He continued for several hours after that. irunfar.com has started posting post-race interviews, so if Jim talks to them, it will be interesting what he has to say.

Jim needs to do Comrades and set new CR, then start in on picking off flat or track 50/100k/100m/12hr/24hr world records ala Camille. Think he needs a break from the mountain ultras until he can get his head screwed back on right

Too Thick wrote:

Miller looks like a mesomorph -- thick, muscular legs -- not suited for long distance. He does well notwithstanding this, but has his limits -- which show up every year.

Take a look at the 2nd place guy - Hajnal. Massive legs and much bigger upper body than Miller. If he can crush the course, there's no reason Miller can't either.

not a championship runner. wrote:

Jim isn't a win big or go home guy. He consistently struggles against competition. I can understand DNFing because of injury, but Jim lacks perseverance and quits because of things real Champions can push through to actually win. Look at the resumes of guys like Xavier and Kilian as examples of real Champions.

Kilian quit first because he wasn’t feeling well and was throwing up etc. No injury.

Your stupidity is priceless. Thanks for the laugh, fool.

Snowflake Jim wrote:

Jim probably just quite because he wasn't able to hold the lead anymore.

Except he kept going long after he lost the lead. And he came in 5th last year. It’s clear you don’t like Jim, so just say that instead of stuff that makes you look like a butt hurt idiot. Nothing wrong with not liking someone, no need to look the fool with this nonsense.

RastaMon wrote:

Jim needs to do Comrades and set new CR, then start in on picking off flat or track 50/100k/100m/12hr/24hr world records ala Camille. Think he needs a break from the mountain ultras until he can get his head screwed back on right

No way that Jim will win Comrades anytime soon.

Years ago he didn't do that well at the 100k Worlds.

Jim Walmsley is the most overrated ultrarunner right now.

It'd be refreshing to see Walmsley run a race conservatively - go out with the leaders but hang back a bit, then race the last couple hours all out.

Try as he might, I don't think people only remember the "home runs." People know Scott Jurek because he won WS 7 years in a row. He also set the CR. Jim set the CR, winning it once only. I think winning it several times in a row is more of a claim to fame because you withstand so many different types of conditions, and competition, plus as time goes on everyone just wants to break your streak. Kind of like how the Americans really want to win UTMB to be the first ever.

I'm a big fan of Walmsley, dude has absolutely beautiful form. But it just seems like he's refusing to grow up a bit and save his front running races for the days he feels excellent.

Jim's nerves get to him when there's competition on any surface.

https://www.irunfar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-IAU-100k-World-Championships-Jim-Walmsley-20k.jpg

not a championship runner. wrote:

Jim isn't a win big or go home guy. He consistently struggles against competition. I can understand DNFing because of injury, but Jim lacks perseverance and quits because of things real Champions can push through to actually win. Look at the resumes of guys like Xavier and Kilian as examples of real Champions.

Consistently struggles against competition? I really don't understand the slander towards a guy willing to go to hell and back a few times throughout a race. He took 5th last year, and I'd argue that he was too conservative and gave up a spot or 2. He smashed the WS record by nearly 20 minutes on a day that should have never even been a possibility.

I agree with some prior posts, his body was likely overwhelmed by the block of training and little to no rest. Jim will win UTMB, if he makes that his A race for the summer, it's his to win. He has nothing left to prove @ WS. He'll get this done.

Not taking away anything from Jurek, but the sport is much different now. He's a legend and true pioneer, but the speed of the sport wasn't a fraction of what it is now in 2018 and moving forward.

Different sport, different times. Again, not to take away from Jurek but hell in those years I could have been competitive in ultras had I known about them;)

Kilian, Xavier, François, and several past winners didn't need to make UTMB their A race in order to win or challenge for victory.

Euros are generally less competitive at runable American ultras, unless they choose to focus on that. Americans are generally less competitive in slow steep Euro races, unless they choose to focus on that. Nothing new. People are better at that in which they have more experience.

As for Walmsley, it's good that he's failing so much. He's very talented, for an ultrarunner, but his ego was just too much - - made an ass of himself in interviews, raced like a fool. If he's to realize his potential, he needs to take his rivals seriously and stop thinking he's so much better than everyone else. He could use a coach, too. Or at least get advice from some older runner that knows how to perform every time. No Koop, though.

You don’t understand? He’s 1 for 7 in major competition, yet he can win time trials against himself in America. His record speaks for itself. His nerves get to him when he faces competition.

Big fan of both Cat and Kaci, I’m glad they did well.

Most runners who have done 7 are 0 for 7. So let's rag on the dude who is 'just' 1 for 7.

He's still relatively new to the sport. He often goes out too hard. So what? Maybe he'll learn. Maybe not. He's fun to watch.

I've met him a few times in person. He's pretty nice. Down to earth. Maybe that doesn't come across in interviews; I don't know. I'm not inclined to slay somebody because they don't know how to be attractive in interviews.

Major props to Jurek for making the sport something people can do professionally (and winning any 100 miler seven times is amazing), but if he were running now, he’d be more competitive with the top females rather than males. A whole different level of runner has taken to ultrarunning in the U.S. no disrespect, just fact. It’s the same evolution in every sport.

A lot of these American guys are track/road runners turned mountain runners. While you can do well to a certain extent its obvious they are too frail for serious mountain running. You see how they easily injure themselves. Look at guys like Thevenard and Hajnal and theyre built like tanks. Indestructible. This is what you need to succeed in something like the UTMB.

Xavier is 5’ 7” 135 lbs. Hardly a tank. Killian is smaller than that, There is a much more diverse body type that can be workable in hard mountain races, however. In the case of this year’s UTMB, cold resistance was a major advantage.