The Hobby Jogger Podcast
Welcome to The Hobby Jogger Podcast, where elite athletes and ham-and-eggers lace up their stories. We explore the common ground that running creates from the world-class runner to the hobbyist hitting the pavement, trail or treadmill. Expect a blend of inspiration, laughter and the shared joy that makes every step count. Join us on this journey, where every run is a story worth sharing.
The Hobby Jogger Podcast
E34 | Wil, Jeremy & Casey Make Picks for Trail Runner of the Year
Ever wondered who truly reigns supreme in the challenging world of American trail running? Join us on Hobby Jogger and Friends as we team up with Jeremy Pope and Wil Walmsley to break down 2024 trail running highlights. We contemplate the ultimate showdown in female ultra-running. Courtney's impeccable undefeated streak, featuring landmark victories at Mount Fuji and Hard Rock, is pitted against Katie's awe-inspiring UTMB course record and her solid run at Western States.
As we shift focus to the men's category, we engage in a spirited debate over top contenders, shining light on Hayden Hawks' impressive year and Jim Walmsley's monumental achievements at Western States. The episode wraps by examining picks for performance of the year in iconic races such as Leadville 100 and Barkley Marathons.
Thank you for joining us for this week's episode of Hobby Jogger and Friends. Today's going to be a very special episode. What we're doing? We're wrapping up the trail running season and we are going to pick our top trail runners of the year. Today I am joined by my co-host, mr Rob Myers. Rob, how are you today?
Speaker 2:I'm doing well. Yeah, I just got my new runner shorts in the mail. Took them out for five runs. You were 100% right. They are awesome, very impressed.
Speaker 1:Dude, they're so good, yeah, Seamless, I've never once chafed with them. Probably the best run. I don't run real far distances in running shorts because I like the compression shorts with just my soccer shorts over top of them, so weirdo, but best running shorts I've worn hands down and their diaper didn't bother me Like it's not like most of the shorts with the diapers Like this one wasn't too bad.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah it's. It's like having a pair of compression shorts underneath your running shorts. So yeah, Shout out to to Lucas and the team over there for sure, and the team over there for sure, rob, we're joined by two familiar guests, two friends of ours, mr Jeremy Pope and Mr Will Walmsley. Gentlemen, how are you Doing well? Thanks for having me Doing great. Well, the hair is looking perfect, as always. That's good.
Speaker 3:It's amazing that you can do that at 845 at night, but I haven't touched it since about 5 am. Bet you haven't. I bet you haven't.
Speaker 1:So what we're going to go over here is the top three each of men and women's trail runners, and that will a broad array of distances I guess you can consider. Hopefully, you guys did your homework and have those rankings. Rob, did you do your homework? Oh no, this is just the three of you guys. I'm here to just judge. Oh, you're just judging. Okay, I wasn't. I guess we maybe could you know, actually talk about what we're going to do first, but let's, you know, happens. So we're also going to go over the what we feel as what we rated as the top performance of the year. Do you guys want to start with the men or the women? Rob, flip a coin or decide?
Speaker 1:Women, we're going to start with the women. I'm going to start from third, go down to second. We start with second. What was that TV show that did that? Start with second, then third and first? I guess we can't do that because it would spoil it. We'll just go third to first. I guess we can't do that because it would spoil it. We'll just go third to first, how about that?
Speaker 3:Rob Sounds good and we're keeping it just American trail runners.
Speaker 1:Just American. We're not going to go global, although global races are considered, and you can also please tell us how you came about that and how things worked in your mind, so that the listeners can get an idea of what our grading criteria was, not just throwing darts at the proverbial dartboard here. So I will start off. I have Rachel Drake of Nike Trail out of Salt Lake City as my third place American woman, lake City as my third place American woman Set a course record at the JFK 50. Hold that in very high regard. Ran well at the Mammoth Trail Fest. Eighth at Western States. Won the Tillamook I'm probably going to say this wrong the Tillamook Burn 50 miler. The gorge waterfalls 30k course record. Black canyons 100k and the hong kong 100. I'm not sure if that's 100k or not. I guess I could have looked into that. But rachel had an incredible year. She is my third pick. Jeremy, who do you have as third?
Speaker 4:I honestly have the same. I really I hate to be the same, but there's two. I feel like there's two clear favorites. And rachel, really, I mean the jfk was maybe the cherry on the top for um. After any, I think black canyon is maybe the standout there in a great race. I mean ran a great race at Black Canyon and that women's field was maybe arguably as competitive as the men's.
Speaker 1:Yep, Definitely a very tough field. You know had a phenomenal year. To set a course record at such an old race like the JFK 50 certainly resonates and means something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean she did a great job. I mean, if you look, she's ranked number 30, 50 mile 2024. And that's across the men and the women, across every single race. So that's impressive.
Speaker 4:Just a side note. Just a side note with that too, is she also? She's not afraid to run, you know, 20k, 30k, all the way up. So obviously western states was her first hundred.
Speaker 1:But she was actually very close to second for me, like maybe I shouldn't have done gone on name recognition, which we'll talk about in a second, but she was very close to second just because I.
Speaker 3:I think there's very distinct. For me it was a obvious number one. Number two was pretty much up there. Uh, rachel drink, I think wasn't. I think we're also forgetting she also qualified for the olympic trials and chose to bypass that to do black Canyon.
Speaker 3:Well said yes, yes, I forgot about that. Now, the one I want to go with, emily Hogood. She's from Zimbabwe, but I believe she lives in California and I thought she had a great year. She beat Rachel Drake at Western States. Well, rachel was eighth, emily finished fourth and then also had a top ten finish at UTMB, placing sixth overall. Emily finished 4th and then also had a top 10 finish at UTMB, placing 6th overall. I mean just anytime you can place top 10 in the two biggest trail races 100 miles in the world also won Chianti.
Speaker 3:Won three other races in addition to that anywhere from it looks like 30k up to 100 miles. The top 10s. For me did it. Rachel Drake, I think, was right there with it. Heather Jackson may have been a fifth one. Rachel smoked her at Black Cannon, but then at Western States Heather Jackson beat Rachel's, finishing seventh, right ahead of her, but not Rachel Drake like her. 50k was or 50 mile or JFK was insane, but I would still take six at UTMB, right above that, even though it was a course record at JFK, one of the most historic races ever.
Speaker 1:For the third place, American woman Will picked a woman from Zimbabwe. That's pretty unpartisan.
Speaker 3:Lives in America. I believe she would be good for the ultra trail runner of the year, and that's kind of what I'm going off of.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm going to change the rules slightly. We'll say lives in America, not from America.
Speaker 4:What did? Was there one more with Rachel? Where did she run like short distance for team USA at like worlds? Let me look it up.
Speaker 1:I. It was not on the sheet that I looked at, so I did not consider.
Speaker 4:I couldn't find that either, and maybe that was in part with her Olympic trials qualifier, the timing and stuff.
Speaker 3:She won Gorge Waterfalls 30K. Hong Kong 100. It's not 100 milers, milers, a three-hour race. Uh, cirque series, which may have been a qualifier for worlds, something like that. I don't know what cirque series is. I remember it's a really big race because I'm free trail fantasy. But she won that. She got fourth at mammoth trail fest 26k. Super competitive short distance race. Now this is our first year also doing longer distances beyond like 50ks, 100ks, I believe. Yeah, and yeah I know. When she was going western states, uh, her and her husband had just moved from oregon to utah and I thought that was crazy because they weren't able to get huge mileage blocks and still just finishing top eight.
Speaker 1:There was incredible but in a brand new distance for her. So yeah, yeah, which we know, going off my method of picking 100 mile winners, yeah, First time a hundred mile, you know can be a little bit tricky but she sure figured out pretty quick. Also, I'm sure her husband helped in that regard, as he was. You know he's not running Western States anymore but formally has run Western States quite a few times with very good results, very consistent. So a lot of information there 1728 for her.
Speaker 1:That's that's amazing Yep On to our second woman overall For this. Probably no surprise, but I had Courtney DeWalter. Another phenomenal year For Courtney, best ultra woman runner of all time. For sure she does get the GOAT label often, and well-deserved. One niece, swiss Peaks Trail, hard Rock 100 Endurance Run course record on the clockwise course, broke her own record there. Yep, yep, broke her own record there. Probably a little bit more impressive to me was the Mount Fuji 100 and the Trans Grand Canaria Wow, I said that correctly, classic. Grand Canaria Wow, I said that correctly, classic. So those two were probably a little bit more impressive to me than the Hard Rock, which is kind of a time trial. It's an endurance run, not quite a race, but still a lot of history there. But she is my second place, Jeremy, who do you have?
Speaker 4:It's the same. I have Courtney DeWalter. I mean if the person who is first didn't have the year that they had, I mean Courtney's sitting in the first spot, but an undefeated season again.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's yeah. That's pretty obvious. Second, the words for who had the best season, and that's always subjective who's the best runner man? You'd love to see one verse two again. Didn't happen this year.
Speaker 1:I was hoping and I guess we're we still could. Yeah, it'd be tough because katie's running uh, utmb, so hard rock to utmb is a little bit tough. But hey, maybe we'll see it this year done before. Courtney did it, courtney did it, so maybe we'll get to see it. And that is really truly the matchup in in the trail running even really the running world that I most want to see is katie versus courtney on, I think.
Speaker 3:Question for number two if we went worldwide global. The other undefeated runner, Tony McCann. I think that would be one if we brought in the scope to internationally.
Speaker 1:Wondering if you guys would select Tony versus Courtney. Based off of last year's, I would have selected Tony over Courtney. I think she ran and this is just talking international, not American Tony McCann from South Africa, I believe, correct, Yep, Yep, One CCC stepping up in distance. She's not, I don't think, familiar with 100K distance.
Speaker 3:Nope that's as long as she's done. She got her golden ticket to Western States. Turn that down because she doesn't feel she's quite ready for a hundred miler yet, so her debut will have to wait. I think the biggest argument is she does shorter distances, did three state undefeated, won a world championship in the hundred K. But then you have Courtney, who didn't run a championship race, went undefeated and some pretty good historic races Mount Fuji, trans Grand Canaria, hard Rock ran more races than Tony. Race went undefeated and some pretty good historic races mount fuji, trans grand canaria, hard rock ran more races than tony. And I'm like, oh, that's a be a fun debate yeah, it'd be.
Speaker 1:It'd be a fair debate, which is good, which is what you want. It's healthy and hey, it'd be fun. Maybe next year she steps up and runs utmb against katie and courtney, if she's, you know, if it she feels that she can step up into that. And you know I did. I did rate her in the international a little bit ahead of Courtney, just because I place I value the CCC race a little bit higher than I do the slate of races that that Courtney ran.
Speaker 2:So yeah, One thing to highlight with Courtney. I mean she's turning 40 in February. Right, not really old by trail running standards, but still to put in those numbers turning 40, I mean that's, that's beyond impressive.
Speaker 4:Yeah, the other piece with Courtney is, out of all these races in 2024, only one was she outside of the top 10 overall.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she doesn't miss the top 10 overall very often either.
Speaker 3:I love every race she does Everyone's always like. Will she be the first overall? Like Nice her 100-mile there, people are like she could win first overall.
Speaker 4:I think she ended up second overall she was second yep, and then in this Swiss Peak, 70k K, less than a month before the niece, she was second overall as well.
Speaker 3:We have, she's turned 40. That'd be crazy. If she's doing Western States, I have no idea what her 25 calendar looks like. And if she breaks her own course record while setting the master's record in the same race, that would be insane.
Speaker 1:Greatest maybe same race? That would be insane. Greatest maybe you know just her overall results throughout her career put her at the very top of the sport man or woman. She's done it all. Just you know she runs the races she wants to run and it's subjective. And our first place person I'm going to assume it was unanimous, since we haven't mentioned our third or second. But the aforementioned Katie Scheid is who I picked to win Western States in UTMB back-to-back Course record at UTMB, also winning the Trans-Grand Canaria. I think it must have been like a 20K something and the Canyons 100k to get herself back into western states. So quite a year from katie scheid, super impressive performance at western states. She was running along. Our friend, our friend simone goslin, ran with him most of the day, who jeremy and I were crewing for, so got to to see Katie up close at Western States and she absolutely crushed it and did not look very stressed doing it. So it'll be fun to watch next year and see where her top is, jeremy.
Speaker 4:It's the same Katie Scheid. I mean pretty simple but undefeated again um across the board. Maybe she ran fewer races than Katie, um or than Courtney, but um, the biggest ones, biggest stage, um, yeah, yeah, and she signed up for.
Speaker 1:She's also signed up for hard rock, so Yep, she's, she's signed up for she's also signed up for hard rock. So, Yep, she's, she's gonna run the hard rock this year and hopefully maybe she goes back to back and does the hard rock. Like we said before UTMB, maybe Courtney shows up after, I think she's running. Courtney's running the uh Cocodona, I believe.
Speaker 4:So, Wow, Busy year for those two.
Speaker 1:It'd be fun to watch them.
Speaker 3:And uh, well year for those two it'll be fun to watch them. And uh will. It's katie shod. It's when two biggest hundred mile races the the way she did it to start the front, both of them going out with, you know, the lead men's group at western state and under courtney's course record the entire day. Hotter year this year than when courtney set the course record. You know, who knows, maybe she would have beat it if uh, weather was a little bit cooler, you don't know. But then going and winning UTMB, setting course record there, just absolutely dominated those races start to finish. I'm hoping that she does hard rock to UTMB. I think that even though it's two, three weeks less than Western States UTMB the style of race, it's worked well for Francois and Killian doing that double. It's almost like a good long run tune up. Very similar mountain runs 30,000 feet plus of elevation for both.
Speaker 1:A lot of power hiking walking power walking is not power hiking is not walking, rob.
Speaker 2:If you're on a trail, it's power hiking yes, what if I go walking on the trail?
Speaker 3:it's impossible it's an anomaly.
Speaker 1:It can't happen it's all power as soon as you start hit the walk.
Speaker 3:It's a hike, rob, if there's dirt under your feet what if you're on course and the course goes on a road and then you're walking on the road? That is walking. Still power hike, still power hiking because it's the middle of a trail run.
Speaker 1:Yes, Okay, I like it. You're just fixing your water bottles or something. Yeah, we will move on to the men here, and there was quite a bit at the top here. Uh, I don't think it was nearly as dominating as the women the two top women were, so I will start it off with my third place. Oh, there's gonna be a lot more of a debate love it yeah, yeah, uh, it'll be a good one.
Speaker 1:Um, I for my third place have david roche. Dav. David set the course record at the Leadville Trail 100, won the Silver Rush 50 miler. Second at Crown King Scramble 50k and was very impressive winning the Javelina Jundred 100 mile race. How I came up with David Roche is I do score the javelina. It's a very competitive race so that score is pretty high, pretty good body of work that he put together through the year. So I have him is my third place and I support that casey.
Speaker 2:It was number four 100 miles across all races for 2024 yeah he, he was good year.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I agree with the nose strip he likes it Works for him. You'll probably see that become more popular, jeremy, who did?
Speaker 4:you have as third. I actually went with Hayden Hawks at third. I can see Will loves this one. I don't know. I feel this is tough. I need to pull up.
Speaker 1:Hayden's results, but Hayden still had a great year, albeit maybe overshadowed. Let's note that, talking about the top three, all are very impressive. The top five, the top 10, all extremely, extremely impressive years.
Speaker 4:So his black Canyon. I mean the guy led wire to wire. You could almost argue that that black Canyon a hundred K was, that field was absolutely loaded last year it was the third place at Western States, while it's still the bottom of the podium he pr'd. He's really struggled. He's struggled to complete the full western states 100. He's just kind of had a couple of rough goes after. You know, maybe, maybe that 100K mark.
Speaker 1:That's fair. I mean he's had some you know issues. Definitely, finishing that race Finished his year over in oh, let's see. He won CCC.
Speaker 4:CCC. I mean again, you could say, you could argue.
Speaker 1:I believe I will be arguing this. He did lose to Francesco man. I'm probably probably gonna mess up this gentleman.
Speaker 3:Puppy, oh yeah, puppy, much safer in a 50k yeah, three weeks after utmb and francesco specializes in 50k only, absolutely that dude is an absolute killer, so nothing to sneeze at losing to him.
Speaker 3:Third, third, hayden's third for jeremy, all right will I am going to say third place for me would be my brother, jim walmsley. Bias aside everything else trying to defend it, I think there's a lot of people that make really good arguments for it. He had a very short injured season but his race at western states, the fashion he did it, uh, second fastest time in history. I don't feel like he was ever in control ever not in control it was easily the most competitive american race all year long.
Speaker 3:All these javelina, hundreds, javelina, jundered, whatever you want canyons, black cannon, all the top guys that have had great years that are in this discussion. They were at that race and it was pretty much the bigger storyline was hey, who finished second to jim and that, and yeah, and then the versatility to the week before that. There are other people that I think we'll be talking about here. Uh, we're in a vertical kilometer. So what's that? Three and a half miles, going over 2000 meters of elevation. Jim showed he was one of the best in the world at it, getting second overall, beating every other American up that hill. Lost to Patrick Kibjango, who's world champion VK guy. And Jim showed, you know, right there with him as far as his talent, from vertical kilometer all the way up to 100 miles. That was his whole racing year.
Speaker 3:I know he got injured early on, had to drop out of Trans Grand Canaria for an early injury with an ankle. After Western States had some knee issues, tried to give it a go at UTMB, led for the first 40 miles and then ended up dropping. Yeah, kind of a shame. I'm hoping next year is a lot better. But no, my brother would be, who I have as third overall.
Speaker 1:Very legitimate arguments. And he was fourth for me. Maybe I didn't pick him as third because of my bias towards because he's your brother. Yeah, unfortunate, utmb gets injured.
Speaker 3:I think funny enough. I actually, I think, moved him from fourth up to third because I just want to add a little spice and controversy.
Speaker 1:So a couple names that you guys are going to have are not going to be in my top three. Yeah, I mean he was, like I said he was fourth for me Actually super impressive eight days before Western States with an absolute loaded international field of people who specialize in that sort of thing Not that he doesn't, but I mean he was running 100 miles a week, a very fast 100 miler the week after. Hats off to him for the Western States performance. It was awesome to see up close.
Speaker 2:He definitely should be at least third a race right before it. You know especially that vertical climb.
Speaker 1:That's crazy yeah, should he. Yeah, I mean, like I said I, I probably factor in everything.
Speaker 2:Casey and a factor in everything yeah, I did I.
Speaker 3:I just feel you know the hobbling, it's really hard moving them up even that high, because it's just two races within eight days of each other. The other 347 days actually leap year, so 340 if we would have considered schema races. Yeah, he's, he's probably second yeah, this isn't schema, though this is trail running.
Speaker 1:This is trail running this is schema, was not to be uh considered here.
Speaker 2:So if jordan plays one game and he kills it, people still remember it right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but Jordan, yeah, jordan, jordan was still Michael Jordan for very long time, which Jim has been. So we're doing this year, this year, only that's it. So, yeah, fair pick. Will Jeremy a little disappointed in you that you had Hayden third? That is your opinion. It's a fair one, I'm sure, because I'm sure second and first are no slouches either. So we will move on to second, where I have a friend of the show, mr Eli Hemming. Hell of a year by Eli. He won the Black Canyon Ultra, the Big Alta, the Desert Rats 21K, the Canyons 50K. Finished fifth at the same vertical kilometer that Jim finished second in Another stacked field. Finished second at the Broken Arrow Sky Race Course. Record at OCC is why he is second for me me because I do rank that race as very high over there in Europe and disappointing for him, fifth at JFK. Still a heck of a performance five hours, 33 minutes for 50 miles. Eli Hemming is my number two. Jeremy, who do you have?
Speaker 4:Were we waiting to debate yours? I mean, we can.
Speaker 1:I figured we would debate as we go here.
Speaker 4:I'm giving two to David Roche. Okay, where David is at. In his career, the two performances were enough for the year to have me have him at second. While I I see javelina is not maybe being as competitive this year as it has been in the past, he still ran second fastest time ever on the course, set the course record at leadville the javelin 100 as well was two minutes off course record, and it was about 15 degrees hotter this year than last year I don't.
Speaker 1:I don't consider like race day factors like that, because you just have to run the race. That is there that year. You know what I mean. But I agree with you like that. I mean I have him third. So it was. It was a heck of a performance.
Speaker 4:He also like silver, rushed 50 miler to get him into Leadville for the golden or silver coin or whatever it is to get in Leadville. And then he ran. I think he lead wire to wire at Leadville, which is pretty ballsy.
Speaker 1:Hey, solid selection for second yeah, I had him. Third, Like I said anyone in the top 10,. Solid selection for second yeah, I had a third, Like I said anyone in the top 10,. Heck of a year, Will. Who do you have as your?
Speaker 3:number two. It's not David Roche, I think. For me he's not. He may have even been like fifth or sixth for me Some incredible performances. But also I look at it, I'm like, well, I don't know.
Speaker 3:I guess I kept going back and forth on the uh record performance. I had, uh, leadville 100, and how many people have tried for this course record that's been there for almost 20 years and of like the top you know elite american runners who's even tried over the past? You know five, six, since Rob Carr, I think, was like the last one in 2015 to really give it a go, or 2018, uh, when he wasn't quite at his peak, and it's like, yeah, none of the top elite people, is it because everyone's trying to go for it? Or not many people even go for the level 100 record? So I think that to me it's like, eh, I don't know how much I put into the course record there, you know when people say 20 years, but still damn impressive. I just put a really, really big emphasis on championship races and I know this guy did not win championship races necessarily, but he did set course records, I think to the most impressive races. David Sinclair is who I have. Number two so different David Spigo, 50k that had a course record by Jim Walmsley, broken by Hayden Hawks, broken by Adam Peterman Three of the biggest names of ultra runners in America, probably the three biggest over the past.
Speaker 3:You know, five, six, seven years All of them have had the course record and he smashed at speedo 50k, jfk, 50 miler this past fall. You know, one of the most historic races we have in america. Jim had the course record, got beat by hidden hawks, I think it was uh 518. Adam pierman ran 519 and then he goes and smashes that with a 508, just destroyed the course record there. And then also one broken arrow, uh 46k stacked field there and oh yeah, jfk 50. Uh yeah, I think kind of the one that swung for me was it was head-to-head with eli hemming for a while until eli finished. You know, ended up kind of breaking the elastic and finished fifth. But hey, you win the head-to-head. That weighed in for me of why I put him ahead of Eli.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean just completely disregarding the other like six races. Eli won, but you know.
Speaker 3:I get it. Yeah, yeah, the biggest races when it's head-to-head. I think that factors into it, that factors into it. You gotta look at that. Hey, to be the man. You gotta beat the man. Hey, in the most recent race they've ran, he won. But yeah, eli probably was coin flip, you know. On number three, I just want to mention my brother at three, but he'd probably be right there in there. But uh, no, I got david sinclair as my second overall solid pick yeah, solid pick.
Speaker 1:Heck of a year jfk. You know we had rachel drake as third. Set a course record. Such an old classic race to set a course record in so it's the first.
Speaker 3:That was my first experience to trail running or ultra running in general. Never even got into running, hadn't ran years before I even started running. Brother asked me to crew him here in Ohio. It's what a five-hour drive out to Hagerstown, Maryland, and I did drive in 2015.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not too far.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I brought a book with me thinking I was going to crew him for like five, six hours and didn't read a single page, couldn't find a moment of freedom, he doesn't leave much.
Speaker 1:Jim doesn't leave much time for reading no. In a moment of freedom, he doesn't leave much. Jim doesn't leave much time for reading. No, got to get in the car and drive to hopefully not miss him.
Speaker 4:David's been at it for a while too. Like it's not it's maybe not on the biggest stage that he was winning before, but like this is maybe not a surprise to some. The guy is very talented, he's been talented.
Speaker 3:He definitely took it up a notch, almost in the same way that David Roche did.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so very good picks for second. I'm with Eli On to the winner. I had Hayden Hawks Incredible performance at CCC. To me that is one of the races that I rate as the highest. I think most of what my ratings here are based on is just the level of competition that you go up against, I guess in general and in each individual race and like we've mentioned, jeremy mentioned the field at black cananyons was stacked and Western States. He finished third there, another stacked field and CCC goes over to Europe, runs hard in the mountains and takes that win as well. And the 50K mentioned previously, where he got beat by Francesco Puppi Phenomenal athlete, Phenomenal Italian athlete Only to lose to him so incredible year by Hayden. He was my number one pick, I can tell Will agrees.
Speaker 4:This might be a little hot take but I went with Jim Walmsley, I think, western States 100. It doesn't matter how many times that he raced in the year. While you could say some guys won four races, jim did it on the biggest stage, at the biggest moment, second fastest time, with guys closer to him from two to 10 than they've ever been before. Maybe he didn't know, maybe he did, but he still got it done. It's a singular win. I think he did win Stampede trail run 10 miler. Probably, probably did, probably, probably did. If you're saying the daytona 500 is the biggest event in nascar, or you're saying the super bowl or the world, series.
Speaker 3:Basically, what you're saying is a team that goes nine and eight, makes a wild card spot, wins the super bowl. It doesn't care if you want 17 in the regular season.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree with Jeremy 100%, and I know we're only talking about runners that live in the US, but if we limited it to only races in the US, I think it's a much, much higher weight.
Speaker 1:Oh, and I do weight that race incredibly high. If I have to give points for Western states. It was the only thing. He did run the vertical K, but it was. It was his one race and he did seemingly and I don't know this but put all of his eggs in the Western States UTMB basket, you know, unfortunately didn't work out for him. I wish it did, but that's why I had him probably fourth and not first. But I certainly can understand that. I mean, that is the race that people go all around the world to try and get golden tickets for.
Speaker 4:And it's also a race that I think everybody's coming for. Jim, right Like it's, the dude has literally mastered the race start to finish. I think this year showed like people had to take different strategies to try to beat Jim, and then Jim actually took a different strategy strategy himself to not beat Jim. Yeah, still got it done and he was.
Speaker 1:He was very composed throughout the whole thing, Like he was never. Never seemed to. You know, we were front row seats for it, so never really seemed to be hurting, seemed always in control. I will say now that they do need to ban the Pacer to be in the top 10, because I do think that does give his competition an aid that he does not use. And you could say all you want Well, he has the ability to use it, but I think it needs to be a race between people, not with a coach out there on the course with you. So I think they need to ban the Pacer for the elite Pacer is strictly an American thing.
Speaker 1:They do not do that in international races, which they shouldn't, and I would say that you would have a tough time explaining to a non-trail running person why someone is running with a friend out there when they're supposed to be competing one-on-one. I think that's.
Speaker 3:Yeah, at Western States we saw firsthand how much having a pacer it's not like it's. You know joe schmoe off the street helping pace these elites. It's elites that weren't able to get in western states, that have run a couple times helping out. They have a lot of experience and it helped some of the guys that were at the very front less experience but it's like no, no, anytime there were any race tactics keeping your head on focus and at 60, 70 miles in where mentally you're not as strong, them keeping you on track with no, no, you're doing well, keep pushing you forward, huge advantage.
Speaker 1:Yeah, You're not. They keep you from covering moves that maybe you would try and cover it. Just, I think you shouldn't have a coach with you full time. If you're an elite and I'm not talking about middle of the pack, back of the pack people I certainly understand having a pacer. That's where I'm at.
Speaker 4:I'm a little on the fence without money. I feel like if there's money at the finish line, but there's money in the sport.
Speaker 3:There's money in the sport, not necessarily through Western states. You do have sponsorships and livelihoods.
Speaker 1:Getting a little sidetracked there, but that was my speech on that. But yeah, certainly understand. That was an incredible performance by Jim and happy to get to witness it Real quick also. To finish here, I'd like to do performances of the year, my winner that I had by the way, it was forget something there casey, everyone's waiting, all right.
Speaker 2:Well, drop it well who do you?
Speaker 3:got my winner trail runner of the year for the americans and hayden hawks. Uh, yeah, that western states by jim, it's something great. And hayden ran the fourth fastest time in history. The three faster, faster times Jim Walmsley, jim Walmsley, second place at Western States, rod Farver, less than a minute ahead of him. Yeah, that was a tight finish. So, being that close to Rod, beating Rod at Black Canyon, setting course record while running Black Canyon, beating Rod again at CCC, that's where, hey, even though he lost Western States to Rod by less than a minute, he beat him by much more in Black Cannon. And then another championship race at CCC for World 100K Trail Race. Hell of a year by Hayden, I'm just like man. Three of the biggest races right there, yeah, black Cannon also being a world trail major. So one world trail major, one UTMB championship race and podium at Western States.
Speaker 4:Black Canyon is also a world trail major too.
Speaker 3:That's what I said. Sure is.
Speaker 1:That's why I had Hayden winning. I definitely agree with that Phenomenal year in big races.
Speaker 3:I think one person that would have been in discussion for me on this had they not moved from Portland to Ancy, france, would be Vincent Bouillard.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, he would definitely have been in the discussion First guy that moved back to ANSI.
Speaker 1:So which brings us to our final little segment here, which is performance of the year, which I actually have it tied. I couldn't come up with either. It's between Vincent Bouliard and Jim at Western States, both phenomenal performances. Vincent ran an incredible time at UTMB. I know we were supposed to pick one. I don't care, it's our show. I'll pick two Vincent at UTMB and Jim at Western States Both incredible performances. And I do have Katie Scheid's Western States performance for the women.
Speaker 3:Over her course record at UTMB.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have Western States a little bit ahead of that. As for performance of the year, yeah, I mean it could have been either one, but I chose the Western States, probably because I was there and witnessed. It is why, rather than watching it on TV, so up live and in person, a little bit different than watching on TV. So that's why I chose her Western States performance, not the UTMB performance, because I just watched that on the live stream. Jeremy, who was your performance of the year?
Speaker 4:Jim Walmsley, western States, 100. Hands down Second fastest time. The guy had guys on his heels the whole day. I don't. The performance was.
Speaker 1:We even got a shout-out on the live stream at the first aid station.
Speaker 4:I heard I don't think you guys are going to have this one for the women's performance of the year Jasmine Paris Barclays marathon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 2:One that's a good one, that's an MVP Never get it done. That's an MVP award.
Speaker 4:The Katie, the Katie Courtney battle is insane. I don't know. I think that Jasmine Paris is maybe like a little another level where like performance yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was that was fun to well. I read it via yeah Text. Was that was fun to well, I read it via yeah Text, via Twitter. I guess the the one guy that just kind of I don't know how that guy's name, keith Dunn, I believe just randomly gives you updates on the Barkley marathon Kind of a cool thing. So yeah, jasmine Paris, I can't argue against that. That was incredible. Uh, same with Tara Dower Appalachian Trail.
Speaker 3:FKT. I feel like the FKT is harder to judge because it's over five weeks or whatever, I guess for my performance of the year. I don't want to be boring, I'll just go. The runner-ups, I think the two runner-ups for me one is David Sinclair, jfk 50, and then Geraldo's super toss. I mean, pick any one of his 200s that he won 200 mile races.
Speaker 3:Guy won three of them Cocodona, tahoe, triple Crown, fourth at another 200, bigfoot 200. Second overall at my up 240. Yeah, I think that's just incredible. What he was able to. Him versus jeff brown and coconona 250 was great. But uh, yeah, my male top performance was jim almsley, western states. Hey, it's for americans that was the biggest performance of the year, our biggest race. For the women, I mean obviously rachel drake, good with you know, jfk 50, just like david the incredible watching with them. Courtney, hard rock, either of katie's. But I had jasmine parish, just like jeremy did, and as soon as he said jasmine, I was like oh, you stole it. I thought I was gonna be the clever one. Uh, only woman in the history to ever complete the Barclays marathons.
Speaker 1:For those listening that don't know what the Barclay marathon is it's this crazy ass race in Tennessee, I believe. Yeah, not Kentucky, tennessee. And it's allegedly 100 miles, but some think it's what like 115, 120. And it's these giant loops, bushwhacking. You got to pick pages out of books to show that you've hit all the checkpoints. Those are the checkpoints and crazy race. Watch the documentary if you get the chance or haven't heard of it.
Speaker 2:Where dreams go to die, such a cool documentary. And it's only an hour and a half from my house, casey, so when you come down, we'll drive up and run the course.
Speaker 1:Rat jaw, we're going to run only an hour and a half from my house, casey, so when you come down we'll drive up and run the course, rat jaw, and run up down, rat jaw rob.
Speaker 3:Isn't there a fall barclays marathon should do?
Speaker 1:that there is.
Speaker 4:I think it's only one loop, so I think it's actually more of like a like a trail race, isn't it? Or is it like yeah?
Speaker 1:it's more traditional, more than just bushwhacking and playing, you know, compass games. Yeah, no, it was a fun year to watch and, you know, glad we could talk about it, kind of do a little year in review, and we did have some differing opinions. That always helps. I'm still sticking with Eli in second. Would have had Eli winning had he won JFK 50. If what's were ifs and ifs were buts, however that saying goes, I don't really know. Yeah. So, great year, great episode. Thank you guys so much for joining us. We certainly appreciate your time, will jeremy and uh, thank you very much from the hobby jogger rob. Got anything for us where we go? No, it's a fun episode I'm sure we'll do more thank you guys, thank you till next time.