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Jim Walmsley is the Ultrarunner of the Year for 2019. This is the fourth year in a row that he has won the men’s honor, a feat only previously accomplished by Tom Johnson (1992-1995). Walmsley’s year was topped by a 14:09:28 course record at the venerable Western States 100 and a world record 50-mile time of 4:50:08 at the Project X Invitational. He also won the Santa Barbara Nine Trails 35 Mile in course record time, Norway’s Ultravasan 90k, and the inaugural Fast 50 (Mile) in Hong Kong. Walmsley lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, with his girlfriend, Jessica.

What initially drew Chattanooga, TN, ultrarunner Seth Ruhling into the ultrarunning community nearly a decade ago, was the allure of a finisher’s sweatshirt that told the world he ran 40 miles in one day.

Clare Gallagher is ranked second in the UROY voting for 2019. Gallagher won the Western States 100 in 17:23:25, the second-fastest time ever posted. She also won the highly competitive Way Too Cool 50K and was eighth at The North Face Endurance Challenge. An ardent environmental advocate, Gallagher lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Jared Hazen is ranked third in the UROY voting for 2019. Hazen placed second at Western States in 14:26:46, a time that was under the previous course record, only to be second to his roommate and training partner, Jim Walmsley. He also placed second at the Santa Barbara Nine Trails 35 Mile, in a time that was under the previous course record, only to be second to his roommate and training partner, Jim Walmsley. Hazen also won the über-competitive Lake Sonoma 50, where his winning time of 6:08:31 was the third fastest in race history. Hazen lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Camille Herron is ranked fourth in the voting for 2019. Herron broke her own world record with a startling 167.842 miles while winning the IAU World Championship in Albi, France. She also won the Tarawera 100 Mile in New Zealand, setting a course record. In an up and down year, Herron suffered DNFs at Lake Sonoma, Comrades and Western States. A native of Oklahoma, Herron and her husband, Conor, recently moved to Alamosa, Colorado.

Jeff Browning is ranked fifth in the voting for 2019. One of the most consistent runners in recent years, Browning won the Bear 100, Tarawera 100 Mile in New Zealand and finished ninth at Western States. A coach and graphic designer, Browning, his wife Jennifer and their three kids recently moved to Bozeman, Montana.