We start our countdown with the tenth ranked runners for 2014.
Alex Varner photo by Matt Laye
Alex Varner
Alex Varner of Mill Valley, California checks in at our number 10 runner. Varner ran four races – all of them large, highly competitive events – and placed highly in all. Varner, who has an MBA from the University of North Carolina, works as the Director of Research for an investment firm in San Francisco.
2014 Race Results
| Race | Time | Place |
| Way Too Cool 50K | 3:17:04 | 2 |
| Lake Sonoma 50 Mile | 6:24:04 | 4 |
| Western States 100 Mile | 15:53:42 | 7 |
| The North Face 50 Mile | 6:14:06 | 3 |
Nikki Kimball photo by Dee Metrick
Nikki Kimball
Nikki Kimball of Bozeman, Montana is our tenth ranked female. Kimball, a physical therapist, won the Marathon des Sables, a 7-day 155-mile stage race in Morocco and also won the Run Rabbit Run 100 Miler in Colorado. Kimball is a three-time Ultra Runner of the Year (2003, 2004 and 2007); this is the 12th consecutive year she has been ranked in the top 10.
2014 Race Results
| Race | Time | Overall Place | Female Place |
| Marathon des Sables | 29:04:49 | 31 | 1 |
| Silver State 50 Mile | 8:53:29 | 6 | 1 |
| Western States 100 Mile | 19:51:31 | 39 | 5 |
| Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile | 21:14:36 | 10 | 1 |