Update: Walmsley 3-peats in Western States Endurance Run

Jim Walmsley is in good company. He's also in company all his own. Walmsley, 31, became the third men's runner and fifth overall to win the event three times in a row, joining Scott Jurek, Tim Twietmeyer, Ann Trason and Bjorg Austrheim-Smith. Trason won 10 in a row from 1989-98 and four straight from 2000-03. Austrheim-Smith won the first three women's Western States from 1981-83. Jurek won seven in a row from 1999-2005, and Twietmeyer won three in a row from 1994-96. "They have a lot more than three in a row," said Walmsley, of Flagstaff, Arizona. "Those guys are legends." With an official time of 14 hours, 46 minutes and 1 second, Walmsley now has three of the four fastest times in Western States history. He spotted three bears (a mama bear and two cubs) en route to breaking the course record in 2018 with a time of 14:30:04 and obliterated that mark in 2019 at 14:09:28. "This one is pretty rewarding," Walmsley said in a trackside interview at LeFebvre Stadium, surrounded by an adoring crowd that braved 95-degree heat even late in the race. Walmsley ran his final steps by another set of fans who found shade and avoided the sun by lining the west side of the football stadium at Placer High School. Hayden Hawks kept pace with the winner for about the first 50k. "He was talking my ear off," Walmsley said of Hawks, who finished eighth. "He didn't have that much to say before." Walmsley then turned it on and entered Foresthill (mile 62) 8 hours and 35 minutes into the race. Hawks arrived 50 minutes later. Walmsley fell well short of his two best course times but still finished an hour and 25 minutes in front of runner-up Tyler Green. Walmsley discussed a tendonitis issue and a tough training block for the Western States. "I haven't had anyone to train with," he said. And then, there was the temperature, which reached 101 degrees in Auburn and was still sitting at 95 at 7 p.m., 45 minutes before Walmsley entered the stadium. "Oh yeah, it was hot today," he said, describing his crew as "all-stars." And Walmsley remains hot in the Western States. The man who made a wrong turn on the course and finished 20th in 2016 and dropped out in 2017 has now three-peated. And with that, Walmsley said he'd take a couple days off. Green, of Portland, Oregon, was 16th at Lyon Ridge, 10.3 miles into the race. It took him 84 miles before he moved into second at Pointed Rocks, 6 miles from the finish. Green battled Drew Holmen of Boulder, Colorado, before getting "a little gap" on his teammate. Green finished in 16:11:02, Holmen in 16:23:09. "Tyler just worked me, absolutely worked me," Holmen said. Green credited a good conversation with "Western States Killing Machine" author Joe Uhan that "sobered me up to relax." "This is extremely surreal. It's special to experience it with others," said Green, who cramped – as did many others – in the final straight on the track at Placer. "The crew was incredible. We were dialed." Cody Lind of Challis, Idaho, and Tim Tollefson of Rocklin rounded out the top five. It was the first Western States for each. Lind's dad, Paul Lind, is a two-time Western States finisher and grandfather Dr. Bob Lind is the former Western States medical direction and served on the Western States Board of Directors for 30 years.