Jimmy Elam

About

Jimmy Elam is the quiet achiever of American ultra trail running — a Manteca, California-born runner who walked on at Chico State after forgoing a Division II scholarship and earned All-American honors within a year, then spent formative seasons guiding backpacking trips on the John Muir Trail before discovering his calling in mountain ultramarathons. Deliberately low-profile — he lives in a cabin in Big Cottonwood Canyon outside Salt Lake City and avoids social media — Elam has built an exceptional list of wins including the Canyons Endurance 100K (2019), Bear Mountain 100-miler (2020), Cascade Crest 100, San Juan Solstice 50 Mile (2024), and a course record at Mammoth 200 in 2025. He debuted at UTMB in 2022, finishing 14th in 22:36 as the third-fastest American in a competitive international field, and has since confirmed himself as one of the most reliable performers on the American mountain ultra circuit. He works as head of Midwest US sales for footwear brand Norda and is supported by Precision Fuel & Hydration and MUIR Energy.

Notable Wins

• — Mammoth 200 2025 (course record)
• — San Juan Solstice 50 Mile 2024
• — Cascade Crest 100
• — Bear Mountain 100 Mile 2020
• — Canyons Endurance 100K 2019
• — UTMB 14th (3rd American) 2022 (22:36)

Upcoming Races

Race History