Nikki Kimball

About

Nikki Kimball is an American ultrarunner born on May 23, 1971, widely regarded as one of the most dominant female ultramarathon runners of her era. Growing up in Vermont in an active outdoor family, she developed a love for wilderness movement that guided her into competitive ultrarunning in 1999. She ran her first Western States 100 in 2004 and won, then returned to win again in 2006 and 2007, becoming only the third woman in history to win the race three times. Her 2007 season stands as one of the most remarkable single-year records in the sport: in the space of ten weeks she won the Western States 100, the White River 50 Mile National Championships, and the UTMB Mont-Blanc. She was named North American Female Ultra Runner of the Year three times (2003, 2004, and 2007) and United States Track and Field Ultra Runner of the Year in 2004, 2006, and 2007. Kimball's competitive longevity was exceptional even by ultrarunning standards: she continued to place on the WSER podium across nearly a decade, finishing 3rd in 2010, 3rd in 2011, and 2nd in 2013 — the last of those at age 42 — and in 2014 she won the Marathon des Sables on her first attempt. She holds the women's fastest known time on Vermont's 273-mile Long Trail, documented in the 2014 feature documentary Finding Traction, which explores gender equity in sport, human endurance limits, and the role of running in recovering from major depression — a subject Kimball has engaged with candidly throughout her career. By profession she is an orthopedic physical therapist based in Bozeman, Montana, and she remains the only person in history — male or female — to finish in the top 10 in each of her first ten attempts at the Western States 100.

Notable Wins

• — Western States 100 2004
• — 2006
• — 2007; UTMB Mont-Blanc 2007; Marathon des Sables 2014; White River 50 Mile 2007; Vermont Long Trail women's FKT; 3× North American Female Ultra Runner of the Year (2003
• — 2004
• — 2007)

Race History

Recent Coverage