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, returning in 2006 and 2007 to become only the third woman in history to win the race three times. Her 2007 season is among the most remarkable in the sport: in ten weeks she won Western States 100, the White River 50 Mile National Championships, and UTMB Mont-Blanc. She was named North American Female Ultra Runner of the Year three times (2003, 2004, 2007) and USATF Ultra Runner of the Year in 2004, 2006, and 2007. Her competitive longevity was exceptional: she continued placing on the WSER podium for nearly a decade, finishing 3rd in 2010 and 2011 and 2nd in 2013 at age 42 — and in 2014 she won the Marathon des Sables on her first attempt. She holds the women's FKT on Vermont's 273-mile Long Trail, documented in the 2014 feature film Finding Traction, which explores gender equity, endurance limits, and the role of running in recovering from major depression — a subject Kimball has engaged with candidly throughout her career. An orthopedic physical therapist in Bozeman, Montana, she remains the only person — male or female — to finish in the top 10 in each of her first ten Western States 100 attempts.

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