Valmir Nunes

About

Valmir Nunes is a Brazilian ultramarathoner born January 16, 1964, who began racing ultra-distances at 26 after recovering from a debilitating illness suffered at 18. He won the 100km World Championship in 1991 and in 1995 set a 100km world record of 6 hours, 18 minutes and 9 seconds in Winschoten, Netherlands, a mark that stood until 1998. In 2001 he won Greece's 246km Spartathlon in 23 hours, 18 minutes and 5 seconds, and in 2007 he became the first runner ever to finish the Badwater Ultramarathon in under 24 hours, setting a course record of 22 hours, 51 minutes and 29 seconds that stood for twelve years until broken by Japan's Yoshihiko Ishikawa in 2019. He continues to hold multiple Brazilian and South American ultramarathon records.

Notable Wins

• — 100km World Championship 1991; 100km world record 6:18:09 (1995); Spartathlon 2001 (23:18:05); Badwater 135 2007 course record 22:51:29 (first-ever sub-24-hour finish)

Race History