 Miller racing in 2016 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 30, 1988 |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Event(s) | Ultramarathon, trail running |
Zach Miller is a professional American ultramarathon runner.
| Miller racing in 2016 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 30, 1988 |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Event(s) | Ultramarathon, trail running |
Zach Miller is a professional American ultramarathon runner.
Born in Kenya to missionary parents, Miller was primarily raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He ran track, cross country, and played soccer in high school. He continued to run at Rochester Institute of Technology while studying electrical engineering. [1]
After college Miller worked in the print shop on the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship, and trained for running on a treadmill, the ship's stairwells, and at ports of call. [2] After his win of the JFK 50 Mile in 2013 with the third fastest time in course history, [3] he turned pro while continuing his cruise ship work. [4] In 2015, his win of Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc's 105 kilometres (65 mi) Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix (CCC) was the first American win of that race. [5]
After his cruise work Miller was the resident caretaker at Barr Camp near Manitou Springs, Colorado for five years, which provided the opportunity to live and train at altitude on the Barr Trail and nearby Pikes Peak. [6] After Barr Camp, Miller's primary residence became a converted school bus.
After a three-year break to recover from Haglund's syndrome, [7] Miller returned to racing in 2023. He became one of only a few American men to podium at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc 105 mile race, after coming in second to overall winner Jim Walmsley. [8]
Miller has won or had a top three finish at a number of the most competitive ultramarathons in the world. [9] [10]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc | Switzerland, Italy, France | 2nd | 100 mile |
| 2023 | Tarawera Ultramarathon | New Zealand | 1st | 100 mile |
| 2022 | Trail 100 Andorra | Andorra | 1st | 105k |
| 2018 | JFK 50 | Maryland, USA | 2nd | 50 mile |
| 2017 | The North Face Endurance Challenge | Marin County, California | 1st | 50 mile |
| 2016 | The North Face Endurance Challenge | Marin County, California | 1st | 50 mile |
| 2016 | Madeira Island Ultra Trail | Madeira Island | 1st | 100 mile |
| 2015 | The North Face Endurance Challenge | Marin County, California | 1st | 50 mile |
| 2015 | Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc CCC | Italy, France, Switzerland | 1st | 100k |
| 2014 | Lake Sonoma | California | 1st | 50 mile |
| 2013 | JFK 50 | Maryland, USA | 1st | 50 mile |
An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres. Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of 31 miles (50 km) and up to 3100 miles. World Championships are held by the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) for 50 km, 100 km, 24 hours, and ultra trail running. The Global Organization of Multi-Day Ultramarathoners (GOMU) holds World Championships for 48 hours and 6 days. World Records are ratified and recognized by World Athletics, the IAU, and by GOMU.
The Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100 or Western States, is a 100.2-mile (161 km) ultramarathon that takes place on California's Sierra Nevada Mountains trails each year on the last full weekend of June. Western States is the oldest and one of the most competitive ultramarathons in the United States, and is administered by the nonprofit Western States Endurance Run Foundation.
The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) is a mountain ultramarathon race, first held in 2003, that follows the route of the Tour du Mont Blanc. It has been regarded as the most competitive trail ultramarathon in the world.
Kílian Jornet is a Spanish professional long-distance trail runner and ski mountaineer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest trail runners of all time, he has won some of the most prestigious ultramarathons, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc multiple times, Grand Raid, Western States and Hardrock.
Ellie Greenwood is a British and Canadian ultramarathon runner. She is a four-time 100km World Champion, winning both individual and team titles in 2010 and 2014. She won the 90 km Comrades Marathon in South Africa in 2014, becoming the first British woman to win the race. Greenwood is also a former champion and course record holder for the Canadian Death Race, Western States 100, and the JFK 50 Mile Run.
Jacquelyn Camille Herron is an American ultramarathon runner, scientist, coach, and a four-time International Ultrarunner of the Year. She is the first and only athlete to win all three of the road IAU World Championships for 50K, 100K, and 24 Hours. In 2017, she became only the third American to win the Comrades Marathon and later broke Ann Trason's 100-mile Road World Record by over an hour in 12:42:40.
Lizzy Hawker is a British endurance athlete. She has been dubbed as the Queen of the mountains, running ultramarathons while climbing the heights of Mount Everest. Some of her career highlights include five wins at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), former World Record holder for 24 Hours, and winner of the 2006 IAU 100 km World Championships.
Kristin "Krissy" Moehl is an American ultramarathon athlete who specializes in trail running. In 2005, Moehl became the youngest woman to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, which included a gold medal at the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run.
Lill Maria Kotka is a Swedish athlete who specialized in ultrarunning.
Kieren D'Souza is an Indian ultramarathon runner and endurance athlete. In 2016, he became the first Indian to qualify for and finish the Spartathlon, a 246 kilometre footrace from Athens to Sparta held annually in Greece. Kieren, then aged 23, completed the race in 33 hours, 2 minutes and 25 seconds, standing 85th among 370 participants. Up to 2016, only 29 athletes under the age of 25 had completed the race that has been held annually since 1983.
François D'Haene is a French elite athlete who specializes in ultra running and mountain running.
Jonathan Albon is a British sky runner and obstacle course racer who has won three Skyrunner World Series.
Carol Morgan is an Irish ultrarunner, who specialises in non-stop mountain ultramarathons 100 km and longer, often in challenging conditions with significant ascents / descents. Born in Dublin in 1973, where she trained as a nurse, she is an advanced practitioner in emergency medicine. Morgan holds the course record for endurance ultra event, the Kerry Way Ultra.
Xavier Thévenard is a French elite athlete who specialises in trail and mountain running. He was born on March 6, 1988 in Nantua, France. He won the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in 2013, 2015 and 2018.
Courtney Dauwalter is an American ultramarathon runner and former teacher. Widely regarded as one of the world's best female trailrunners, Dauwalter became in 2023 the first person ever to win Western States 100, Hardrock 100 and the UTMB, three iconic 100-mile races, in the same year.
Jim Walmsley is an American long-distance runner. An ultra-trail specialist, his wins include the JFK 50 Mile in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the Lake Sonoma 50 in 2016 and 2018, the Tarawera Ultramarathon in 2017, and the Western States 100 in 2018, 2019, and 2021. He holds several course records, including the Western States 100, set in 2018 and further improved by 21 minutes in 2019. In 2023, he became the first American man to win the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.
Tarawera Ultramarathon is a trail running event which includes a 21km, 50km, 102km and a 100-mile ultramarathon trail race, with the inaugural even held in 2009, it is part of the Ultra-Trail World Tour. It is held annually in February and takes place in Rotorua, New Zealand. Awards are given to top men and women finishers in each category.
Tom Evans is a British long-distance runner and a former British Army Captain. In 2020, he competed in the men's race at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships held in Gdynia, Poland. He finished third in his Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) 2022, and won the 2023 Western States Endurance Run.
Ekaterina Mityaeva is a Russian athlete specializing in trail running, skyrunning, mountain running and ultra running. She is a winner and prize-winner of the international competitions and Championships of Russia.
Anna Troup is a British ultramarathon runner who, in 2021, achieved the fastest known time for a female completion of the Pennine Way. She is a qualified lawyer and works in financial management.
