Walmsley leads WSER by small margin as runners approach halfway

Course record holder and defending champion Jim Walmsley is approaching the halfway mark of the Western States Endurance Run and leading by a slight margin of eight minutes ahead of second place Jared Hazen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxSbaJ2ji51/

Both runners have passed Dusty Corners, Walmsley in 5:18 and Hazen in 5:26.

RELATED: Scott Jurek to guide Western States’ first legally blind racer

Walmsley is certainly the favourite to take WSER but Hazen isn’t to be discounted. He’s raced the course twice before in 2014 and 2015, taking third in 2015. He told iRunFar before the race that he’s interested in a win and thinks it’s manageable. Hazen also predicted pretty accurately how the race would go out. He said in his pre-race interview, “I think Jim [Walmsley] will be challenged a little bit more this year. It’s always just been Jim goes off the front and nobody goes with him. I think the dynamics will definitely be a lot different this year.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzB99AkHF0H/

Walmsley is leading the group this year but is being tailed by Hazen, along with Matt Daniels, Stephen Kersh, Gediminas Grinius and Tom Evans. The trail pack has several minutes between each of them, except Grinius and Evans who were together through 38 miles.

RELATED: Western States 2019: Walmsley vs. Sandes vs. Dauwalter vs. Canepa

In the women’s race Courtney Dauwalter is in the lead by around 10 minutes, with Clare Gallagher and Brittany Peterson in second and third. Dauwalter will have to work to maintain her lead, because Gallagher and Peterson aren’t far behind.

Canadian Kat Drew is in 11th, easily within striking distance of the top 10.