Nikki Kimball

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Bozeman, MT

Bio
Nikki Kimball is one of today's top female ultra runners. She has numerous first place finishes, set many course records, and competed on the US mountain running and 100K teams.

While growing up in Chittenden, VT, Nikki's love for sports began at a very early age. Her parents put her into her first pair of skis at age 3 at the recommendation of a pediatrician. Nikki was born severely pigeon-toed and did not walk well and skiing is known to help the problem by forcing and training the legs to stay parallel. In high school, Nikki became a multi-sport endurance athlete, excelling in Nordic skiing, cross-country running, and cycling.

Nikki went on to ski race at Williams College placing in the top 20 at the NCAA Nordic Ski Championship. After graduating from college, Nikki competed in biathlons (Nordic skiing & rifle shooting) and devoted two years to the sport with the goal of making the Olympic team in 1994. After failing to make the Olympic team, Nikki stopped training and decided to shift her focus from sport to career. While attending graduate school in Physical Therapy, Nikki began trail running with a local club to blow off steam. After years of competing and dedicating her life to sports with a high level of seriousness, Nikki was thrilled with the lack of pressure and the genuine fun she found in trail running. In 1999, Nikki graduated with her masters degree in physical therapy and ran her first ultra marathons. Her first ultra was a 50K race at Mt. Pisgah, NH followed by the Vermont 50-miler only two weeks later. Nikki won both in the women's division, setting course records in each. This is just the beginning of a winning streak that lasted well through 2006.

Nikki ran her first 100-mile race, the Western States 100 Miler, in 2004 and was the female winner. She then went on to win the Western States two more times in 2005 and 2007. In 2007, Nikki also won the 101.2-mile Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc, Europe's largest ultramarathon with a course record. Nikki's race wins and course records are too numerous to mention and will continue to accumulate, as she shows no signs of slowing down.

Nikki now makes her home in Bozeman, MT where she works as an orthopedic physical therapist. She also helped co-create a running clinic aimed at preventing injuries. The clinic provides monthly screening services to runners and triathletes and advises runners on nutrition and training.

Career Highlights

Western States 100 Miler – 1st place female division (2004, 2005, 2007)

50-Mile Trail National Champion, Crystal Mountain, PA (2003, 2004, & 2005)

50-Mile Road National Champion, State College, PA (2005)

Runner of the Year – UltraRunning Magazine (2003, 2004, & 2007 )

Other Ultramarathon Runner Profiles
Karl Meltzer | Scott Jurek | Anton Krupicka | Tim Twietmeyer | Darcy Africa | Nikki Kimball | Kami Semick | Krissy Moehl