Triple Victor Athlete John Sims sets new personal best at Siuslaw Dunes Trail Run

Florence, Oregon – On Saturday, March 11th, the Siuslaw Dunes 50k trail race occurred in Florence, Oregon. Hundreds of runners from across the country participated in the event, traversing a diverse and challenging course through remote ocean terrain. Among the athletes was Triple Victor Athlete John Sims.

The Siuslaw Dunes Trail Run is known for its challenging and diverse course. It includes a mix of open sand dunes, lush old-growth coastal rainforests, riverside estuaries, freshwater lakes, and remote ocean beaches. Despite these challenging conditions, John was able to push through and set a new personal best.

John Sims broke his previous 50k record, finishing the challenging course with a time of 6:49:56, which topped his previous record of 7:06:27. This achievement allowed him to better his race day performance from an UltraSignUp ranking of 58% to 67%. For those unfamiliar with ultra running, the rankings score every athlete by gender based on their finish time differential from the winner.

Sims, who has been running ultras for two seasons, was thrilled with his performance. “[the] race went awesome. That was my best race.,” he said. “I was pretty much at my threshold. I felt good and still could hold a decent pace after 20 miles.” Sims’ performance was awe-inspiring given the challenging nature of the course, which included over 2,100 feet of ascent and 2,070 feet of descent, along with various terrain types that demanded runners’ attention and fitness. Despite the difficult conditions, Sims maintained a strong pace throughout the race and crossed the finish line toping his goals and setting new benchmarks.

The Siuslaw Dunes 50k is still a relatively new event, with this year’s race being only the second edition, as the last two years were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the race has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most challenging and scenic ultras in the Pacific Northwest.

For more information on the Siuslaw Dunes 50k and to see full race results, visit the official website at https://daybreakracing.com/races/siuslaw-dunes-50k/.

Photo credit – Daybreak Racing, LLC.