Valmir Nunes (born January 16, 1964)[1] is a Brazilian runner. A former world record holder, he currently holds South American and Brazilian Ultramarathon records.
Contents |
Nunes initially found success in the 100-kilometre (62 mi) distance race, winning the world championship in 1991.[2] He also placed first in the U.S.A. National 100 Kilometer Championship, finishing before the first American.[2] In 1995 Nunes set the world record with a time of 6 hours, 18 minutes and 9 seconds in Winschoten, Netherlands. His record was not broken until 1998.[3][4]
Nunes has also been successful in longer races. In 2001 he won the 246-kilometre (153 mi) Spartathlon in Greece in a time of 23 hours, 18 minutes and 5 seconds.[5] He holds the course record at the 135-mile (217 km) Badwater Ultramarathon. In 2007 he was the first runner to finish the race in less than 24 hours, setting a course record of 22 hours, 51 minutes and 29 seconds. During the race, temperatures reached 114 °F (46 °C).[6]
In October 2010 Nunes attempted to break the world record for a 24 hour treadmill race. Although he won the race by running 215.60 kilometres (133.97 mi), he was unable to break the world record of 257.8 kilometres (160.2 mi).[7][4]
Nunes also coaches several runners, who compete in marathons and ultramarathons.[8] In 1998 Nunes encouraged his maid, Sirlene Pinho, to begin running competitively. She has since won a bronze medal in the marathon at the 2007 Pan American Games.[9]
In 2010 he released a book about his experiences in ultrarunning.[10]