Any runner who sets the new overall course record. This requires besting Jim O’Brien’s stout 17:35:48 run in 1989, a record that has stood for 28 years! The closest anyone has come to this record is within 56 minutes, and only three other runners have ever broken the 19-hour mark. Both men and women are eligible for this award – any person who breaks the time, wins the gold buckle. Jim O’Brien’s 1989 AC100 finish is one of the longest standing records in ultrarunning.
The 2025 OUT AND BACK COURSE will be a 36-hour race, and we will offer a new 36-hour Solid Bronze Buckle along with the traditional 33-hour Solid Bronze Buckle.
Any runner who sets the new overall course record. This requires besting Jim O’Brien’s stout 17:35:48 run in 1989, a record that has stood for 28 years! The closest anyone has come to this record is within 56 minutes, and only three other runners have ever broken the 19-hour mark. Both men and women are eligible for this award – any person who breaks the time, wins the gold buckle. Jim O’Brien’s 1989 AC100 finish is one of the longest standing records in ultrarunning.
Andrew “Ace” Ewing and Chris Jones Completed The Grand Slam, The Western Slam, and The Last Great Race in a single Summer. Photo: Chris Jones. Read their story in Ultra Running Magazine.