Celebrating Rockstar Runner, Justin Wolf
In it for the long run: Justin Crushes the Sean O’Brien 50K
It’s been quite a year of running for Justin Wolf of FUJIFILM Biotechnologies in Thousand Oaks, California. Justin has completed not one, but two 50K races in 2026—and we’re excited to finally share the story of the race that kicked it all off.
Back in January, Justin lined up for the Sean O’Brien 50K Trail Run at Malibu Creek State Park. He came into race day after months of consistent preparation—trail running, hill workouts, strength training, and Virtual Gym Challenges with Coach Kattouf. On January 31 at 7 a.m. sharp, that training was put to the test.
The first few miles started relatively mellow (aside from an early river crossing - wet feet!), but it didn’t stay that way for long. Soon, Justin was climbing a steep, rocky trail followed by the first major climb of the day: nearly three miles straight up a fire road. His strategy was simple: put one foot in front of the other and keep going.
Around mile 10, things got tougher. With temperatures climbing toward 85 degrees, Justin’s stomach wasn’t feeling great and doubt started creeping in. Then, a water stop around mile 11 gave him exactly the reset he needed. He refilled his water, cooled off with the help of a volunteer, and felt his spirits lift. From there, cooling down at every aid station became part of his race-day strategy.
As the miles added up, Justin settled into what ultrarunners call “Relentless Forward Progress.” He hiked the climbs, ran everything else, refueled at aid stations, and kept moving. He had originally hoped to finish in under seven hours, but as the day unfolded, he realized that goal was slipping away. Instead of letting it derail him, he shifted his focus to finishing strong.
By the final miles, Justin’s legs had endured hours of hills and rocky terrain—including several punishing downhill miles. Then came one last challenge: a climb affectionately known to runners as the “Angry Chihuahua.” With his time goal no longer a factor, Justin decided to give himself a new one: run the entire climb on tired legs. And he did.
With the finish line approaching, Justin glanced at his watch and noticed something: he might be able to finish in 7 hours and 20 minutes. His bib number? 720. He found whatever energy he had left and pushed to the finish, crossing in 7:20:49 after 32.73 miles, 7,001 feet of climbing, and roughly 60,000 steps. (So cool!)
Justin credits the consistent work leading up to race day—including months of trail running, hill workouts, strength training, and our Virtual Gym Challenges with Coach Kattouf—with giving him confidence when the race got hard. As Justin put it, sometimes you don’t have your best day, but pushing through the “heat, hills, rocks, rivers, and anything else” says a lot about determination.
Congratulations, Justin, on an incredible 50K finish! We’re proud to have the Virtual Gym be a small part of the training behind one very big accomplishment.
