On June 11, James Jasperson, a junior at Western Washington University and a volunteer firefighter, went on an especially difficult run: Dressed in full firefighter gear, as well as a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), he completed a mile around his home track in Washington in a time of 6:33.
As far as Jasperson knows, not many other runners have attempted this sort of challenge, except for Washington runner Tony Robinson, who ran a 9:50 mile while wearing a firefighter uniform and SCBA at a track invitational in 2009. Jasperson’s goal was to not only beat Robinson’s time, but also to raise funds for Four Season Fighters, a nonprofit that helps support firefighters, veterans, and police officers.
The challenge, however, was no easy feat—even for Jasperson, who runs on the WWU cross-country and track teams. The firefighting gear alone weighed more than 50 pounds, and the SCBA heavily restricted Jasperson’s breathing.
“I hadn’t practiced running with an SCBA at all, and then I went and ran the first lap of that mile and thought, ‘Holy crap, I might pass out,’” Jasperson told Runner’s World. “I couldn’t get a full breath into my lungs because of all the weight on my diaphragm.”
Despite the massive discomfort—it felt like he could only use about a quarter of his lung capacity, he said—Jasperson pulled through, crossing the line more than three minutes faster than Robinson previously did. He also beat his fundraising goal of $1,000; at the end of the challenge, he had raised $1,300 for charity.
“I had a huge crowd out to support me, and I was like, ‘Well, there’s no giving in now, let’s get this bread,’” he said.
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Thanks to everybody who came out to support! 6:33.28 was the official time, a World Record for the books. Raised so much awareness for @fourseasonfighters, I was informed that after today with the amount of donations we received from this effort they are able to take a double-amputee veteran out on a bow hunting trip. That’s what it’s all about. Thank you friends for supporting me through the run! That may have been the most uncomfortable six and a half minutes of my running career.
A post shared by James Jasperson (@jamesjasperson) on
This was not Jasperson’s first race in firefighter gear. In 2015, when he was 19, he attempted to break the Guinness World Record for fastest mile in firefighter gear without a SCBA, and successfully set the record by about 30 seconds, running a 6:12. A couple of months later, however, his record was broken by professional triathlete Andrew Drobeck in a 6:07. Jasperson was not to be outdone, so naturally, he then came back and ran a 5:51 in 2018. He is waiting for approval from Guinness for his newest record.
Excelling in running and firefighting—sometimes simultaneously—comes naturally for Jasperson, who has always been passionate about both sports and service.
“I had always thought about military service if running wasn’t in the picture, but I am extremely passionate about running,” said Jasperson, who caught the attention of college coaches after clocking times of 1:55 for 800 meters and 4:21 for 1600 meters in high school. After receiving a fire safety degree from Everett Community College, Jasperson transferred to WWU, where he is now studying kinesiology while also putting in hours at the fire department and on the track.
Though running in split shorts is a very different experience than running in full fire-protective gear, Jasperson said that he did not alter his training for the record attempt, but instead stuck to team’s typical track workouts. What sets him apart from his teammates, he noted, is that he strength trains year-round as part of his firefighting conditioning.
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Now that his tough mile is over, Jasperson looking for his next challenge. While his primary focus this summer is building up for his senior cross-country season, he has another race in mind. “I would like to win the firefighter stair climb up the Columbia tower in Seattle, Washington, and raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,” he said.
From: Runner’s World US
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