The following report features the USATF 50km Trail Championships and was written by USATF liaison Lin Gentling.
On a cool, damp, overcast morning along the northern coast of Mill Valley, California, the 2024 USATF 50km Trail Running Championships were held on August 17, in conjunction with the Tamalpa Headlands 50K under the direction of Victor Ballesteros and the Tamalpa Runners Club.
USATF 50km Trail Championships course
The Headlands 50K course was incredibly beautiful, running through redwood rain forests, along coastal bluffs, ridges, and wild flowers. The course consisted of a mix of single track and fire road featuring many of Marin County’s most famous trails: Coastal, Miwok, Steep Ravine, Matt Davis and Dipsea. The demanding route featured approximately 6,500-feet of elevation gain as well as fast fire road running, steep climbs, flowy single track, technical sections and stunning views of the Bay Area, Pacific Ocean and beyond. The footing was variable, especially with moist conditions on race day. Parts of the trail were quite slippery yet the sandy portions gave good absorption. Along the route, two 1500-foot climbs and then the final three miles predominantly downhill, yielding a quad-busting descent into the finish line.
Adding to the beauty of the course was the prize offering of 1st Male/Female: $2,500, 2nd Male/Female: $1,500, and 3rd Male/Female: $1,000. There were also USATF medals for the top finishers overall and age group medals in five-year increments for runners 40 and over.
Men’s race at 50km Trail Championships
Cole Campbell, 28, Cascade, ID, was first to the finish line with a time of 3:40:14, followed by Finn Jacobson-Schulte, 25, Boulder CO, in 3:57:53. Rounding out the top three was Andrew Rylaarsdam, 29, Portland, OR, timed in 3:59:07.
Campbell led from start to finish running seemingly with ease, however his finish appearance indicated otherwise. About 3.4 miles into the race at Pirates Cove, it was Campbell, Jacobson-Schulte, and Tim Reed, 31, Irvine, CA, running very close to one another. The order remained the same through 6 miles, still quite close to one another. At Rodeo Beach, 8.3 miles, it was still Campbell, but Rylaarsdam was now running second, with Jacobson-Schulte in third, followed very closely by Reed. By 25.5 miles the finishing order had been determined. It was Campbell, Finn Jacobson-Schulte, and Rylaarsdam.
Campbell, who recently graduated with a masters degree in exercise science from Western Colorado University, said this about the course, “This was my first time running the trails here. It was an awesome course. I tried to run every step, but honestly think it would have been more efficient to fast hike. There are some really steep sections, but the last climb was the best part. I got into trail running because it is hard and I like doing hard things.”
Women’s race at 50km Trail Championships
The women’s race was somewhat closer and was not decided until the last third of the course. It was Lindsay Allison, 28, Telluride, CO, first across the line in 4:30:34, followed by Sylvie Abel, 33, Los Gatos, CA, about 6 minutes later in 4:36:22. Sarah Biehl, 30, Boulder, CO, who had led a good part of the race, finished third in 4:45:24.
At the first sighting near Pirates Cove (3.4 miles), it was Biehl, Collier Lawrence, 37, Bend, OR, Allison, and Abel. As the miles ticked by, the order at Rodeo Beach was Biehl, Allison, and Abel, in close contact with each other. Near Redwood and Miwok Trail (about 13 miles), it was Biehl, Allison, and Abel still running in the same order. At Steep Ravine, 25.5 miles on the Coastal Trail, the final order was determined. The order was Allison, Abel, and Biehl into the finish line.
There seemed to quite a camaraderie among the women, especially the top contenders. The top 3-4 ran much of the first part of the race in close proximity to one another simply because they enjoyed the company. All seemed to know one another. Allison, a senior associate in business operations and strategy with McKinsey and Company, indicated it was more fun running with others, and that there seemed to be a different camaraderie with women than with men.
Final notes
Although the weather for the day proved challenging, it appeared by the support, smiles and laughter that no one went home disappointed with the race and the atmosphere created at the finish line. A very special thanks to Victor Ballesteros, first time race director, who poured his heart and soul into the race and into each runner and volunteer. Despite a huge sleep deficit, he created an atmosphere or respect, appreciation, and graciousness.
There were many photographers along the course, including Facchino Photography, Bryan Walker Ting Photography, and Eli Staton Photographs. Additionally, a livestream provided over 11 hours of coverage from the first to last finisher. Complete results can be found here.
