Announcement written by Lin Gentling.
The USATF Mountain, Ultra, and Trail Council is pleased to announce the members of the 2023 USATF 50K Road Team who have been selected to represent their country competing in the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) World 50K Championship to be held in Hyderabad, India on 5 November 2023. An estimated 200 of the world’s top 50K ultra runners from over 35 countries will compete.
The 2023 USA Women’s 50K Team:
- Brittany Charboneau, 35, Denver, Co (Colorado)
- Ildiko Gaal, 32, Raleigh, NC (North Carolina)
- Alexandra Niles, 40, Montclair, NJ (New Jersey)
- Courtney Olsen, 36, Bellingham, WA (Pacific Northwest)
- Andrea Pomaranski, 40, Wolverine Lake, MI (Michigan)
- Melissa Tanner, 42, Baltimore, MD (Potomac Valley)
The 2023 USA Men’s 50K Team:
- Fernando Cabada, 41, Aurora, CO (Colorado)
- Mike Katsefaras, 33, Ypsilanti, MI (Michigan)
- Kallin Carolus Khan, 26, Iowa City, IA (Iowa)
- Bijan Mazaheri, 29, Wellesley, MA (Southern California)
- Charles Smogoleski, 37, Eaton Rapids, MI (Michigan)
- Adam Vadeboncoeur, 33, Longmont, CO (Colorado)
Team Staff will be Lin Gentling (Minnesota) and Meghan Canfield (Oregon)
The team was selected based on 50K and marathon qualifying times run during the qualifying window from February 27, 2022 – July 30, 2023. Athletes must have met for men a sub -3 hour 50K (31 miles) or a road marathon of 2:22 or better. While the women must have run a 50K in a sub 3:33 or a road marathon in sub 2:45. Qualifying races were run in USATF sanctioned and certified 50K and marathon races. Additionally, Niles earned her berth on the team by winning the 2022 50K national championship in Caumsett, NY (February 27, 2022) in the qualifying time; Pomaranski, and Khan won the 2023 50K national championship in Caumsett, NY (March 12, 2023); and Gaal and Cabada were auto selects and winners at the Mad City 50K race (April 23, 2022).
The inaugural 50K World Championship event took place in Doha, Qatar in December 2015. This included men and women’s races with individual and team elements. The team titles were decided by the three best combined times set by a nation’s runners at the competition.
In 2015, Camille Herron and Tony Migliozzi won the individual gold medals. The next 50K world championships were held in 2016, again in Doha, Qatar. Tony Migliozzi won the individual championship with Tyler Andrews taking the silver. Team wise, Team USA men took silver in 2015, Team USA men won gold in 2016 and women took the silver, and Team USA women took the silver medal at the last 50K world championships in 2019. Team USA comes into the 2023 50K World Championship with high success in previous editions and is expected to do well.
The US men’s team earned the silver medal in 2015 and the gold in 2016. The US women took silver in 2016 and again in 2019. COVID canceled the world championships in 2020 and 2021. The 2023 50K team will once again be strong contenders for the top spot on the podium.
Qualifying standards can be found here:
https://trailrunner.com/trail-news/2023-iau-50-kilometer-world-championship-team-usa-selection/
