The following race report was provided by on-site USATF technical delegate Lin Gentling and features results from the 2025 USATF 24 Hour National Championships hosted by Fat Ox in Buckeye, Arizona. Featured photo Jean Pommier racing on course at the championships.
The weather forecast did not bode well for the 2025 USATF 24 Hour National Championships held on November 21. Desert flash floods blew through the valley on Wednesday, November 19, prior to the weekend, and the Phoenix area was in the midst of their second record-breaking month of total rainfall. Runners came prepared for the conditions, but can you ever be ready for 12 hours of rain?
There were some impressive names in the 16 runners who showed up to run on Saturday morning. Among them were Scott Traer, 44, Phoenix, AZ, and Stella Springer, 54, Woodland Hills, CA, fresh off the 2025 world 24 hours in October in France. Additionally Pam Smith, 52, Salem OR, who is no stranger to these distance races and a true veteran and mentor of the sport was a last minute entry. Polina Hodnette who raced to a 6th place finish at the USATF 50 Mile National Championship just 2 weeks ago, toed the start.
Scott Traer on course.
The strategy in a 24-hour race, as Smith and Springer mentioned in a pre-race interview is to, “Go slow, stay slow.” Actually, there is wisdom to that strategy. Often it is not the runners leading during the front part of a 24-hour event, but one who can be patient and stay the course, taking on the fatiguing challenge in the later stages of the race.
For Traer, that strategy proved to be beneficial. Still recovering from the worlds, he went into the 24-hour just to do what he needed to do to win the race. Traer was incredibly consistent through 85 miles running the 0.988178 miles loop course in 8:30 – 8:45 pace. Dropping off slightly to 9:00 – 9:30 pace through 111 miles and to around 10+ pace until essentially the end of the race for him. Having built up a sufficient lead to give him 1st place, he decided to sit it out at close to 22 hours at 138.34 miles.
Inclement weather faced the participants during the race.
With constant wet feet due to puddles on the course and the constant wet environment, his feet looked like a horror story, with blisters and symptoms of redness and swelling approaching trench foot. A constant comment with many of the runners was the joy of seeing running friends along the course and spending time catching up. After all, you have 24 hours to catch up and solve the world’s problems with one another.
Meanwhile, Zachary Szablewski, 35, Racensdale, WA, was keeping a close eye on Traer and Scott Monson, 35, Woodland Hills, CA. Traer overtook Szablewski on the 76th lap (75.1 miles), putting him into second position with Monson leading the men until about 97 miles when fatigue and discomfort got the best of him, thus yielding to Traer. By this time, the rains had been constant for close to 5 hours. Traer built on his lead until he felt it was safe to sit it out with about 2 hours remaining until the full 24 hours had lapsed.
Top men at USATF 24 Hour Championships.
Final results had Traer at 138.34 miles, Szablewski in second with 131.53, and Monson finishing third with 122.53 miles. Szablewski was very pleased with his effort as this was a PR for him. Both Traer and Szablewski commented that despite the weather conditions, they had fun and were so appreciative of all the volunteers, and especially the volunteer that squeegeed the course managing the puddles.
On the women’s side, although there were fewer runners, it was no less competitive. Polina Hodnette, 38, Chicago, IL, was running only 2 weeks after running the 50-mile national championships at Tunnel Hill. She was so disappointed in her performance in the 50 mile, that she decided she would run her inaugural 24-hour event at Fat Ox. Hodnette had absolutely no idea what to expect only knowing that she was running for redemption from the 50 mile.
Hodnette on course.
The women were so supportive of one another often seen running together. Hodnette and Springer ran a fair amount of the event together, sometimes on the same loop, other times not. They were running close together until about 50 miles when Hodnette pulled ahead for good. While the other women took time during the race to sit and rest, Hodnette never did.
There are some advantages to running in inclement weather. If you stop without adequate shelter and clothing, you freeze. Hodnette did not dare stop for that reason. She was self-supported and her aid station was in the open. Her 24-hour strategy was to go out conservatively and then to see what happens. Included in that strategy was to troubleshoot immediately any problems that might have affected her running. Prior to Fat Ox, her race prep was to write every conceivable issue that might go wrong and then to think through a solution for each of those problems. The idea was to resolve whatever the issue was immediately prior to it growing out of control. Her Tunnel Hill training pulled her through, as did the curiosity of what a 24-hour entails.
Top women at USATF 24 Hour Championships.
In the end, it was the camaraderie, where the elite national class runners were right alongside the recreational runners. As Stella Stringer stated and it was echoed repeatedly by the entire field of runners, “I love this race, it is a beautiful course and the race staff are absolutely amazing.”
If you have not done an Aravaipa race, do yourself a favor and get out there, test your physical and psychological limits, and experience perfection.
