1,400 Registered Runners Took on Snowbird Ski Resort’s Toughest Trails at The Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB In Utah’s Wasatch Mountains

July 24, 2023

Christian Allen (West Jordan, Utah) and Helen Mino Faukner (Truckee, Calif.) earn victories in 50K distance at the 2023 Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB as UTMB World Series continues in the United States

SNOWBIRD, Utah /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The 2023 UTMB^® World Series continued with the 2023 Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB^® on July 21-22. Celebrating its 16^th anniversary, the iconic mountain race featured 1,400 registered runners from 48 states and 24 countries, regions and territories embarking on one of the four distances offered at the Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB. The four demanding courses included a 50K, 28K, 21K, and 10K filled with breathtaking views and beautiful mountain trails of the unique rocky terrain of the Wasatch Mountains.

Living up to its reputation as an opportunity for those seeking a true trail running adventure, the 2023 Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB treated runners of all abilities with picturesque views and endless mountain wildflowers as they traversed the legendary course.

Nestled in the stunning Little Cottonwood Canyon, Snowbird Ski Resort served as both a challenging and welcoming venue for the runners as they made the ascent to the summit of Snowbird and down the Peruvian Gulch while taking in the jaw-dropping beauty that can only be found on this course.

The four distances were split up across two days of racing. The 28K and 10K took place on Friday, July 21 while the 50K and 21K took place on Saturday, July 22. Each race started and finished at the Snowbird Ski Resort Center Plaza area surrounded by family, friends, and supporters.

Known to be the toughest 50K in the USA – this course offered a total of 11,400 feet of elevation gain. A series of climbs brought runners breathtaking views at the summit of Snowbird, Baldy and Hidden Peak. An extraordinary effort from West Jordan, Utah’s Christian Allen to take the title this year as he crossed the finish line in 5:23:38 after traversing the mountainous terrain. In the women’s race, Helen Mino-Faukner (Truckee, Calif.) was able to take home the women’s title with an outstanding time of 6:09:17

Rounding out the podium men’s 50K podium were, Nick Handel (San Francisco, Calif.) with a time of 5:30:08 and Adrian MacDonald finishing in 5:31:20 were second and third place respectively. In the female’s 50K Mali Noyes completed the race in 6:21:29 and came home in second place while last year’s winner, Addie Bracy finished in 6:23:49 to finish in third place. These six athletes will also gain direct access to the UTMB World Series OCC event. Additionally, all runners that took on and finished this distance were awarded 2 UTMB Running Stones

“It was fun until it became not so fun, and it just hurt but it was great,” said Christian Allen winner of the male Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB 50K. “I haven’t raced any ultra stuff; I haven’t even raced a marathon so it was kind of fun to throw myself out there and see what would happen and it was good. It was great having this in my own backyard, it was a great atmosphere.”

“The course was so pretty; I have never been to Snowbird [Ski Resort] so it was just as steep as everyone said it was. I really liked the snow and I think sliding down (the snow pack) was my favorite part or the really big climb after mile 20,” said Helen Mino-Faukner the winner of the female Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB 50K. “Speedgoat [Mountain Races by UTMB] has been on my bucket list for a while and was a good warm up for UTMB.”

The 28K is held on the exact same trails as the signature 50K route, giving runners the same captivating views at the summit of Snowbird. This challenging race brings 6,300 feet of elevation gain. Andy Wacker (Boulder Colo.) pulled out the win in the men’s competition with a time of 2:55:06 while the women’s title went to Hannah Rowe (Boston, Mass.) with a time of 3:35:54.

The new 21K course started with a series of five climbs to the summit, then wound through the Snowbird tunnel and descents on a combination of service road and singletrack. The last mile is buttery singletrack to the finish.

In the men’s and women’s 21K it was Timothy Parr (Leadville, Colo.) with a time of 2:06:33 and Brittany Blitzer (New York, N.Y.) finishing in 2:58:22 besting the competition to take home the titles. In the 10K distance, the shorter, yet still challenging event brings runners a taste of the Wasatch Mountains with 1,650 feet of elevation gain, it was Timothy Parr claiming his second victory of the weekend in a time of 46:33 while Karley Rempel (Boulder, Colo.) also was victorious with a time 53:36.

All finishers of the 50K, 28K and 21K Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB collected Running Stones that can be applied to the Dacia UTMB Mont-Blanc – UTMB World Series Finals draw.

“I’m pretty excited to have two days of racing, the course was great and difficult. The weather was perfect and it was great seeing everybody,” said Karl Meltzer Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB race director and Ultrarunning legend.

The 2024 Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB returns on July 19-20, 2024, for the 17^th running of the event. Presale registration is now open until 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 30 where runners interested can secure the lowest prices of the year. To register, visit, https://speedgoat.utmb.world/register.

Next Up for the UTMB^® World Series:

UTMB^® World Series is scheduled to continue in 2023 when the series makes its way to Austria for the KAT100 by UTMB on August 3-5. To see the full schedule of UTMB^® World Series events, visit www.utmb.world.

For more information about the Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB^® visit speedgoatmountainraces.com. For more information about the 2023 UTMB^® World Series visit utmb.world. Media-related inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

###

About UTMB® World Series

UTMB® World Series is the world’s ultimate trail-running circuit that unites the sport’s biggest stars and passionate runners through the best, leading international events in the most stunning locations.  Built on a passion for the mountains with sustainability at its heart, UTMB® World Series gives all trail runners the chance to experience the UTMB® adventure across the world, with events taking place across Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It is the only place where runners can begin their quest to UTMB® Mont-Blanc, France, where the prestigious UTMB® World Series Finals will be held. Launched in May 2021 through the collaboration between the UTMB Group and The IRONMAN Group, the UTMB World Series circuit brings together many of the best international trail-running events on the planet. For more information, visit http://www.utmb.world.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events including Haute Route^®, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.